Parking
Use the small lot about one-third of the way along the road to Warren Lake; it is the Broad Cove Mountain trailhead.
Overview
About Broad Cove Mountain
Why go
- A short climb reaches a bench with a broad Atlantic view.
- Switchbacks make the steep ascent a clearly defined route.
Heads up
- Rugged sections make the short hike feel steeper underfoot.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Cape Breton Highlands map
Full mapElevation54–189 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
6 active Cape Breton Highlands alerts
- ClosureCoyote-related area closuresMacIntosh Brook Campground and Trail, Lone Shieling, three Cabot Trail properties, and nearby pull-offs are closed because coyotes have approached people aggressively.Official details
- InfoSkyline Trail reservation and boardwalk restrictionsA confirmed parking reservation is required to visit Skyline Trail through October 25, 2026, during the park’s busiest season.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Cape Breton Highlands Tour Guide
Your drive to Broad Cove Mountain, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Cape Breton Highlands National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Cape Breton Highlands audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Warren Lake and Broad Cove Mountain0:00 / 0:25
“You're approaching the Broad Cove Mountain trailhead on Warren Lake Road. For a picnic or a summer swim, the lake's beach and day-use area are a separate stop along this road, with parking beside the shore.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Cape Breton Highlands Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Mary Ann Falls Trail
- Broad Cove Beach and Campground
- Built to Dive
- Lakie's Head
- 50 audio storiesacross Cape Breton Highlands’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Moose, Black Bear, Bald Eagle, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 27 trails, 38 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Broad Cove Mountain
What you get for the climbBroad Cove Mountain is a 2.3 km (1.
Broad Cove Mountain is a 2.3 km (1.4 mi) out-and-back from a small roadside lot to a rocky lookout. Allow about an hour. The payoff is a bench and a wide view of the Atlantic coast; the walk is short, but the climb is steep enough to feel like a proper hike.
The switchback climbThe unpaved trail winds uphill through dense softwood forest.
The unpaved trail winds uphill through dense softwood forest. Parks Canada describes a short, steep climb with rugged sections, so expect some uneven footing rather than a smooth stroll. The official elevation gain is about 168 m. Moose may be along the route, and eagles are seen overhead.
At the lookoutAt the top, a bench faces the rocky Atlantic coast, with Middle Head and Cape Smokey in the…
At the top, a bench faces the rocky Atlantic coast, with Middle Head and Cape Smokey in the distance. Leave a little time to sit and look around. For a photo, include the foreground rocks with the layered coast and headlands beyond; that makes the height and distance easier to read than a tight crop of the water.
Access and trail conditionsThe small parking lot is about one-third of the way along the road to Warren Lake.
The small parking lot is about one-third of the way along the road to Warren Lake. Park admission applies. No food, drinking water, or toilets are listed at the trailhead, so bring what you need. Dogs are allowed but must stay leashed. The trail is not maintained in the off-season.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Cape Breton Highlands
180 sightingsMooseMost seen around 5 AMSighting map
60 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
48 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
29 sightingsGrey SealMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
14 sightingsCoyoteMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
10 sightingsWhite-tailed DeerMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Cape Breton Highlands. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
