Moose River Gorge rises in the hills above Moose River, as part of the Cobequid Mountains of Nova Scotia.  The Gorge itself is impressive, with rocky cliffs rising above Moose River in excess of 190 metres.  Sheer drops can be seen and viewed throughout, making it one of the more extreme areas in Nova Scotia.  The Moose River Gorge is also home to five waterfalls, with varying heights and types.  You will find one 5m plunge fall, one 90m multiple/combination (slide, plunge, cascade), one 30m slide fall, one 15m cascade and a 50m punchbowl/slide, all along the same river within just over a kilometre of each other. There is also   evidence of a historical logging operation at the first falls location, with a heavy chain and dam structure still evident. In all, seeing these five waterfalls takes a full and hard day of bushwacking, rockhopping and map-compass travel. The reward though is a day of enjoying some large waterfalls.

To get there: From Amherst, go south on Hwy 302 to Parrsboro.  Take highway 2 east to Moose River.  Watch for two bridges once you reach Moose River.  Park at the second bridge which is shortly after two sharp turns.  From Truro, take Hwy 2 west toward Great Village, Bass River and Five Islands.  Continue toward Moose River.

To access the falls: A map will be required to reach the gorge. There are no trails.  The following description will add to your use of topo maps. From where you parked, the dirt road heading uphill and north will lead you to Moose River Falls (west branch) and also allows access to the Moose River Gorge area.  Take the first right hand branch in the dirt road and continue northwest following the road and cart tracks until you reach the edge of the gorge.  Bushwacking is required to descend and continue upriver toward the middle 'finger' of Moose River.  Continue rockhopping up river to the smaller set of falls.  From there, you will need to bypass the falls by climbing around and descending back down to the river shortly after the falls.  Continuing along the edge of the gorge is not recommended as there will be no way down due to the steep cliffs.  Continuing this process up river and only climbing the sides of the gorge when necessary to bypass a fall will allow you easier access to all 5 falls.  

Although rewarding with views of four 40-90 metre waterfalls and one 5 metre fall, this trip requires experience in orienteering, bushwacking and extremely steep, rocky terrain.  This is not a trip to bring the kids.

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