Kejimkujik, << kehj ihm KOO jihk, >> National Park and National Historic Site consists of two protected areas in Nova Scotia, Canada. One area is inland in southwestern Nova Scotia. The other area—the Seaside Adjunct—is about 60 miles (97 kilometers) to the southeast, on the Atlantic coast. Kejimkujik covers a total of 105,300 acres (42,600 hectares). The inland section has a gently rolling landscape with many rivers, lakes, and islands. Kejimkujik, Peskawa, and Peskowesk are some of the larger lakes.
Forests in Kejimkujik include hemlock, sugar maple, and yellow birch trees, some of which are hundreds of years old. White pines are common on the lakeshores and on islands in the lakes. The Seaside Adjunct has clusters of black-and-white spruce trees. The headlands (areas that extend into the sea) are boggy and almost barren.
Beavers, black bears, minks, otters, porcupines, and white-tailed deer are some of the mammals that live in Kejimkujik. This area has more kinds of amphibians and reptiles than any other location in Atlantic Canada. The bird population includes spruce grouse, gray jays, common loons, wood warblers, and scarlet tanagers. Seals lie in the sun on rocks near the coast of the Seaside Adjunct.
Popular activities at Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site include camping, canoeing, cycling, hiking, and kayaking. Visitors can navigate an extensive system of canoe routes through Kejimkujik’s rivers and lakes. The Seaside Adjunct offers spectacular views. In addition, native Mi’kmaw staff conduct guided tours of Mi’kmaw rock carvings.
The government of Canada established the inland portion of Kejimkujik National Park in 1969. The Seaside Adjunct was added to the park in 1988. In 1995, the inland portion of the park also became a national historic site.
