This is a scenic tour of the picturesque town of Wolfville and the nearby Grand Pré Historical site, with options for longer or shorter routes. Wolfville is one of the main towns of the Annapolis Valley, home to Acadia University and surrounded by farms, vineyards, and orchards. Note: the town of Wolfville is hilly!
View of Dyke. Flickr: Christine Rondeau
Begin with a hilly ~2 km tour of downtown, enjoying the Acadia Campus, Botanical Garden, and Wolfville waterfront. [Option: Nice running track on Acadia campus!] Then, get on to the Kings County Rail Trail, headed north toward Grand Pré. Run on this lovely multi-use trail, along open farm terrain, for 4.2 km (fairly flat) to the Grand Pré Historic Site (a UNESCO Heritage Site), which features exhibits about Acadian history and beautiful landscaped grounds. Do a loop of the grounds, then return south on the Rail Trail. As an alternative to the Rail Trail all the way back, after 1 km, at Mercator Vineyards, turn RIGHT on Dyke Rd. to run along the dyke, using Old Dyke Lane. There are good water/dyke views for the 3 km along this narrow road.
Additional Options: The Multi-Use Trail heads south of Wolfville for 11.5 km to Kentville, and even further past Kentville. In downtown Wolfville, enjoy some of the additional side streets, even out to Reservoir Park.
This is a scenic tour of the picturesque town of Wolfville and the nearby Grand Pré Historical site, with options for longer or shorter routes. Wolfville is one of the main towns of the Annapolis Valley, home to Acadia University and surrounded by farms, vineyards, and orchards. Note: the town of Wolfville is hilly!
View of Dyke. Flickr: Christine Rondeau
Begin with a hilly ~2 km tour of downtown, enjoying the Acadia Campus, Botanical Garden, and Wolfville waterfront. [Option: Nice running track on Acadia campus!] Then, get on to the Kings County Rail Trail, headed north toward Grand Pré. Run on this lovely multi-use trail, along open farm terrain, for 4.2 km (fairly flat) to the Grand Pré Historic Site (a UNESCO Heritage Site), which features exhibits about Acadian history and beautiful landscaped grounds. Do a loop of the grounds, then return south on the Rail Trail. As an alternative to the Rail Trail all the way back, after 1 km, at Mercator Vineyards, turn RIGHT on Dyke Rd. to run along the dyke, using Old Dyke Lane. There are good water/dyke views for the 3 km along this narrow road.
Additional Options: The Multi-Use Trail heads south of Wolfville for 11.5 km to Kentville, and even further past Kentville. In downtown Wolfville, enjoy some of the additional side streets, even out to Reservoir Park.
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Essentials
13.2 km (8.25 miles) for full loop out to Grand Pré
89m (291 feet)
Center of town - Highland St. at Acadia University
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Huge national park in the center of the province. There are trails for runners of all abilities, including several multi-use trails of moderate length. The park is also popular for canoeing, camping, hiking, and swimming.
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Essentials
13.2 km (8.25 miles) for full loop out to Grand Pré
89m (291 feet)
Center of town - Highland St. at Acadia University
Review or Comment on This Route/Share a Photo!
Share your feedback on this route and see that of other Great Runs users. Click on the image icon to upload a photo. And please let us know if there are notes or changes we should incorporate!