Ship Harbour Long Lake Wilderness Area

Ship Harbour Long Lake Wilderness Area
Map of Ship Harbour Long Lake Wilderness Area
Interactive map of Ship Harbour Long Lake Wilderness Area
LocationMooseland, Halifax County
Nearest cityMusquodoboit Harbour
Coordinates44°54′19″N 63°2′30″W / 44.90528°N 63.04167°W / 44.90528; -63.04167
Area16,581 hectares (40,970 acres)
EstablishedMay 2006
Governing bodyEnvironment and Climate Change of Nova Scotia

Ship Harbour Long Lake Wilderness Area is a protected wilderness area in Halifax County, Nova Scotia, Canada, adjacent to Moose River Gold Mines and Musquodoboit Harbour,[1][2][3] and is administered by Environment and Climate Change of Nova Scotia.[4]

Geography

Ship Harbour Long Lake Wilderness Area comprises approximately 16,581 hectares (40,970 acres). It is the largest protected area in Halifax County.[5] At Scraggy Lake, the wilderness area extends into a landscape with elongated hills and drumlins, made from glaciers.[5] Two large wilderness areas are adjacent to the area: White Lake Wilderness Area, and Tangier Grand Lake Wilderness Area.[1]

Geology

The southern portions of Ship Harbour Long Lake Wilderness Area are underlain by approximately 350-million-year-old granitic bedrock, which creates a rugged, ridged landscape dotted with numerous lakes and rocky outcrops. The granite is typically covered by a thin layer of stony glacial till and nutrient-poor, acidic soils. In contrast, other parts of the wilderness area are underlain by quartzite bedrock dating back roughly 500 million years, making the landscape flat.[5]

Biodiversity

The protected lakes, waterways, wetlands, old forests and remote forests support many species, such as brook trout, mainland moose. It supports at least four species of rare lichens, including the endangered boreal felt lichen.[5] The forest productivity is generally low, with dominant tree species such as white pine, red spruce, balsam fir, red maple, white birch and other hardwoods.

History

A logging road was approved into the area in 2001, despite protests from environmentalists.[6] Ship Harbour Long Lake Wilderness Area was proposed in May 2006,[7] and it was designated in 2009.[8] Since then, the wilderness area was expanded by 332 hectares (820 acres) in 2012, 929 hectares (2,300 acres) in 2015, and 521 hectares (1,290 acres) in 2020.[9]

Recreation

Ship Harbour Long Lake Wilderness Area offers a range of opportunities for wilderness recreation and nature-based tourism, including angling, hunting, canoeing and hiking. The area is commonly explored by canoe and other small watercraft.[5]

Routes

Ship Harbour Long Lake Wilderness Area can be reached via Moose River Road, which branches off from Nova Scotia Highway 7. Alternatively, it can be reached via Off Lays Lake Road, and Murchyville road.[5][10] Part of the wilderness area can be experienced on foot via hiking trails that form the part of Musquodoboit Trailways system.[11] However, many of these forest access roads do not receive routine maintenance.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Scotia, Province of Nova (2019-06-03). The Nova Scotia Atlas. Formac Publishing Company. ISBN 978-1-4595-0568-1.
  2. ^ Government of Canada, Natural Resources Canada. "Place names - Ship Harbour Long Lake Wilderness Area". geonames.nrcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 2026-01-16.
  3. ^ "Map of Ship Harbour Long Lake Wilderness Area" (PDF). www.novascotia.ca. Retrieved 2026-01-18.
  4. ^ "Ship Harbour Long Lake Wilderness Area Designation - Wilderness Areas Protection Act (Nova Scotia)". novascotia.ca. Retrieved 2026-01-16.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Change, Department of Environment and Climate (2009-04-01). "Ship Harbour Long Lake Wilderness Area | Protected Areas". novascotia.ca. Retrieved 2026-01-16.
  6. ^ "Logging road approved for wilderness area". Telegraph-Journal. 2001-07-31. p. 9. Retrieved 2026-01-19 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Proposed Ship Harbour Long Lake Wilderness Area - Assessment of Protected Area Values" (PDF). www.novascotia.ca. Retrieved 2026-01-16.
  8. ^ "N.S. land protected". The Times-Transcript. 2009-09-18. pp. A2. Retrieved 2026-01-19 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Addition to Ship Harbour Long Lake Wilderness Area" (PDF). www.novascotia.ca. Retrieved 2026-01-16.
  10. ^ "511 Nova Scotia". www.511.novascotia.ca. Archived from the original on 2026-01-14. Retrieved 2026-01-16.
  11. ^ "Musquodoboit Trailways - Halifax County". www.novascotia.ca. Retrieved 2026-01-17.
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