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Driving the Cabot Trail in Nova Scotia

Grey_Mountain
Explorer
Explorer
We w8ill be visiting the Canadian Maritimes later this year, including Nova Scotia. What are the driving conditions in a toad for the Cabot Trail? I am considering parking the MH somewhere and taking the toad for this trip. Information about the trail state:

"...the Cabot Trail skirts the edges of the (Camp Breton National) park, at times clinging to steep oceanside cliffs."

My wife has a deathly fear of heights, and "steep oceanside cliffs" may make a the Cabot Trail an impossibility." Would it be less formidable to travel the Trail clock-wise, putting my wife on the inside? I would love to see this area, but I am also very concerned and must consider my wife's very real fears.

Thank you - looking forward to seeing this part of Canada again.

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17 REPLIES 17

phemens
Explorer
Explorer
Did the same with a Suburban pulling a 27' trailer. We did it in extreme fog conditions, low & slow, never a problem. We re-drove the circuit later that same trip in just the 'Burb, and maybe it was just as well that we did the climbs in Fog, my wife was freaking out a bit in full visibility. It was a little more stressful on the brakes coming back down, but never a big worry.
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DougE
Explorer
Explorer
I circumnavigated Nova Scotia with a Suburban pulling a 20' trailer. Nothing impressed me as being difficult to drive. Obviously going clockwise is best for the wife. I did that going up Hwy 1 in California too.
Currently Between RVs

NCWriter
Explorer
Explorer
We drove the trail clockwise last year in our van, and the only place I felt even slightly uneasy was Cape Smokey on the Ingonish side going down a couple of steep grades with curves. But it didn't last long, and I'm not a fan of descending steep hills either.

At lot of people base themselves at the nice town of Baddeck, explore by toad, and visit the AG Bell museum in Baddeck.

I actually enjoyed the west side and top of the trail's scenery the most. We stayed overnight up near the top of the trail at the Hideaway CG and had a terrific $25 whale watching expedition from Oshan.