Backcountry Travel Experiences
Carry your essentials. Move with intention. Earn the wild.
Valkyrie Backpacker Experiences are immersive, multi-day journeys into remote landscapes. Designed for women with prior hiking experience, in this tier you carry your own pack with essential gear, learning how to manage weight, pacing, terrain, and energy across consecutive days on the trail.
These guided journeys move into more remote landscapes where solitude, immersion, and self-reliance while traveling through Nova Scotia’s most rugged coastal and wilderness terrain.
The Experience
Arch Gulch Cabin
This backcountry route descends into the rugged coastal wilderness of Cape Chignecto Provincial Park, following forested trails with sustained elevation shifts, roots, and uneven footing. The terrain demands steady pacing and deliberate movement, particularly through rocky sections and descending approaches into Arch Gulch. The effort is rewarded with a strong sense of remoteness and immersion as hikers reach Arch Gulch Cabin, a satisfying endpoint for hikers seeking extended distance, solitude, and the experience of carrying your gear into a remote overnight setting. This journey requires endurance, steady pacing, and thoughtful pack management over consecutive days. Limited to three women per journey, Arch Gulch Cabin contains four bunks, creating a more intimate backcountry experience with a smaller group size.
Distance: ~18 km
Elevation Gain: ~350 m
Time on Trail: ~4 to 6 hours per day
Trail Type: Out and back
Trip Duration: 2 days, 1 night
Trip Location: Cape Chignecto
Eatonville Cabin
Eatonville Cabin represents a significant step deeper into Cape Chignecto’s interior backcountry. The route travels through dense coastal forest along long, undulating terrain marked by sustained elevation changes, roots, mud, and rocky footing that become more pronounced across the full distance. As the trail progresses farther from main access points, the setting grows quieter and more remote, reinforcing the sense of true wilderness immersion. Tucked away from the primary route, Eatonville Cabin provides a satisfying endpoint for hikers seeking extended distance, solitude, and the experience of carrying your gear into a remote overnight setting. This journey requires endurance, steady pacing, and thoughtful pack management over consecutive days. Limited to seven women per journey, Eatonville Cabin includes eight separate bunks, allowing for a full small group overnight experience.
Distance: ~28.2 km
Elevation Gain: ~300 m
Time on Trail: ~5 to 7 hours per day
Trail Type: Out and back
Trip Duration: 2 days, 1 night
Trip Location: Cape Chignecto
What you need to bring
Sturdy hiking boots or trail shoes suitable for uneven and potentially wet terrain
Personal clothing appropriate for variable coastal weather, including layered insulation and rain protection
A properly fitted backpack capable of carrying overnight gear comfortably
All personal food and snacks for the duration of the experience
Personal hydration system, minimum 2 litres capacity
Camping equipment: including a tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, cooking system and any personal overnight essentials. Camping gear rentals are available through our partner rental program. Rental Program – The Trail Shop
