Kejimkujik National Park
It’s a long, native Mi’kmaq word, so locals call it Keji. Kejimkujic National Park sits centrally and to the south on the mainland of the province of Nova Scotia. Unlike many national and provincial parks in Canada, Keji is extremely popular among the immediate population. Everyone who likes to camp tries to make it a weekend in Keji every year. That applies mostly to summer and fall, but the park is open year-round.
The large area that comprises Kejimkujic National Park is littered with lakes and rivers, enabling canoers to portage; many of the backwoods campsite are only accessible by water and portage. The land it occupies is ancient Mi’kmaq territory: the name means (it does not translate literally) something along the lines of “swollen waters”, probably a reference to the litany of lakes.
Not only is Keji (the full name is pronounced Kedge-eh-mah-KOO-jik, and the joke in Nova Scotia is that you don’t get to live in the province if you can’t say the word properly) a national park, it is also, thanks to its being anchored in 10,000 years of Mi’kmaq history, a National Historic Site. And on the Atlantic coast, there is a Kejimkujic National Park Seaside Adjunct with an ocean trail and seal-watching.
The park is open for camping, hiking, cross-country skiing, snow-shoeing, fishing and swimming year-round. Washroom and common area facilities have recently been upgraded. Reservations for camping are an absolute must. Booking opens in January of each year and locals are quick to grab their favourite campsites.
