With its craggy, rugged coastline, sweeping views, and thick forests, Cape Breton Highlands National Park in Nova Scotia is an outdoor lover's paradise.
A peaceful overlook in Cape Breton Highlands National Park
A visit to this maritime island is unlike any beach vacation you've had before, complete with secluded sandy beaches, cascading waterfalls, and mountainous hiking trails, all embraced in an ethereal mist that drifts across the land from the Atlantic Ocean.
Moose and bears roam the forests of Cape Breton, and whales and eagles are often spotted from the coast. Cape Breton Highlands was the first national park created in the Atlantic Provinces, and although it receives more than 300,000 visitors every year, there is plenty of room to spread out across more than 366 square miles (948 km²).
Camping in Cape Breton Highlands is one of the best ways to explore the park's varied terrain, and it's the perfect way to road trip on the world-famous Cabot Trail, which runs around the perimeter of Cape Breton Island. The Cabot Trail is a 185-mile road that connects all of the Cape Breton campgrounds within the National Park, as well as several beautiful coastal communities.
Here's our complete overview of the best Cape Breton camping based on our experiences on our recent summer road trip through the Maritimes.
Cape Breton Highlands National Park camping
During our recent Cape Breton camping trip, we stayed almost entirely within Cape Breton Highlands National Park. For help planning other aspects of your Cape Breton getaway, please check out the official travel website for Cape Breton Island.
There is so much to do and see in Cape Breton Highlands National Park. It's a fabulous destination for families who love the outdoors, and the best way to explore the park is by setting up camp at one of six unique campgrounds.
Sites at three of the campgrounds are reservable, and three smaller campgrounds are first-come, first-served.
Read Next: Fundy National Park Camping Guide
A map of the campgrounds in Cape Breton Highlands National Park. Photo credit: Parks Canada
Over the summer, our family had the pleasure of camping in Broad Cove, Ingonish, and Chéticamp campgrounds in Cape Breton Highlands, as well as Meat Cove, which is outside of the park.
Check out the above map of the campgrounds available within the park. We started our journey driving counter-clockwise on the Cabot Trail and spent two nights in each of the three reservable campgrounds.
While all the Cape Breton camping spots provide great amenities and access to a variety of hiking trails, we have a definite favorite.
There are distinct benefits and drawbacks to each campground, depending on your camping style and what type of adventures you're looking for. Hopefully, this Cape Breton campground guide will help you find the perfect spot for your unique adventure.
The three reservable Cape Breton Highlands National Park Campgrounds have washrooms, hot showers, kitchen shelters, and picnic tables.
Cheticamp and Broad Cove Campgrounds both have sites with electric, water, and sewer hookups. Ingonish Campground sites are all unserviced. Most campsites, but not all have fire pits. They also have large dishwashing sinks with hot water for washing up.
Don't want to pack a lot of gear? Try an oTENTik!
In addition to basic tent and RV sites that you are likely familiar with, Parks Canada provides a few unique Cape Breton camping options that I want to mention.
We didn't try any of them out because they were all booked when we tried to reserve them, but we talked to lots of families taking advantage of the o'TENTiks and equipped campsites, and all of them were super happy with their accommodations.
Ingonish Beach in Cape Breton Highlands National Park.
Number of sites: 60
oTENTiks: 4
Equipped camping: 5
Sites with electric, water, and sewer: 0
Sites with electricity and water: 0
Unserviced sites: 51
Ingonish Beach Campground is located near the entrance to Cape Breton Highlands National Park on the east side of Cape Breton Island. It is very close to the Ingonish Visitor Center, a local bakery, and a small market. The beautiful Ingonish Beach is a ten-minute walk from the campground.
This is probably the most popular beach in Cape Breton Highlands, and it's a great beach for kids because there are always lifeguards on duty in the summer. Visitors can choose to swim in the ocean or the freshwater lake, which is much, much warmer.
There is a small nature center in the Ingonish Beach Campground, and interpretive programs are offered daily throughout the summer months. Although this Cape Breton campground is small, most of the sites are in the open, with very little privacy.
What we loved about Ingonish Beach Campground: We enjoyed spending time at Ingonish Beach. The ocean was pretty cold for swimming, but the lake was perfect.
Something to consider: There are no hookups, so you are generally camping with tenters or small RVs and vans.
Why can't all campgrounds have dishwashing stations like this?
Read Next: The Best Glamping in Cape Breton
A beach campfire at Broad Cove Campground. Enjoy a campfire at Broad Cove Beach in Cape Breton Highlands National Park.
Number of sites: 202
oTENTiks: 6
Sites with electric, sewer, and water: 81
Unserviced sites: 113
Note: Not all of these sites have fire pits. See individual site descriptions before booking.
Broad Cove Campground is the largest campground in the park, but you wouldn't know it. There are many loops to choose from - some open, others wooded and more private. You will have a lot more choices if you don't need hookups.
The RV sites are in one section, and for the most part, are quite crowded together. We loved our stay at Broad Cove campground and in my humble opinion, it is the best Cape Breton camping available.
