The Ovens Natural Park is an immaculate reserve of coastal forest and the beautiful park is located on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia. The Ovens park is a privately owned natural park that is covered by 190 acres of land.
The Ovens Natural is now possessed by the Chapin Family. Park visitors hike the spectacular trails of ovens naturally to enjoy the beauty of the famous sea cave.
The park is famous for its rough coastline, impressive geology, and sea caves. Ovens park, in Feltzen South, is a portion of the Fairhaven site.
1. The Engrossing History of Ovens Natural Park
A gigantic part of the land of Ovens Natural Park was once possessed by the Meisner family, who were given the land by George III.
The Cunards, the well-known shipping magnates, purchased plots of land on one of the coasts and used their aids to have the entire beach dredged and loaded onto ships. The sand was then brought to England, where it was processed for dragging the gold in a factory.
Most of the gold was extracted during the gold rush era, but still today, remnants of gold can be found. In the 1980s, the land was received by the Chapin family.
The Chaplin family plays a significant part in the running of the park.
2. Things to Know Before you Start Hiking the Ovens
There are many reasons to see Ovens park. The natural park hosts many activities and festivals.
The Nova Scotia coast offers some of the most popular couple and family camping. Self-guided strolls, kayaking, and gold panning are available. Ovens Natural Park proffers picnic areas, restaurants, and take-out (mid-June to mid-Sept).
Live music is performed in the evenings, seven nights a week, from the end of June until Labor Day. Entry to the park is charged.
Ovens Natural Park also provides a general store and gift shop which includes handcraft of Nova Scotia people. The park has eye-catching trails to view the sea caves.
During the hike on the trail day, visitors can enjoy scenic views of beautiful Lunenburg Harbor and the offshore islands.
Leftovers of the gold rush can be found in many locations of the natural park. The Ovens Natural Park also has a miniature gold rush gallery, and guests can lease a gold pan and test their fate by panning for gold on Cunard’s Beach.
The highlights of the Ovens park season are the Chapin Music Festival organized annually, the Knotty by Nature Festival, and exceptional sea caves and outings.
3. A Guide to Discover the Wonders of the Ovens Natural Park
Located 25 minutes from Lunenburg Bay, the Ovens park can be a day trip, a weekend trip, or a short stop for a coastal adventure.
3.1. Exploring the Prominent Sea Caves at the Ovens Natural Park
Visitors stroll the spectacular cliffside nature trail to the prominent sea caves or ovens. Guests are provided with a paper that outlines a self-guided stroll to see all the caves.
The trail is about 1 km long with stops, and the entire route takes a total of about an hour to complete. Day visitors find solace in the Ovens park’s fascinating history of the gold rush, unique geology, and diverse coastal geography.
The top places in this natural park are Tucker’s Tunnel, Indian Cave, and lastly, the spectacular Cannon Cave.
Tucker’s Tunnel is the foremost among all the sea caves that are permitted to be entered. Foremost, it started as a natural cave, but thereafter, it was augmented by mining activities during the 1861 gold rush at the Ovens.
At the peak of the gold rush, Ovens park had a town of over a thousand miners where resorts, marts, and a bank were also present. Midway along the stunning trails, a balcony permits park visitors to view the veil of water that falls across the entrance to Indian Cave.
Along the path, a staircase descends the cliff face and guides to a balcony inside Cannon Cave, where guests can hear, and even sense, the resounding rumble created as waves enter the large cave.
Most of the caves make a deafening noise like a rumble of thunder. Park visitors climb the steep stairs down into the caves to get a much more pleasing view.
3.2. Camping in the Ovens
The Ovens park includes cabins and campsites, which are a short walk from the main office of the park.
Visitors can enjoy the warm campfire by the ocean and live music. The campground of Ovens is surrounded by 100 acres of coastal forest. There are 25 woodland spots or 50 sheltered and breezy oceanfront campsites in ovens natural park for tent campers to pick from.
Atlantic Coast has some of the best camping sites. The natural park’s campground includes free hot showers for park visitors, flush toilets, and access to the famous sea caves.
For those who adore RV camping, the natural park has 65 serviced and semi-serviced spots which accommodate trailers and RVs up to 30 feet (ca. 9 m) in measurement.
