Egypt Falls With Kids #MurphysDoNS

2016 was our first visit to Egypt Falls in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. When we told Chris’ dad that we’d be in Cape Breton for a few days after our tour of Newfoundland, he insisted that we try and make it to Egypt Falls. What he forgot to mention correctly was that it was a two hour drive from Sydney and that the 15 minute hike was actually 30 minutes each way and super scary (for me!!). Fast forward to 2022 and I’ve just returned to Egypt Falls on the Cabot Trail with a friend and forgot how difficult but wonderful this Cape Breton attraction is!! I’ve updated the below article to include tips from my recent kid-free visit.

Egypt falls woods

For those driving around the Cabot Trail, Egypt Falls (the widest waterfall in Nova Scotia) is a hidden spot and (but not hard to find in 2022 as it’s on Google Maps) and once you get there, it’s gorgeous! When we first got there, I was ready for a causal hike but soon realized that things weren’t going to be easy. The climb down was fine until I realized that we had to climb around the edge of the “mountain”. Luckily some good soul has laid out a permanent rope path for us to hang on to but I was sweating buckets in fear as I made my way down towards the falls. I was shocked that the hubs was able to do it while carrying then 2 year old Apollo. 4 year old Akira went with her grandparents, each flagging her from front and behind. It’s definitely  not easy going down the slippery slopes and I was so afraid of the kids slipping and falling ten stories down onto the rocks. No one fell and we live to tell the tale. That said, my 2 and 4 year old made it but it wasn’t easy. If you aren’t a hiker, I’d recommend NOT doing this one with kids. No way I could have taken them here by myself, you really need a 1 :1 ratio of kids (younger than 10) to adults no matter what. Coming back was fine but it was the going down that was tough for me. However… take a look at the video and you’ll see that you can swim up right into the falls (the pools are quite shallow), just remember to bring your bathing suit! Only Akira remembered her Joe Fresh Swimsuit! Also remember to wear running/hiking shoes but also bring water shoes or sandals to navigate the pebbly and mossy waters.

people in front of Egypt Falls Cape Breton

2022 Update : It was even harder than I remembered!!! The hike down was slippery and took me 45 minutes (at times crawling on all fours) even though it was 1 km. Luckily the way up was only 20 minutes! In June 2022 the water was freezing and even though I was sweating buckets, I did not jump in for a swim though I highly regret that now. Wear good shoes, take water shoes and some snacks because you’ll want to jump on the mossy pebbles and rocks and make your way up close into the waterfalls at Egypt Falls. This is a fun hike even though it’s tough (my bad knees were fine the next day too!) and you’ll want to spend an hour or two chilling down here because it’s so very zen. 

 

 

 

 

Egypt falls hike Nova Scotia

 

egypt falls, hiking with kids

    Leave Your Comment

    Your email address will not be published.

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.