Some campgrounds are designed for RVs. Some campgrounds are designed for more rustic methods of camping with tents and pop-up trailers. The North Sydney / Cabot Trail KOA would satisfy the needs of both. KOA gets it. We’ve stayed at some as tenters and we’ve stayed at some in the motor home.
We camped in the RV at North Sydney / Cabot Trail but I could see us being comfortable, as well, in their tenting area. This ranks high on our list with the Devil’s Tower KOA as a campground that respects all types of campers.
We stayed at this campground for two nights in mid September. There was lots of room for more guests as it was the off-season. I could see sites being hard to get in the summer months. The campground is close to Cape Breton tourist hot spots like the Cabot Trail, the ferry to Newfoundland, the Fortress of Louisbourg and the Glace Bay mining museum.
The view is incredible. The roads of the campground are terraced so that all sites have a view of Great Bras D’Or and the Seal Island Bridge. The location backs on to a shear red rock cliff. Although the cliff is a result of the spot’s history as a gravel pit, it’s still quite impressive, especially in early morning light. Get a closer look in the driving tour video below.
North Sydney / Cabot Trail KOA Image Gallery
Okay, the images in the gallery are not actually of the campground but from the campground. Most were taken at sunrise from just the other side of the Trans Canada Highway. It was about a two minute walk and well worth the journey. The photo of the Seal Island Bridge in the top middle was taken from the KOA’s boat launch and beach area.
High resolution versions of these images and other photos from the same day are available at Dreamstime. Want to earn cash from your own photos? Why not sign up for free with Dreamstime and start submitting now: Become a paid photographer!
North Sydney / Cabot Trail KOA Campground
The North Sydney / Cabot Trail KOA is officially located at 3779 New Harris Road in New Harris, Nova Scotia. The campground is just across the Seal Island Bridge on the Trans Canada Highway when heading from Sydney to the Canso Causeway.
Amenities include free WiFi and up to 50 amp electrical hookups on each site. Each site also has dual sewage portals and water. All are pull through. This KOA is open from mid May until mid October and I would have to assume that reservations would be a must in July and August.
Along with the RV and tenting sites, there are also cabins to rent. The basic is a single room cabin that sleeps up to four people with one full bed and one bunk. There is no kitchen and you must use the park’s public bathrooms. The deluxe cabins have the same sleeping arrangements but come with a full bath and shower, along with a partial kitchen.
On site, there is a swimming beach, boat launch, decent sized playground, mini-golf course and a dog park. For budding archeologists, it’s not hard to see that the dog park was formerly a swimming pool.
This KOA is just 15 minutes from the ferry to Newfoundland in North Sydney. A little further in that direction is the main commercial centre of Sydney. Past Sydney are tourist attractions that include the Fortress of Louisbourg, the Louisbourg Lighthouse and the Glace Bay coal mining museum.
Continuing on away from Sydney on the Trans Canada Highway, you’ll get onto the Cabot Trail. This road leads to the Cape Breton Highlands National Park and Pleasant Bay, home to several whale watching tour companies. If you’re heading that way, we definitely recommend Pleasant Bay Whale Watching.
For those that have stayed at any KOA campground, it probably isn’t necessary to tell you that the hosts are great. The culture of this massive campground chain is to provide incredibly friendly and helpful service.
North Sydney / Cabot Trail KOA Driving Tour Video
The following is a video we published from our visit to the North Sydney / Cabot Trail KOA in September, 2018. The driving tour takes you around the campground before exiting onto the Trans Canada Highway and crossing the Seal Island Bridge.
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