If you ask a Nova Scotian for advice on a place to get away from it all – a place with lush forests, meandering rivers and crystal clear lakes – you’ll likely hear the name “Keji” again and again. What they mean is Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site. It truly is a place where you can escape the hustle and bustle of the world and immerse yourself in the natural beauty of Nova Scotia. 

Kejimkujik is actually one park divided into two areas. The main park is located 18 kilometers (11 miles) from the village of Caledonia on Highway 8, and there is Kejimkujik Seaside, which lies approximately 100 kilometers (62 miles) southeast of the main park, along the coast near Port Joli. Both offer incredible opportunities to explore Nova Scotia’s natural and cultural heritage, see a wide range of wildlife or to simply sit back and soak it all in.

The main part of Kejimkujik was first established as a National Park in 1968, being recognized for its old growth forest, rare wildlife and traditional Mi’kmaq waterways. The park took its name from Kejimkujik Lake, which is a Mi’kmaq word believed to mean “tired muscles” – a reference to the effort it took to canoe across the lake. Keji’s canoe routes had been used by native inhabitants for thousands of years as they traveled between the Bay of Fundy and the Atlantic Coast. They also made their mark while on those journeys, leaving stone carvings, or petroglyphs, on slate outcroppings along the shore. These Mi’kmaq petroglyphs can be seen on guided tours and contain images of traditional Mi’kmaq life, including hunting, fishing and wildlife. 

Visitors to Kejimkujik can explore these traditional waterways by canoe, following the same routes that were once taken by Archaic Indians, Woodland Indians and then the Mi’kmaq. They are also the same rivers and lakes that Albert Bigelow Paine travelled and described in his famous 1908 book The Tent Dwellers. 

Hikers will love Keji’s 15 day-hiking trails that cut through a wide range of forest, including Acadian Forests, red maple floodplains, windswept pinetrees and old growth hemlocks. The trails are open throughout the year, giving lots of opportunities to spot the park’s wild inhabitants, such as deer, foxes and the endangered Blanding’s Turtle. 

After a day in the woods or on the water, visitors can set up camp at one of the many campsites throughout the park, including serviced sites with electricity and others that are lit only by the stars!

For those who enjoy looking up at the night sky and admiring the stars, Keji is the perfect place to do it. The park was designated as a Dark Sky Preserve by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada in 2010, which restricts the use of artificial light in most of the park. The result is a stargazer’s paradise, with clear nights offering unparalleled views of the moon, constellations and planets.

For those seeking breathtaking views of a different sort, head down the coast to the Kejimkujik Seaside. The oceanfront section of Keji offers hikers a myriad of landscapes and wildlife to admire over a 12 kilometer (7.5 mile) loop. The park’s white, sandy beaches, lagoons and patches of oak and maple offer plenty of opportunity to spot harbour seals, yellowthroats and the endangered piping plover.

Garden & Plant Joy
Visit two butterfly gardens in Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site to discover how to garden for butterflies and help the majestic Monarch butterfly, a species at risk in Nova Scotia. Join Kejimkujik's 'Butterfly Club' by purchasing a Monarch butterfly kit at By the Mersey Gift Shop. The kit includes two potted swamp milkweed plants, native to Nova Scotia, plus information and tips on how to plant a butterfly garden at home or in your own community. View many other plant species, including wild orchids, ferns, and the little-known Atlantic Coastal Plain Flora, on the trails and along the shores of Kejimkujik Lake.

For more information about Kejimkujik National Historic Site and National Park, including guides and maps, visit http://www.parkscanada.gc.ca/keji.