You might think that the highest point in all of Nova Scotia, located in the scenic Cape Breton Highlands and in the center of a well-visited National Park, would be a prominent, famous, and popular peak. You would at least expect a well-marked hiking trail to the summit, perhaps crowded on weekends with families and dogs, and with interpretive signs at the trailhead or even at the top.
Well, if that is what you thought, then White Hill is almost the exact opposite of that picture. It is an extremely remote, lonely, low bump on a marshy, barren, windswept upland about 20 km/13 mi from the nearest road and 10 km/6 mi from any maintained hiking trails. When I talked to National Park rangers about access to the peak in 1994, they discouraged me and were not sure the last time anyone was up in that area. I don't think the situation has changed much since then.
The remoteness of White Hill, to me, makes it a special peak whose ascent is more of an adventure than a basic half-day hike to a high point. Depite its very low elevation, the central Cape Breton Highlands is a treeless expanse of bushes and lakes remininscent of the moors and heaths of Scotland (the original Scotia), and exploring into the heart of this area can be a great way to really get away from it all.
Most people will want to make a trip to White Hill an overnight trip. I recommend the Lake of the Islands trail--you can camp at the lake, and the next day make it to the summit, and maybe even return that afternoon. I climbed White Hill as a 42 km/26 mile one-day hike via the Lake of the Islands, and while the distance was daunting and occasional bushwhacking slowed me down, the lack of any serious elevation gain makes it a feasible but long day for a fit hiker.
|
