MacKenzie Mountain Look-off — The Highland Plateau

This accessible roadside look-off pairs a broad highland view with panels on how the plateau formed. Stop for a stretch and a little geology without adding a hike; a pass is required for this Cabot Trail section, and the MacKenzie viewpoints have wheelchair-accessible decks. This is the Highland Plateau exhibit, separate from the nearby Gulf and whale look-offs.

More than 90% of the park’s surface is Highland Plateau, averaging about 400 m (1,300 ft) high. Its flat-topped uplands are cut by valleys and pocketed with shallow lakes and bogs. This is the largest remaining tract of wild land in Nova Scotia.

Look for the MacKenzie River as it threads a canyon below the plateau. The panels point to bedrock that has resisted change for millions of years. For a photo, include the cut in the land and some foreground instead of framing only distant ridgelines.