Reviews of Balancing Rock (Tourist Attraction)

Nick P.

The location, view and feel at the rock is awesome. The hike to the rock isn't that bad, but those stairs can be deadly, combined with no rest stops or benches at the top it definitely pushed me on a hot day.

Rayna NA

This is a very long hike but it's a well-kept trail. The first part of the trail is marked with pebbles but then there's wooden bridges to keep you away from the grassy areas. All through out your hike, there's a lot of signs explaining the local plant life. It's fun to spot the plants they speak about. These signs are in English and French. Once you get to the stairs leading down to the rock, it gets a bit steep! The stairs are good, with friction. But you still should be careful. There's a lot of stairs leading down and when you get to the bottom, they'll get narrower. Once you get to the bottom, the bridge is well-kept and it's pretty easy getting around. You can see the marks in the rocks from lava flow and of course, the infamous balancing rock. It looks so unstable yet it isn't! It's a unique sight and somewhat unsettling. The information boards say that a Sailor once tried to knock it over. While it's a long walk, there's a lot to see. I definitely recommend!

Rishi GABA

Nice trail 235 steps down at the end Well maintained

Walled Yousuf

(Translated) Balanced already (Original) Balanced dah

Trevor Richardson

exactly as advertised. not much to do around here. time to wait for the ferry.

Dale M

The hike was great! I loved th interpretive signsalong the path. Those stairs were numerous; okay to go down, but ... :)

Carl Comeau

Nice hike

Kathryn Elliott

Wonderful hike and view of balancing rock!

Karen Harris

It was an awesome experience, even on a wet windy day. We really enjoyed the hike and survived the 235 steps down and the 235 steps back up.

Joel Herzog

What an amazing sight. Of all the out and back hikes we took in Nova Scotia, this offered the greatest payoff at the end of the trail. Such a spectacular view of the Balancing Rock and the surrounding seascape. We’ll worth the short hike. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED ????

Mike Diehn

I think I posted a review about this place already and stuck a bunch of pictures up I took there. If I didn't, well, this is a very cool place to visit. There's an easy trail about a mile (1.6 k) across the woods and salt marsh - there's board walks - to a long staircase down to the ocean side cliffs. And at the end of those 249 steps (yes I counted :-) you get to see this really phenomenal sight! Our host told us that every once in a while, the local fishermen get drunk and try to pull the rock over - I don't know if that's true or not, but the rock is still there...

Justin Boudreau

Nice hikebut lots of stairs and can be muddy

Ed W. Visser

235 steps down and wouldn't you know it, 235 steps up. And that's after almost a 1km hike. But it's a special Rock. Smaller than i had envisioned.

Chantelle Webb

Amazing and worth every step

Cedric Barber

I wish I could've spent more time there! Truely an epic location to fade away with the sound of the ocean, with amazing visuals from the rock itself

Christine Sheaves

Absolutely awesome, the trail was good, easy walking, well worth the hike.. Bring water

Terry Reincke

Great Geology

Mar Gar

Beeen here twice and the experience was as good as my first time.

Liane F Murphy

Unfortunately the trail was washed out in a few sections due to Ida. And there are a lot of stairs at the end of the hike which could be a problem for some. But once you are at the end the view was fantastic.

Kevin Coldwell

Definetly a plce to add to your bucket list tourist or local

Simon Faucher

(Translated) Nice place but we expected to be able to be closer and we thought the rock was bigger. (Original) Bel endroit mais nous nous attendions à pouvoir être plus près et on pensait la roche plus grosse.

HALIFAX SUNSHINE INTERNATIONAL TOURS

(Translated) The road is rugged and not suitable for children or the elderly or people with inconvenient legs and feet. (Original) 路比较崎岖，不适合小孩或者老人 或者腿脚不便的人

Olivier

Perfect trail with kids. 2km with many stairs at the end. But easy to do. Cool view at the end for sure :)

Bobby Harris

Enjoyed the walk and the steps!

Nas

235 stairs to get to the lookout

B Cook (Sly B)

What an original point of interest! Well worth the hike in. The local stories that surround it are entertaining :) Made for great picture opportunities if you brave the out of bounds.

