Just west of Lunenburg is the geological splendor known as The Ovens Natural Park. We went to check out the famous sea caves, or “Ovens” after which the park was named. There is a cliffside trail that runs along the coastline that leads you right to the caves. This was also the site of one of the earliest gold rushes in 1861, and you can still pan for gold on its beaches.
I have to say that I have never seen rock formations like these… such colors! Some had bright layers of coppery orange and golden yellow.
Some even had almost a rainbow of colors with hues of purple and pink.
These ones looked like they had lightning bolts going through them.
Most of the rock is shale, which is very shard-like. You could pick up a thin piece off the ground and easily snap it in two.
Simon and I both love rocks and gems so we were in awe. There were incredible views and things to see along the whole trail. Hearing and feeling the thunderous sound of the waves booming and echoing in the Cannon and Thunder Caves was also pretty cool. Generally this trail is supposded to take about an hour, but we ended up spending more time here than we thought because there was so much to take in and photograph!
Indian Cave is named after an ancient legend wherein a M'Kmaq native paddled his canoe into the cave and then emerged near Blomidon on the other side of the province.
It's amazing how water can erode rocks in such beautiful ways over time. We were both so glad we decided to check this place out, it was a definite highlight of the trip and a great introduction to the unique, natural beauty that Nova Scotia has to offer.
Along the trail, Simon manage to find a small rock with pyrite deposits – a great souvenir!
Next stop: Peggy's Cove – Coming soon!
