Parks and the outdoors in Halifax

8 parks, gardens, beaches and walks in and around Halifax.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first.

Do
Canoe the Northwest Arm
St. Mary's Boat Club
Take a trip up the beautiful Northwest Arm to see the historic Dingle tower in Flemming Park, watch the numerous sailboats out for a weekend cruise or catch a regatta if you're lucky. Gawk at some of the mansions that line the water or for the ambitious, head all the way up to Point Pleasant Park, where the Northwest Arm meets Halifax Harbour. While swimming in parts of the harbour was briefly possible due to the installation of sewage treatment plants, they are down for repair and swimming is again not recommended unless a trip to hospital after is desired.
Sat Sun 11AM-7PMRent a canoe for $8/hour
Buy
Dress in Time
Often referred to wrongly as "Dressed in Time", located in the district of Spring Garden Road, sells quality vintage, quirky, and unique clothing at reasonable prices.
Eat
Economy Shoe Shop
Behind the bizarre name lies a stunningly decorated and sprawing complex incorporating everything from chandeliers to lush indoor gardens. Extensive menu. Go on jazz night (usually Monday) and eat nachos.
See
Halifax Public Gardens
A beautiful Victorian-era garden occupying a large city block. There are ponds, flowers, ducks, geese, and sometimes music in the gazebo.
Free
See
Point Pleasant Park
A large peaceful park that serves as a vantage point to see the mouth of the harbour and into the Atlantic Ocean. It used to be a dense wood, but was left with patches of devastation and clear-cut from Hurricane Juan in 2003. It remains a popular place to walk dogs and stroll. The park contains some preserved historic military fortifications such as the 18th-century Martello tower, and ruins of several other fortifications.
Dawn to duskFree
Buy
Spring Garden Road
between Barrington and Robie
Definitely the city's main shopping district and is full of all kinds of unique stores and in buildings from all kinds of eras. Definitely very lively and a must see!
Buy Not mapped
Bayers Lake Business Park
Chain Lake Dr, off Route 102 Exit 2A (Lacewood Dr)
Power centre with big box stores, including Walmart, Atlantic Superstore (owned by Loblaws), and Canadian Tire, as well as restaurants and a 17-screen movie theatre (Scotiabank Theatre, which contains one IMAX screen).
Do Not mapped
Hiking trails
Halifax has lots of the great outdoors. Scenic urban parks, protected areas, and coastline trails are all close to the city. Some are well known, others are off the beaten track, all are beautiful.

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Halifax (CC BY-SA 4.0).