Parking
Use the signed Lone Shieling parking area just off the Cabot Trail at the base of North Mountain. Capacity and on-site facilities are not listed.
Overview
About Lone Shieling Trail
Why go
- A distinctive Scottish crofter hut among old-growth sugar maples.
Heads up
- The loop takes about 15 minutes, so it is a brief stop rather than a longer hike.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Cape Breton Highlands map
Full mapElevation60–84 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
6 active Cape Breton Highlands alerts
- CautionPedestrian prohibition on Cabot Trail near French LakeMentions Cabot Trail, referenced in this guidePedestrian use is prohibited at all times on the Cabot Trail between 19713 Cabot Trail (French Lake Look-Off) and 18865 Cabot Trail (Veteran’s Monument Look-Off) through October 25, 2026.Official details
- 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
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Cape Breton Highlands Tour Guide
Your drive to Lone Shieling Trail, 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
Lone Shieling0:00 / 0:29
“Lone Shieling is coming up, a replica Scottish stone hut tucked into old-growth forest. Stop here for a little history and an easy fifteen-to-twenty-minute loop, rather than a long hike.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Cape Breton Highlands Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Forest's Next Generation
- MacIntosh Brook Falls and Day Use Area
- Moose from Alberta
- The Partnership on the Bark
- 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 Lone Shieling Trail
A short old-growth loopAt the base of North Mountain, just off the Cabot Trail, this easy 0.4-mile (0.
At the base of North Mountain, just off the Cabot Trail, this easy 0.4-mile (0.6 km) loop winds through Grande Anse Valley’s old-growth hardwood forest. Allow about 15 minutes. It is a brief interpretive walk and heritage stop rather than a substantial hike.
The Lone ShielingNear the start stands the Lone Shieling, a replica of a Scottish crofter’s dwelling with…
Near the start stands the Lone Shieling, a replica of a Scottish crofter’s dwelling with rubble-stone walls, rough-hewn timbers and a thatched roof. The valley’s sugar maples are estimated at about 350 years old. The hut and old trees are the route’s main rewards; moose also use the area, though sightings are not assured.
Access and expectationsThe signed parking area is just off Cabot Trail beside the trail access.
The signed parking area is just off Cabot Trail beside the trail access. Two short wooden bridge spans join the mapped sections of the circuit. Dogs are allowed on leash, and a Park Entry Pass is generally required to enter the national park; exceptions apply.
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.