Without seeing the campground beforehand, we booked site 160 online. This turned out to be one of our favorite sites of our whole trip. The section was very quiet and open, and we had a private trail down to the most spectacular beach with red sand and crashing waves.
The Broad Brook empties into the sea here, so you can choose to swim in the ocean or the river at Broad Cove Beach (swim at your own risk). There were never more than a handful of people on the beach, and both sunset and sunrise were spectacular!
Broad Cove Campground was a great spot to just relax. It's not close to stores, so stock up! There are several hiking trails that you can hike without getting in your car.
Our favorite campground in Cape Breton Highlands!
What we loved about Broad Cove Campground: It was very quiet and you could walk from the campground to several trails. The beach was awesome. The rangers hosted a campfire on the beach one evening and provided music, s'mores, and hot chocolate. Cell service was good too.
Something to consider: If you choose the loop near the main bathhouse, you will find it fairly crowded, and possibly noisy. The smaller campground loops are very quiet.
The beach at Warren Lake near Broad Cove.
One of the few private campsites in Cheticamp Campground.
Number of sites: 122
oTENTik:10
Equipped sites: 5
Sites with electricity, water, and sewer: 24
Sites with electricity: 14
Unserviced sites: 71
Chéticamp Campground is located on the west side of the park, about 1.5 hours driving distance from Broad Cove.
If you are planning a road trip, it makes sense to divide your time between the two sides of the island so you don't spend all of your time in the car. Chéticamp Campground is the closest campground to the famous Skyline Trail, which is a must-do for everyone.
The campground is also close to the bustling town of Chéticamp, which is the biggest town on the Cabot Trail. The community has 4,000 residents, most of whom are Acadian and speak French as their native language.
Cheticamp Campground is within walking distance to the Chéticamp Visitor Center, where you'll find a small gift/book shop, coffee, and free Wi-Fi. The campground consists of open and wooded campsites. The open area offers little privacy, but there's a nice family feel to it, and the sites surround a great playground and an outdoor theater.
What we loved about Chéticamp Campground: Its proximity to the town of Cheticamp, where we found awesome food, Acadian music, and a sandy beach. This is a very convenient Cape Breton camping spot if you want to do exploring outside of the park.
Something to consider: Chéticamp Campground seemed like the busiest of all the campgrounds we stayed at. Our site was not at all secluded, and we wouldn't have been happy if we had to spend a lot of time there. We mainly just slept at the campground and used it as a jumping-off point for day trips.
The sunset view from the Skyline Trail in Cape Breton.
Unserviced sites: 22
Corney Brook Campground is a small Cape Breton campground right on the ocean. There is no potable water, but there is plenty of solitude and gorgeous views. We considered staying here, but in the end, the wind was blowing too fiercely.
I can tell you that on a Saturday night in July, only four of the campsites were occupied when we drove through. Corney Brook is very close to the Skyline Trail, and unfortunately, you can't make reservations.
Unserviced sites: 10
Located in the Grande Anse Valley near Pleasant Bay, MacIntosh Brook Campground is a small, open area nestled at the base of the mountains. There is a waterfall within walking distance, a kitchen shelter, a playground, and flush toilets.
When we drove through this Cape Breton camping area on our trip, all but three sites were occupied. It's first-come, first-served.
Unserviced sites: 5
This tiny campground has just five unserviced sites. There is a picnic area along the river, a privy, and fire pits at each campsite. This Cape Breton camping spot is located at the base of North Mountain. Nearby Aspy Trail starts at Beulach Ban Falls and follows the valley to a pretty lookout.
Meat Cove, Nova Scotia is the Northernmost settlement of Cape Breton Island.
Meat Cove Campground is not located in Cape Breton Highlands National Park, but I did want to include it so you know your options. Located in Meat Cove, on the northern tip of Cape Breton Island, the whole camping area is pretty much perched on a cliff overlooking the ocean.
This is a fantastic Cape Breton camping spot if you aren't afraid of heights and the wind isn't blowing too hard!
During our visit, we went whale watching along Meat Cove and could see our campsite way up on the bluff from the water.
Meat Cove Campground provides campers with free Wi-Fi, hot showers, and kayak rentals, and they have camping cabins as well! The onsite Chowder Hut Restaurant is a definite bonus and is what made this special Cape Breton camping experience tie for our first-place recommendation.
Cape Breton Highlands National Park Campgrounds are open from mid-May to late October. Most sites can be reserved, but there are several that are first-come, first-served.
If you are hoping to rent an equipped camping site or an o'TENTik, I recommend reserving your site in the winter before your trip. All of the campgrounds are fairly modern and clean, but our two favorites were Broad Cove Campground and Meat Cove Campground.
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Tara is a freelance writer and travel blogger with a passion for outdoor adventures. She currently blogs at Back Road Ramblers and Vermont Explored, where she shares travel tips, adventure destinations, and vacation ideas for the wanderer in everyone.