Katina Davenport

Very beautiful. My dad and I went with my two kids, they're 3 and 1.5, they both enjoyed the walk. My thighs hurt by the bottom of the stairs... then going up ... I honestly thought I was going to get a charley horse in my calves ???????? if it isn't clear, I have not done any sorts of physical activity since before both of my kids were born. But either way, I'd recommend it, it may seem like just a rock, but the journey to get there is refreshing. I was going to tell you something that had happened while we were there, but then you'd all think I was a blonde... so I'll just keep it to myself lol... Sorry for the terrible picture... We ran into a few ladies, I took pictures with their phone of them, so I completely forgot to take pictures with my phone until we were just about to head back up the stairs... it's behind the tree ???? lol Oh! My daughter found a rock on the way to the floating rock, she had to take it. It had a hashtag on it.. #nsrocks ?? Or something like that. It said to put it on fb, but I haven't... sorry...

Andre Macinnis

great view, great walk as well

Bevy Fennema

What a great place..had a beautiful day to enjoy the walk and the Balancing Rock..WoW

Joyce OQ

Google map was wrong which resulted in us passing the parking lot and had to go up to a neighbor’s drive way and make the turn around. The walkway was skinny in some places. Stairs going down was easy. Coming up the stairs was a workout! Beautiful view.

Matthew Rockwell

Great little hike

Shawna Jefferson

Great day for it. 3 geocaches

Ricky Mauger

Awesome hike and View when we arrived at the Balancing Rock.

Alexander Green

A really interesting sight

Joaquim Almeida

(Translated) Not only the balancing rock itself, but also the nature around it is beautiful and definitely worth a visit. But there are many wooden steps to master, so bring your time. (Original) Nicht nur der balancing rock an sich, sondern auch die Natur drum herum ist wunderschön und auf jeden Fall einen Besuch wert. Es sind dazu aber viele Holzstufen zu meistern, also Zeit mitbringen.

Tina Boutilier

Lots of stairs roughly 240... great hike...use washroom facilities before venturing out... great views.

Chris Bing

Nice walk down to the rock with a lot of stairs right at the end. Well worth a visit, the rock is fairly spectacular and the trail is nice with a number of info boards on the way.

Andy Leeman

Great hike with an awesome view

Nadine Bierworth- Bourque

It was a good hike. Lot of stairs.

movie bod

The trail down to the rock is very well kept and comprises wooden steps down as you approach the end. Not a walk for the unfit sadly.

Stan Allan

About a km walk to the site but well worth the time and effort.

Shelley Luddington

Well maintained path and stairs!

John Humble

Never knew about this place. It is worth tje walk in to see this awesome natural site.

Jeff Pitman

Live my most of my life an hour and half from this never thought it was worth the time to drive down when I finally made a day trip with my kids I think it was worth it every one had fun its quite the walk I think it was 235 step to the stairs easy going down but I hope your in shape to climb back up I think the path to the balancing rock was as impressive as the rock its self lol I don't know if I would make the trip an annually one but I believe it's worth the trip at least once

Joe LeBlanc

Like it Was it werthit

Hannah Jacobs

Lots of stairs, but great view!

dallas ning

Beautiful views though the balancing rock is quite a lot smaller than you'd think. Trail down is pretty easy until the last stretch of stairs which are quite steep - would be challenging for smaller children or anyone with a bit of mobility difficulty. Going back up the stairs was difficult but the rest of the trail was quite gentle.

Kimberly Brown

Beautiful spot. Nice walk, not too long but quite a few stairs. Very enjoyable

Ron Binning

Great hike to an awesome national wonder.

Rishab Gaba

nice short hike

mateo fleet

Really cool spot to stop on your way across the island. Beautiful trails as well as boardwalks. Most staris have railings of them. Kid friendly and animal

Tamazon 83

Nice little hike with a sweet view

Igor Kheison

Absolutely worth the stop, beautiful, clean and quite

Natalie Cove

Upon finishing this trail there were a group of seniors asking if it was worth the walk. Initially we said yes, but reflecting back it depends on your fitness level, there is a nice maintained easy walk up to the 250 steep steps, that is where you would find a challenge if not 100% able. This aside the view is pleasant once reaching the rock, you can only view it from a platform but it is large enough to accommodate plenty of people, though the trail itself is not a tourist magnet, the whole area is a bit of a well kept quiet gem.

