Cape Breton Island is home to some of Canada's most popular musicians, and the inspiration for some of the country's best writers. The island that has captured the imaginations of countless artists is one of the most beautiful, wild places in Canada that is an internationally acclaimed tourist destination, which attracts tens of thousands of visitors every year. The hiking on Cape Breton Island, whether in the Highlands, around the Bras d'Or Lakes (actually inland seas) or along its thousands of kilometres of rugged coastline, is second to none. Whether someone is a serious hiker, planning a multi-day excursion into the wild Cape Breton Highlands National Park, or a family looking for an interesting way to spend an afternoon, Hiking Trails of Cape Breton will provide all the information needed to enjoy being self-propelled, out-of-doors.

Hiking Trails of Cape Breton is the first comprehensive guidebook devoted to this spectacular region. A co-publication of Goose Lane Editions and Hostelling International — Nova Scotia, Hiking Trails of Cape Breton is written by the foremost authority on travelling Nova Scotia on foot, Michael Haynes. Hiking Trails of Cape Breton describes 50 Cape Breton trails in detail. As well as 10 breathtaking trails in Cape Breton Highlands National Park, it covers in detail the southwestern, eastern coast and interior, and Bras d'Or areas of the Island, plus the Highlands area outside the park. Some of these trails are newly constructed, some are heritage roads and paths, and others are perennial favourites that may have undergone significant changes in the past five years. In 1998, Michael Haynes hiked all of the trails, personally gathering the information for Hiking Trails of Cape Breton.

Hiking Trails of Cape Breton includes maps, photographs, synoptic information about the length and difficulty of each trail, and entertaining accounts of each hike. It's technologically up-to-date, too — it's one of the first published guidebooks anywhere to include electronic data as standard information. Each map includes Global Positioning System co-ordinates for the main trail access point; these simplify finding the start of unmarked trails and woods roads and provide a foolproof safety bearing. Cellular telephones are also popular as safety devices, but sometimes hikers don't realize that there may be no coverage in remote or geological complex areas. For this reason, cell phone coverage is included in Hiking Trails of Cape Breton.

Michael Haynes is one of the leading authorities of the outdoors in Eastern Canada. He is the Director of TransActive Solutions, a company dedicated to improving the walkability and bikeability of Canadian communities. Previously, he was the National Active Transportation and TrailsCanada Coordinator of Go for Green and the Executive Director of the Nova Scotia Trails Federation. Recently, Michael has worked on project teams developing a Pedestrian and Cycling Plan for the Regional Municipality of York Ontario, the Regional Trail Plan for Chatham-Kent Ontario, the Active Transportation Plan for the Halifax Regional Municipality Nova Scotia, the Hub Trail System for Sault Ste. Marie Ontario, and a rural trail development manual for the province of Alberta. Michael has conducted workshops on Active Transportation more than 50 communities across Canada and regularly presents on trails across Canada and internationally. Michael is a member of the Province of Ontario's Trails Coordinating Committee and the Public Health Agency of Canada's Advisory Committee for Active Transportation. A frequent guest on CBC radio, he now lives In Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Michael Haynes' profile page