The Ovens Natural Park provides housekeeping cabins that range from two-bedroom log cabins with fireplaces and full baths to comfortable two-bedroom family cabins and pine-lined kitchenette studios that are perfect for couples and small families.
The natural park also features a large swimming pool perfect for day visitors, an extensive trail system, and ocean swimming for all of its visitors.
Check-in time is 1:00 p.m. for camping and RV camping. For cabins, it is 4:00 p.m. Check-out time is 11:00 for all.
3.3. Visit Sea Caves
Park visitors can hike the spectacular trails to visit famous sea caves. They can spend as much time as they want to explore the spectacular trails and all the caves, but it can be completed in an hour.
Guides for the guided tour are available for just $4.00 per person.
3.4. Gold Panning on Cunard’s Beach
It is a good way to explore new things for visitors on a day trip. They can rent a pan and try gold panning on Cunard’s Beach.
Gold pans, gold panning kits, spades, and additional items are available for purchase in the general store at Ovens Natural Park. Daily Rental – $6.90 + $25.00 deposit. Visitors can also book a gold panning demo for just $4.00/person (6-person minimum).
3.5. Visit Miner Museum
Park visitors can also spend some time enjoying the items of the miner’s museum. This small Gold Rush Museum is filled with 1861 gold rush era artifacts including images, instruments, and memorabilia from the 1861 Gold Rush.
3.6. Sea Kayaking
Ovens park sea kayaking tour offers a lot of fun. After a short tutorial, the guide will give visitors a short tutorial and then take them on a paddle across the front of the caves for a spectacular view of the water.
It is available for singles, couples, and small groups of up to 6 people. Charges are $65.00 plus taxes. Morning tours are available from Wednesday – Sunday @ 10 a.m. afternoon tours are from Tuesday to Saturday to 2 p.m. and evening tours are from Tuesday to Sunday to 6:30 p.m.
Bookings are recommended for a hassle-free experience.
3.7. Explore the Sea Cave Trail at the Ovens Natural Park, NS
Present-day Ovens park offers gold panning on one of its beaches, Cunard Beach. For years, individuals have been drawn to the natural park’s astonishing beauty, diverse topography, spiritual solace, and mesmerizing history.
Day visitors to this natural park find spiritual solace in the paths and trails that are present along the Atlantic coastline.
Park visitors are fascinated by the beautiful sights and sounds of the park’s natural caves. The park’s licensed restaurant is a hidden gem.
It is situated on the Atlantic Ocean with magnificent views of the sea cave cliffs, Cross Island, Little Duck, Blue Rocks, Rose Head, and the Ovens Point.
The Diner is open seasonally, 6 days a week, from late June until Labour Day. The restaurant is shut on Mondays and days of particular events.
3.8. Live Music at Ovens Natural Park
Ovens has its roots deep in music, the Chaplin family’s first love. The park naturally glows with faces lit by campfires most nights throughout the summer.
The sounds of guitars and voices singing familiar songs will provide park visitors with a different experience. Live music will be played from mid-June to mid-September 2023. Music begins at 6:00 p.m. daily on the 2nd and 3rd weekends of August.
The Ovens park hosts the annual Chapin family concert, which features an appearance is Steve Chapin and Jonathan Chapin.
Other performers are to be announced as more information is available. Each year, the Chapin Family Concert features children’s music, folk songs, and Chaplin’s family brother, Harry Chapin’s performance. 2023 is their 37th Annual Chapin Concert.
The date and timing for the concert are Saturday, August 19, 2023, at 7:30 p.m. The concert will be held at The Lunenburg Opera House, 290 Lincoln St. NS B0J 2C0. Tickets are $40.00 and are paid before or at the entrance.
Space is limited, so visitors are advised to book early.
Takeaway
“We have never lost a national park before,” Saunders says. “But we are on track to lose some to higher seas”. The enjoyment at Ovens national park is at a level where we have a predicted 315 million visitors, every year.
While that seems like a piece of good news, the parks are straining under the pressure. Here are some measures that we can take to protect these natural heritages.
Leave no carbon footprint, be careful with water resources, keep the volume down always, and minimize campfire impacts. If you want to set up a fire, make sure to keep it small and set it up at a properly designated site.