Brandon Adams

If you take your time and read the signs, a very educational trail. A few of the steps need some TLC, but otherwise lots areas to hold on to. Lots of rest areas on the stairs. Really good starting trail if someone is looking to start exploring some trails. Depending on how well you handle stairs, takes about 30-45 minutes.

Lindsay Hebert

A 1.7km with 235 stair steps to visit a unique rock formation. You'll be walking along the path able to read up on the vegetation growing near. A smooth trail at first then becomes rocky, followed by sand, a few man made wooden bridges, and to end it all with stairs. Worth it entirely. If you have the health for it I highly recommend taking the time to enjoy this trail.

Craig Rutkowske

Balancing rock was kind of a let down for me. There's not a lot of other things nearby it so we made a pretty long drive to see it, all the way down from Annapolis Royal. There's a super short very easy path that will walk you all the way out to the coastline. After that there's about a 200 step descent down to the platforms where you can see the rock. The reasons I was disappointed were two fold: -The rock is MUCH smaller than it appears in most photos. Most photos have been edited to make the rock look like it is gigantic and in reality it just isn't that big. -The rock is also covered in graffiti because for some reason people find it necessary to deface things for their own enjoyment. The trail is well kept, parking is easy, the toilets are clean. The rock itself just wasn't as amazing as I expected it to be. I'd skip it unless you are already down this way for some other reason.

Jean-Yves Landry

Short hike to balancing rock, the board walk is well done with many educational panels along the whole way. Good way to spend 2 to 3 hours.

Don Dickson

Wow

Angela Bourne

Beautiful scenic spot. The trail is quite narrow which makes passing people difficult. It is sad that they have had to install so much protection to keep people from climbing over or falling off the lookout at the end.

Dee J

Awesome. 250 ish steps.

Corentin Mathias

The trail to get there is nice.

SpVijay Rao

Check weather or trail may be flooded, also lots of steps 180 of them (caution against elderly or young children)

Aaron Van Dyken

Exactly as described

Shelley Dyet

Nice hike and then some serious stairs down to a large lookout deck. I wouldn't recommend this for anyone with mobility issues or those who may find stairs a challenge. The trail is fairly flat but rocky and uneven in places.

Sara Lynn

The stairs on this hike are brutal, consider yourself warned, lol. But the view is worth the effort. Absolutely gorgeous. Wish I had more time to spend just enjoying the peace of it all.

David Lefebvre

Short but well maintained trail. The information signs are very Interesting and the view on St. Mary's Bay, up against the warm basalt rocks is great. Unfortunately it is not handicap accessible. There are some steep steps towards the end.

Jay Holmes

We are really glad we checked out Balancing Rock Trail. It is one of the shorter yet more scenic trails around Digby. The end is worth it, just to see the rock and bay. Nature's power! We met tourists from New Jersey and took some photos down by the rock. Going back up the stairs was a bit of a challenge for us but we clearly needed the exercise!

Niagara Computers & Accessories

Well worth the hike in! God has made some of the most amazing artwork in Nova Scotia!

Shannon Khasianov

The 200+ plus stairs are half stairs and long in length. Don't let the stairs stop you from going.

Tom H

It's very beautiful.

sepehr Naeeni

Trail is relatively short. Beautiful spot.

Sarah Botham

Really unique hike. The steps are steep at the end but worth it.

Ron Lewis

A fair distance to walk on paths, wooden walk ways and stairs.

Scratch Conscience (Thinker)

Very interesting! Bring good walking shoes and be prepared to climb quite a few steps. Other than that , what a view

Mick Shea

Very nice hike, the flat section has very readable and informative signs. The stairs have even steps and are broken up to avoid long continual stretches. The rock is pretty cool from where the trail takes you, and the return trip is good exercise!

Ashley Frank

Very nice trail! 250 steps to go down and back up. Lovely view at the end!

Simon Payn

Great walk. About 3.4 km including the walk back, and about 250 stairs. Sounds like a lot more then it really is though. Lots of small steps. The view from the end is really pretty though and we'll worth it.

Alex C. Moreno

This is a lovely trail to the coastline and a very cold geological Oddity. I think they're 256 steps though down to the bottom and then of course back up.

Daniel Mark Wheaton

An interesting bit of nature. The walk out is relaxing enough but be prepared for lots of stairs as you descent to the lookout point. Worth the effort to see this unique sight.

