Running Nova Scotia’s North Granite Ridge Trail

I would like to acknowledge that we are in Mi’kma’ki, the traditional territory of the Mi’kmaq people.

Standing at the trailhead in shorts at 7 a.m., it’s hard to imagine, but 20,000 years ago, a kilometre-thick sheet of ice covered the spot where I was currently tinkering with my gear. This gnarly landscape resulted from multiple glaciation periods, but when the last of the ice made its final retreat, it left behind countless signs of its raw power. 

Skirting granite boulder-strewn cliffs high above the majestic Musquodoboit River, you’ll find the North Granite Ridge Trail. Described on the Musquodoboit Trails Association web page as Solitude and Rugged Wilderness, the trail transports the user back in time.

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Musquodoboit, pronounced in English, MUS-kə-DOB-it, is the anglicized version of the Mi’kmaq word, Mooskudoboogwek, which translates to either “suddenly widening out after a narrow entrance at its mouth” or “rolling out in foam,” referring to the almost 100 km-long river (another parting gift from the region’s icy creator). My drive to the trailhead consists of a few quick stops to take photos of this gorgeous waterway. From its northern terminus at Meaghers Grant, a few metres to your left as you leave the parking lot, you’ll see the start of the North Granite Ridge and Gibraltar Rock trail. 

Well supplied with water and lunch, I leave the empty trailhead. The trail shoots right up for about 500 metres –  the kind of ascent that has you huffing and puffing and laughing, all at once. Today would be a suffer fest; it is one of the hardest welcomes to a trail run I’ve had in a while, but at the same time, the strain on my lungs and legs is overshadowed by the the quiet significance of the natural surroundings. I am immersed in the beauty that is part Bob Ross lush forest scene, part mini-northwest Pacific coast, and part Lord of the Rings landscape. 

As the last of the glaciers receded in this area, they left their distinct mark in many ways. The most obvious are the boulders, ranging in size from your fist to my Subaru, and larger. They sit perched, keeping watch as a lush forest grew up around them. There is a calm to this ferocious terrain. My ankles implore me to keep focused, but I can’t stop thinking about how long these huge granite gatekeepers have been here, unmoved among the cycles of weather, animals and plant life, watching storm after storm, season after season. 

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The North Granite Trail consists of two very distinct parts: the first 9.5 km has no less than 1,500 feet of climbing, with lookouts a-plenty, each more stunning than the last. The footing ranges from a strip of dirt covered with evergreen needles, surrounded on both sides by the greenest moss I’ve ever seen, to smooth, lichen-covered granite slabs, to small boulder fields that feel like a natural parkour experience – all of this while going up or down – there are very few flat sections on the Granite Ridge. My only company for the day are the squirrels, crows and the wisps of wind heard from high overhead – quieter in the low areas, and getting ever louder to indicate my proximity to the top of yet another climb. 

The trail is well marked with signs at every half-kilometre, and a few of the lookouts have benches. (One carved with “Choose Happy” serves as a reminder to the suffering trail user to recalibrate if the going is getting hard. 

At about the 9 km mark, a sign points to the South Ridge (an adventure for another day, in my case) or a 400- metre descent to the rail-bed trail. Picking my way down the steep boulder-laden descent, a small part of my brain keeps saying, “Chambers, you’ve almost made it out with all your teeth in place and both ankles in solid shape – only a few more steps!” The North Granite Ridge Trail is as technical as it is beautiful. 

Funneling out to the rail trails, I let out a “That’s what I’m talkin’ about!” Those were some of the most rewarding and straight-up fun kilometres of singletrack I’ve ever logged in Nova Scotia. 

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Before starting back on the flat 7-km return to the trail terminus, I happily collapse at the “halfway” picnic area, a covered table, bench and outhouse on a gorgeous section of the Lower Musquodoboit River. I spend a few minutes eating, watching the eagles fly and looking for nesting turtles, then put in my earphones and lock in a solid pace using the easy terrain as a chance to sightsee and run at the same time. 

Though a trail in name only, this flat, non-technical section of the rail trail is beautiful: open fields running parallel to the river, through sections of hardwood and old farms, then eventually leading back out to where it all started. 

One of the most unique trail running experiences to be found in Nova Scotia, the North Granite Ridge delivers in every way. Beauty, difficulty, technical terrain, and jaw-dropping views. Get geared up and go! 

North Granite Ridge Trail is located about 45 minutes from central Halifax. On route 357, about 12 km from Musquodoboit Harbour Village. Located there are services for all your needs – everything from local coffee and beer to gas and food services. Martinique Beach (Nova Scotia’s longest sand beach, at 5 km) is also a short drive away, and makes for a great detour après-run.

Rob Chambers is a father, teacher, coach and artist living in Halifax, N.S. He has been running trails in and around Halifax for more than 20 years and has a passion to share it with others.