Follow the curve of the Cabot Trail, and you will find yourself in Cape Breton Highlands National Park in Nova Scotia, where the highlands meet the sea. Established in 1936, the park stretches across almost 950 square kilometres of northern Cape Breton Island. It's where the Gulf of St. Lawrence meets the Atlantic, shaping rugged cliffs, highland plateaus and sheltered valleys, as seen in today's image.

Beyond the scenery, the park protects a mix of forest types—Acadian and boreal—that support moose, black bears, river otters, martens, stoats and a variety of birds, from northern gannets to kestrels. These lands are part of Unama'ki, the traditional territory of the Mi'kmaq, whose cultural connections to the rivers and coastline go back thousands of years. To dive deeper, you can attend interpretation programmes that share their stories, music, walks and drumming sessions. For hikers, anglers or anyone chasing big coastal views, this is where wild Nova Scotia shows up in full. Do note, though—some areas are temporarily closed, and a fire ban is currently in effect across the park.