Michael Zingg

Nice short trail, but lots of steps!

Janice Harmon

This place is so amazing

John Middleton

It is a short walk out to the Balancing Rock. If you're in the area and the weather is nice, spend 30 minutes outside.

Ken .DeWalt

Neat walk

Adrixe Nocon

A must see if you are visiting NB!

William Lucas

The Balancing Rock is truly a wonder! Most people approach it from the regular government parking lot. For a little something different, it can be reached by the 'ol "South Way", and the Tiverton Loyalist Cemetery

ALANNA

The hike to see this rock was breath taking, the view was beautiful and it was all worth it in the end! the staircase was 200 steps but it felt like nothing. I definitely recommend you to see this rock if you're in Nova Scotia 100%

Adrienne Ryan

The trail is a little run down but the veiw is beautiful

Roger O'Connor

Pretty walk through the forest and down to the water. We wanted to be able to get right down to water level but the path terminates at a viewpoint to the rock and you can't go further. Fun little ferry ride across too ...

John Pawling

Excellent geological formation, but beware of the extreme stairs down to the rock after a level 1.2km hike. What goes down must come up.

conny schäferptak

(Translated) Trail there is about 40 minutes long, not suitable for the disabled but very worth seeing the balancing rock (Original) Trail dahin ist ca 40 Minuten lang , nicht für gebehinderte geeignet aber sehr sehenswert der balancing rock

Kevin Robarts

Always a great walk and a beautiful spot.

Avi Yampolsky

The short hike and stairs were well worth the view. You can easily be in and out in less than an hour, despite signing and guides claiming it takes twice as long.

Pinkyyy_adventureGirl Spidle

The Balancing Rock Trail, in Tiverton Nova Scotia is by far one of my favourite places. The trail is just about 1.7 km one way, and very easy going. Great for small children and older people as well. Wonderful signs along the trail explain about plant and animal life. Once you get to the end there are over 200 stairs which are killer on the way back up, but the view is totally worth it !!

Amila Rodrigo (A Rod)

It's a bit of a hike. Be prepared!

Monique Cornelio

Beautiful and absolutely breathtaking! The hike (and stairs) there is absolutely grueling if you're not fit and young like me :P There are little signs and whatnot to learn more about the vegetation during the hike and there's wild blueberries and blackberries growing alongside the trail as you walk, very tempting! :3 It's very saddening to see though that many people (especially the young) try to ruin this site by climbing on the rocks to push this rock, which really ruins it for the rest of the people as this greatens the chances of it eroding. As well as making trouble for other people as when they climb the rocks they are near the waves which stupidly risks their lives and parents encourage this behavior! I encourage everyone who visits this site to respect it and to tell these disrespectful visitors to stop their idiotic acts so that others can enjoy this site.

Jaswinder Singh

Awesome trail approx. 250 steps.

Dirty Rice

Beautiful

Ted Rietveld

never found it

Mark Hubley

Short trail, but awesome natural wonder.

Alex Novodvorets

Easy walk, nice view

Gordon Ng

Great

Warren Ng

well lay out trail to walk down to the platform

Krista P

Short and sweet hike

Tran Tuan

Nice view

Jeevan Francis

Short walk for calm view of the oceans

Heidi Foley

If you're in the neighborhood it's a short hike from the parking lot. It's neat to see but probably not the only reason to venture out this way.

Stew Murray

Nice walk. Loved it.

Scott Skillin

Nice place.

Dominic Stalder

Short hike to the balancing rock. Nicely done woodwn construction

Marcel Rose

(Translated) Impressive basalt formations. The walk of about 45 minutes (round trip) is worthwhile. (Original) Eindrückliche Basaltformationen. Der Fussmarsch von rund 45 Minuten (hin und zurück) lohnt sich.

Jamie McNutt

This was a beautiful walking trail, which lead to the view of the balancing rock! The drive to the trail was absolutely gorgeous, and just as scenic as the trail. Took my family here while vacationing near Claire. I’m glad we took the time to come here. It was a really neat experience.

Matt Jobes

Beautiful walk, stairs are steep and there's over 200 of them, but totally worth it

Bob Brown

250+ stairs but worth the walk. The trail in was just as interesting.

Sean McConnell

Worth the short hike if you enjoy natural features. Not worth it if you detest stairs.

