Day 1
Tribute
Wood-fired, handmade pasta · Halifax, NS
Fuel up in Halifax on Colin Bebbington's open-flame cooking before the drive to Cape Breton Island.
Open the pick →FallAdventure
Cabot Trail in fall colour
Halifax, NS to Chéticamp, NS
National Geographic calls the Cabot Trail beautiful all year and especially spectacular in autumn. Drive it anticlockwise as they suggest, from Baddeck up the east coast and over the Highlands to Acadian Chéticamp.
- Best months
- September and October
- Stops
- 5 stops · 2 of them picks
Stop by stop
Day 2
Baddeck
Start the loop at Alexander Graham Bell's former home, now a National Historic Site.
Day 2
Cabot Trail
Scenic drive · Ingonish Beach, NS
Enter the national park at Ingonish Beach: about a third of the trail runs through it, and Beulach Ban Falls is at its best when the leaves turn.
Open the pick →Day 3
Pleasant Bay
Book a whale-watching trip from Pleasant Bay.
Day 4
Chéticamp
Finish in the Acadian fishing town on the Gulf side.
Before you go
- There are no through roads for shortcuts: once you start, you are committed. Steep curves and drop-offs mean checking your brakes first. Source ↗
- A park pass is required to drive the section inside Cape Breton Highlands National Park. Source ↗
- Skyline Trail parking needs a reservation from June 26 to October 25, 2026; park visitor services run May 15 to October 25. Source ↗
Sources
- From ice roads to the Klondike Highway: 6 of Canada's most adventurous road trips · National Geographic
- Discover the Cabot Trail: A Scenic Journey Through Cape Breton Island · Cabot Trail
- Sightseeing along the Cabot Trail · Parks Canada
- Cape Breton Highlands National Park · Parks Canada
More fall road trips
Photo: Nunzio Guerrera · Unsplash License RomanticSeptember and October
Eastern Townships: wine route and farm tables
Dunham, QC to Cookshire-Eaton, QC
Harvest season in the Townships, all picks: a brewery near the Vermont border, farm cooking at Stanbridge East and Austin, and a lakeside resort in North Hatley. The wine route links 24 wineries along the way.
6 stops · every stop a pick
