Arisaig Provincial Park

A Shoreline Park With Cliffs, A Beach, A Picnic Area And One Of The Best Fossil Beds In Canada, With Silurian Sea Creatures In The Rock At The Shore And A Geological Trail. A Good Stop For Fossil Hunters On The Sunrise Trail · Arisaig, Nova Scotia

Arisaig Provincial Park lies on the Northumberland Strait on Route 245, the Sunrise Trail, about 35 km north-west of Antigonish in northern Nova Scotia (confirm distance). A small day-use park, it sits on a stretch of shore where red-brown cliffs of very old sedimentary rock meet a pebbly beach, and it is known across Canada for its fossils. The rock layers here formed in an ancient sea during the Silurian period, about 440 million years ago (confirm), and they hold shells and other marine animals that geologists have studied for generations. A geological trail with signs leads along the shore and up the brook, a picnic area sits above the beach, and Northumberland Strait water laps a long shoreline that warms in summer. Fossils are protected, so visitors look and photograph rather than collect (confirm). The park suits a short stop on the drive between Pictou and Antigonish, or a half day for children and curious walkers.

Arisaig Provincial Park, on the Northumberland Strait on Highway 245 about 35 km north-west of Antigonish in northern Nova Scotia; coordinates approximate, Arisaig, Nova Scotia, Canada

The shore can be walked at any hour, but the picnic area, washrooms and parking are best used in the daytime between late May and mid October, with a short staffed or serviced season in July and August (confirm). Tides change what is exposed, and low tide gives the best view of the rock layers and the shoreline. Winter brings ice, snow and closed washrooms, though the road and the shore can still be reached, and the sea can throw spray and ice over the beach in storms.

Arisaig Provincial Park on Spottos · Explore more places on Spottos