Tanveer Syed

It is a good site to visit and strongly recommend if you are in Brier Island

Terry Jacques

A bit of a challenge to hike in but well worth the effort. Wish they had a bit of a graphic to describe what you're seeing across St Marys Bay. That's where the Evangeline Trail runs and shouldn't be ignored.

Mark Parsons

So, I wasn’t expecting much out of this hike, being an east-coast resident and going to look at a rock; however, I have to say that the trail is absolutely beautiful, well-groomed. There are also many information signs along the way that are incredibly informative about the flora and geography of the area. I felt like I learned quite a bit along the way! Yes, there are many steps at the end of the trail as you traverse down the cliff, but they also have many rest areas if you need them along the way (especially on the hike back uphill). The balancing rock itself is quite impressive, as is the geology of the shoreline around it! Easy 2km hike and the stairs will make you feel better about eating that plate of clams and chips afterwards!

Kyle Garrity

Very pleasant walk, well kept stairs, and amazing view. Did not disappoint!

Buick Belliveau

Last quarter mile is a dandy. ???? (Wear proper footwear and bring drinking water.) Beautiful coastal views!

Shawn McLeod

An easy adventure I take every year.

Ted SUN

Amazing!

Rob MacCara

Nicely looked after trail and beautiful view!

eve-isabelle coallier

(Translated) Unbelievable (Original) Incroyable

Jolly Roger

GPS may not be so responsive as in cities, so we missed it but managed to locate the parking on the way back. Easy parking with washrooms well maintained. The hike is short in 20 minutes. The extended boardwalk in the woods is picture-postcard. The other highlight is the balancing rock itself. It’s not gigantic mind you, but it’s a great spot for families with kids to witness how nature makes the geographic landscape over the time.

kate

A must-see when in the area! Very unique. Well-maintained trail (be prepared for steps -- not for people with mobility issues unfortunately).

Taylor Salter

Amazing place to go! Really worth try drive if you're not too close to it!!!

ADITYA MITRA DAS

An amazing wonder in Nova Scotia

Amanda Grafton

Very easy trail

Ralf Bloemers

(Translated) Spicy descent at the end but well worth it. (Original) Pittige afdaling op het laatst maar zeer de moeite waard.

Howard Grant

Lot to walk and lots of stairs. Great view.

John Fisher

There are a lot of steps so be careful.

Chris Empey

A nice little hike out to the site. You have to be in shape, but it's not ridiculously difficult. Bring some study shoes/water and get ready for a small challenge before you get rewarded by nature.

Johanna Pellus

(Translated) Beautiful trail with interesting bilingual explanatory panels. Nice view of the rock. 1.7 km one way, with lots of steps. Worth a detour on Long Island (the ferry costs $ 7 / vehicle to reach this island from East Ferry). (Original) Très beau sentier avec panneaux explicatifs bilingues très intéressants. Belle vue sur le rocher. 1,7 km aller, avec beaucoup de marches. Vaut un détour sur Long Island (le ferry coûte 7$/véhicule pour rejoindre cette île depuis East Ferry).

J Worthington

Short, easy out and back hike that can be done in an hour - great views!

adioable

Great place to visit!

Jean-Marc Rechsteiner

Totally worth it! Just a short trail (little more then 1km)and some stairs and you are already at the balancing rock.

Julia Miller

Beautiful..

Brody Paulsen

Was a nice hike to the rock, smaller than expected

Shirlee Davidson

It was a over 39 minute walk through the woods and down the stairs to see the balancing rock. It seemed like 100 stairs going back up. Not good for anyone with mobility issues.

Dawn Saulnier

Very long walk, not a lot of places to sit for a break if your not use to walking but very beautiful at the end

Valerie Killeen

Enjoyable hike, Amazing view

Robert Thibodo

Great hike to to the rock. Informative reading along the way..great scenery...the stairs down to the rock are a killer but take it slow and steady...a lot of rest stops on the stairs.

Ken Chung

Excellent trail to visit the famous Balancing Rock - a slab of rock standing upright precariously on-top of another piece of rock due to natural erosion. Caution: at the end of the trail there are several hundreds of steps to go down (and come back up) to view the rock.

