Digby County: Ferries, Beaches and Nature Watching

From Digby, Digby Neck extends into the Bay of Fundy toward Long Island and Brier Island. The route includes two short ferry crossings for vehicles and foot passengers. If you plan to take this route, check the ferry times before your trip.

Ferry Connections for Your Travel Plans

Bay Ferries operates a year-round ferry service between Digby and Saint John, New Brunswick. Its endpoints differ from those of the route via Digby Neck to Long Island and Brier Island. For planning purposes, it helps to keep these routes separate and check the schedule for your chosen service before departure.

Smith’s Cove: Trails, Beaches and History

The Annapolis Valley Trail System follows the disused Dominion Atlantic Railway bed. The trail is used by hikers, cyclists and ATV riders. Smith’s Cove also has several beaches where beachcombing is a popular activity. This offers two distinct reasons to visit: the trail is used by people traveling in several ways, while beachcombing is part of the local experience at the beaches.

The Smith’s Cove Old Temperance Hall Museum is next to the Digby County Rail Trail. Its exhibits date back to the 18th century. The museum’s location beside the Rail Trail makes it easy to find for anyone seeking this museum in Smith’s Cove; its collection offers a distinct historical focus alongside activities on the trail.

Brier Island: Tours and Nature Watching

Mariner Cruises has offered whale-watching and bird-watching tours off Brier Island in the Bay of Fundy since 1994. The tours last approximately three hours. Check the current duration before making your plans. The seasonal pattern is also worth considering when choosing when to travel: in spring, fin whales, minke whales and porpoises are among the first to arrive in the waters around Brier Island. The timing can vary depending on sea conditions.

Brier Island is an important stopover for migratory seabirds along the Atlantic Flyway; more than 300 bird species have been recorded there. The rare Eastern Mountain Avens is also found on the island and occurs nowhere else in the world except one other location. The nature highlights therefore include both seasonal animal movements and the plant’s distinctive distribution.

Festivals and Museum History in Digby

Digby Scallop Days takes place every year over four days, from Thursday to Sunday. The program includes demonstrations of shucking scallops and rigging boats. Visitors can also shuck a Digby scallop themselves. If you would like to include the festival in your travel plans, check the event dates before your trip.

The Admiral Digby Museum is also located in the Municipality of Digby, in one of the town’s oldest buildings. It houses archival materials and artifacts relating to Digby’s history. Its ornately decorated rooms show what a typical home is believed to have looked like more than 150 years ago. The collection and the rooms offer different perspectives on the town’s history: historical documents and objects sit alongside a portrayal of domestic life in an earlier era.

Discover more destinations: Smiths Cove, Digby, Weymouth, Clare, Mavillette, Little Brook, Inverness County, Guysborough County.

For the broader travel overview: Nova Scotia.