| Kejimkujik National Park (Kejimkujik National Park) | |
 | |
| Little river | |
| Information | |
| Country |  Canada |
|---|---|
| Region | New Scotland |
| Area | 404 km² |
| Location | |
 44 ° 26 ′ 18 ″ N 65 ° 12 ′ 31 ″ W | |
| Kejimkujik National Park Official site | |
the Kejimkujik National Park is a national park of New Scotland in Canada.
Understand
The many lakes and rivers form inland waterways that were important canoe routes between the Bay of Fundy and the Atlantic for the ancestors of the Mi'kmaq First Nations. The park also contains the petroglyphs left by these inhabitants. The Mi'kmaq name of the lake has been translated as "attempted escape" or "swollen waters", possibly related to the fishing dams placed on the lake. The park's official position is that Kejimkujik is a Mi'kmaq word meaning "tired muscles."
Kejimkujik is a cultural landscape associated with the Mi'kmaq people and includes 38 Indigenous sites, four petroglyph sites, three villages and a cemetery. Artifacts have been collected during approximately 4000 years of occupation.
To go
- By Air: Halifax Robert L. Stanfield International Airport is 197 km from the airport.
- By Ferry: Ferries serve southwestern Nova Scotia to Digby and Yarmouth.
- By Train: Passenger train service in Nova Scotia arrives in Halifax, which is 174 km from Kejimkujik.
- By Bus: ParkBus provides one-day transportation from Halifax to Kejimkujik on select days.
- By car from Halifax (167 km): Travel south on Route 103 and take Exit 13 (Bridgewater). The park is 66 km further; signs will show the direction and distance to Kejimkujik. Turn right on Route 325 and turn left when the road meets Route 208. Continue on 208 until the road meets Route 8. Turn right on Route 8, passing through Caledonia. Kejimkujik is 11 miles from Caledonia, in the community of Maitland Bridge. Driving time: about 2 h 5 min.
Circulate
Kejimkujik Seaside has two sides, one of which contains trails and parking facilities at the St Catherines River beach. The Little Port Joli Basin and the Lake Basin side are accessible but not marked as a national park by signage. The two barrier beaches are nesting sites for the endangered piping plover. Lagoons are important migration stops for many bird species such as Short-billed Gravediggers, Semipalmated Plovers, Sandpipers, and Black-bellied Plovers.
Daily / seasonal indoor unit (2018):
- Adult $ 5.80 / $ 29.40
- Senior $ 4.90 / $ 24.50
- Children and young people free
- Family / group $ 11.75 / $ 58.90
Seaside unit: No registration fee at this location
To see
The bedrock of the park consists of quartzite and slate from the Precambrian to Ordovician periods, as well as granite from the Devonian period. All of these rocks, especially quartzite, have a high silica content and provide low amounts of nutrients to the soils that grow there. Slate, however, is fine-grained and produces loamy soil that donates its nutrients faster than the stony sandy loams and loamy sands found on coarse-grained rocks. Most of the slaty loams are found around Kejimkujik Lake. The deep washout sands and gravels form a band to the west of the lake. Elsewhere, the soil landscape is dominated by granite or paved quartzite, often shallow. Podzols underlie most well-drained areas. Gleysols and peatlands dominate where drainage is insufficient. The park receives acid rain and its soils contain few acid buffering minerals. High acidity is therefore the rule for soils and waters, even large bodies of water like Kejimkujik Lake.
Indoor camping can provide excellent wildlife viewing opportunities. Moose, warbler, white-tailed deer, barred owl, beaver, porcupine, woodpecker, marten and loons are not uncommon, especially along waterways. Black bears, although present in the park, are rarely seen. Coyotes are also present in this park. Harbor seals and gray seals are often seen along the seaside coast basking on its rocks. There are several species of rare organisms that inhabit Kejimkujik. The Blanding's Turtle, considered endangered in Nova Scotia, is similar in size to the Common Painted Turtle; however the Blanding is characterized by its yellow neck. Juveniles measure between 5 and 12 cm in diameter of the carapace while adult females can measure between 25 and 35 cm. It is a very gentle turtle that frequently nests on beaches accessible to the public. For this reason, it is important that visitors be careful not to disturb nesting turtles and report any sightings to the Visitor Center. The Eastern Ribbon Snake is an endangered species in Nova Scotia and lives in several isolated areas of the park. The oriental ribbon snake, at first glance, can be easily confused with the common garter snake, but the oriental ribbon snake is defined by three longitudinal yellow stripes on the dorsal side and a black or dark brown coloring. Adult ribbon snakes in the park are usually between 50 and 70 cm in length. Kejimkujik is one of two places in Canada where the Hydrocotyle umbellata or the water pennywort is found.
Do
One of Keji's most popular canoe routes is the Frozen Ocean Loop. Traditionally, paddlers begin their Big Dam Lake canoe trip with a quick portage 400m from the parking lot to the lake. This route follows Big Dam Lake to Stillwater Creek, which connects to Frozen Ocean Lake via a series of portages. Frozen Ocean Lake is home to several backcountry campsites, including Site 7, which is a group site for large groups. Also on Frozen Ocean Lake is a covered shelter at Backcountry Site 8, and a Guardian Cabin is located at the northeast end of Frozen Ocean Lake. Most paddlers choose a campsite on Frozen Ocean Lake for their first night.