Lee McRae

Amazing

Marja van der Kolk

(Translated) Top beautiful trail just do it (Original) Top mooie trail gewoon doen

ryan renshaw

great way to spend time with family during this time.

Dottie Nickerson

Great sight to see..The hike was not bad..places to rest if you needed to

Linda Bennett

Awesome

Larry Loewen

Nice trail but not for the faint hearted or wheel chairs.

Shane McLean

Nice walk lots of steps but worth it

deanna muise

Lovely walk and lots of fascinating flora on the way if you look

Tanya Tuttle-Comeau

Unique

J H

Must see, if you can and are in the area. It's about 1km (each way) of easy flat trail, but then there are hundreds of stair steps (down, but painfully up on the return) at the far end. Nice parking lot. It'll eventually tip over, so see it while you can.

Dani C

Beautiful path and short hike! The rock is much smaller than I thought it would have been, but the lookout area at the rock is beautiful! Lots of steps for a good workout, and there are lots of info along the path.

Rick Harrison

It's a combination of moderately difficult and easy hike from the parking lot of apx. 1 km, with a lot of steps down at the end. It's all worth it when you get down to the viewing area. I believe it is Church Point that is visible across the water. There are picnic tables and portable toilets in the parking area.

Ultimate Reviews

dude anyone can balance a rock

Kyle Goreham

Pretty good. The stairs are not too bad as there is plenty of places to stop and take a breath. Worth going to at least once. The trail was impassible without getting your feet wet when I was there tho as it had just rained the day previous.

Tim O'Toole

Well worth the walk

Lisa Arseneau

Beautiful!

Kevin Dunbar

Nice walk (about 2km) to get to the Balancing Rock. Tails are well maintained, but the stairs are not for the physically challenged. There are about 200 stairs that must be traversed and are not evenly spaced.

Norma Fixter

Good hike, great experience!

Carl Bédard

(Translated) Very nice place nice walk to take at the end about 200 steps but the view is terrible (Original) Très belle endroit belle marche à prendre à la fin environ 200 marches mais la vue es terrible

Kan Otarou

Very nice

Trevor & Zofia Hodgson

Walked this trail after going on a whale watching trip from Brier Island & rather rushed the walk to make sure we caught the next ferry back . Even so enjoyed the short trail , just bear in mind all those steps when walking back from the viewing platform , certainly got the thighs burning . The rock was in shade when we got there & would expect it to be more impressive when in clear daylight . However would certainly visit again if ever in Nova Scotia , but probably allow more time to have a relaxing stroll & take more in .

Meng Qin

Good

Dana Delaney

Beauty of a spot

Joseph Lee

A short hike to the cliff and there's the balancing rock standing just beside the water

Louis Beaudin

(Translated) Small trail of 2.3-2.5km, superb bordwalk and exceptional view of the rocks and the Bay of Fundy, although 235 steps to go down and up but it is done very well! (Original) Petite trail de 2,3-2,5km, superbe bordwalk et vue exceptionnelle des rochers et de la Baie de Fundy, quoique 235 marches à descendre et à remonter mais ça se fait très bien!

Deborah Dawson

This was a beautiful place but it is 1 mile into the woods and over 240 steps down . Coming back was ruff for my 6 year old .

Bob Swaisgood

A well posted trail with stops to inform hikers. The observation area is really impressive.

Allayne MacCara

Short little well maintained hike to an incredible view.

Josh Davison

Was an awesome hike, easy for all ages. Great place to go for a family hike

Catherine Kuenlin

(Translated) Nice walk of about 1.7 km ... about 200 steps before arriving at balancing rock (Original) Joli promenade de 1.7 km environ...environ 200 marches avant l´arrivée à balancing rock

Shirin Shaikh

Awesome place to visit , but the washrooms should have been more well maintained.

Édith LeBrun

(Translated) A little overrated. If you are in Digby, it's a long way to a few minutes of trail. (Original) Un peu surestimé. Si vous êtes à Digby, cela fait beaucoup de route pour quelques minutes de sentier.

Toms Renos

Beautiful place nice walk through the bush and steep stairs.

Anthony Chan

Very easy hike from the parking lot with some steps at the end overlooking the balancing rock. Do not miss it if you are in the neighborhood or on your way to whale watching.

cheryl reid

Neat!! Was amazed to see it just hanging there when so many had crumbled. Beautiful view and lovely hike.