Roadbook ledger · park pass
One pass, most of the loop.
A national park day pass covers stopping anywhere inside Cape Breton Highlands National Park — the same pass that gets you onto a trailhead also covers a lookoff photo stop.
- Day pass
- About CAD $10.50 / adult
- Covers
- Trailheads and lookoffs alike
- Skyline
- Western side, near Chéticamp
- Middle Head
- Eastern side, near Ingonish
Field note 01 / the pass
Budget it once, use it all day.
A national park day pass runs roughly CAD $10.50 per adult at the planning stage and covers legal stopping anywhere inside park boundaries for that day — the same pass applies whether you’re parking at a trailhead or a scenic lookoff. Confirm the current fee, any age/family/annual-pass options, and current promotional offers directly with Parks Canada before you go.
Field note 02 / two named trailheads
Start with these two if it’s your first visit.
The Skyline Trail near Chéticamp is the loop’s best-known short hike, a boardwalk out to an open coastal headland popular at sunset. The Middle Head Trail near Ingonish is a quieter 5.3 km peninsula loop with real cliff-edge exposure at its end. Both need only the standard day pass, not a separate trail fee.
Read the full trail chooser