GENERAL INFORMATION
Name: Cowbay Road Trail
County: Cape Breton County
Ownership: Crown Land
Trail Length: 8 km
Season: Year Round
EMERGENCY INFORMATION
Emergency: 911
Special: There are phones at the mall.
DIRECTIONS
Off of highway 125, after the Louisbourg exit you will notice a stop sign indicating a
dirt road. You will then notice a brown house that is in the field. This road is
Cowbay Road.
ACTIVITIES
Walking: N Hiking: Y
Mountain Biking: Y XCountry Ski: Y
ATV: Y Horse: N
Snowmobile: Y Coastal: N
Loop: N Wheelchair: N
Wheelchair Assisted: N
DESCRIPTION
This road ran from Sydney to Cow Bay {25 km one way} (Cow Bay is presently knows
as Port Morien). This is a nice trail that becomes more intriguing as the
background becomes known.
The trail gets its name from a story that took place during the Fortress of
Louisburg era. A farmer bought a cow from a market at the fortress and took it
home. When he woke up the next day the cow was gone. When the farmer went to
find her she was standing by a bay trying to find her way back to Louisburg,
hence the name Cow Bay. Locals say that since the name was changed nothing has
gone right for the village. The cow's revenge? Hike it and find out for
yourself.
As you keep straight on this trail, without turning off any of the side roads,
you will take in mainly hardwood and softwood trees. You will come to an open
area, past the power lines, where cutting has been done. At this area, you can
go left (which is the Kyte's Hill trail) or you can continue straight. This
open area was once a farm. In fact, much of the trail was lived on at one
point. There are signs of old wells and there once was an old sawmill on this
trail. It is an excellent trail for ATV's, snowmobiles, mountain bikes, hiking
and cross country skiing.
|
