About McNabs Island Fall Foliage Tours
The Friends of McNabs Island Society's annual fall fundraiser: a boat from the Halifax waterfront to McNabs Island Provincial Park on October 18, 2026 (rain date October 25), with six guided routes through the island's forts, gardens and fall colour.
Features & Highlights
Detailed Information
One Sunday every October, a charter boat slips away from the Halifax waterfront with a boatload of hikers, history buffs and leaf-peepers aboard, bound for the biggest island in Halifax Harbour. The Friends of McNabs Island Society's annual Fall Foliage Tours are the volunteer charity's signature fundraiser and one of the few days each year the public can tour McNabs Island Provincial Park with a guide. The 2026 edition runs Sunday, October 18 — rain date Sunday, October 25 — departing the Halifax waterfront at 9:30 AM and returning around 5:00 PM, with the island's sugar maples, oaks and 200-year-old Victorian gardens usually at or past peak colour. If you are chasing fall foliage in Nova Scotia without the crowds of the valley wine route, this is the trip.
Six Guided Routes, One Ticket
Every ticket holder joins one guided tour, and there are six to choose from. On the Eventbrite order form you rank your top three, and the society's volunteers allocate seats on a first-ordered basis — they try to accommodate preferences but cannot guarantee them, and there is only enough daylight to take part in one tour per visit. The routes:
- Heritage Tour (North End): Fort Ives and the northern half of the island.
- Heritage Tour (South End): Fort McNab National Historic Site and the southern trails.
- Nature Tour: the island's coastal environment, plants and wildlife with a naturalist.
- Adventure Tour: a longer hike out to Thrumcap, open to walkers over 16 years of age only — expect 10–15 km and waterproof boots.
- Coastal Shoreline Tour: beaches, coves and the shoreline that storms keep reshaping.
- Hangman's Beach – McNab Homestead Tour: the McNab family homestead site and the characters from Thomas Raddall's novel Hangman's Beach.
Most tours cover 5–7 km of walking on a mix of old roads and woodland trails.
The Crossing, and the Stories Waiting on the Other Side
Meet by 9:15 AM at the Ambassatours dock beside Cows Ice Cream on Cable Wharf, 1751 Lower Water Street — the boat leaves at 9:30 sharp for the roughly half-hour crossing. Once ashore, the guides make the case for why Mniku'j, the island's Mi'kmaw name, mattered long before any fort was built here. From Fort McNab, Parks Canada animators explain how the island's batteries guarded the approaches to the Port of Halifax through both world wars. You will hear how Bill Lynch, the "midway king" of Maritime fairgrounds, got his start in the amusement business on this island, and the tragic story of the SS England, quarantined off McNabs in 1866. Society horticulturalists show off the slow restoration of the English Victorian Gardens, and most routes pass the Teahouse Outdoor Education Centre, a former abandoned teahouse given a second life. Plan to be back at Garrison Pier by 4:00 PM; the boat departs the island at 4:30 and ties up in Halifax by 5:00.
Tickets, Rain Dates and the Fine Print
Tickets are advance-only via Eventbrite — there are no dock sales, and every passenger including babies needs a ticket. Pricing is $40 for adult non-members, $30 for members of the Friends of McNabs Island Society, and $20 for children and youth 16 and younger, with toddlers 4 and under free. There are no refunds, even if you do not get your tour choice. If the park closes or weather cancels the October 18 sailing and you cannot attend the October 25 rain date, the event is cancelled and tickets are refunded.
A few rules worth knowing before you pack: dogs are permitted but must stay leashed at all times; smoking tobacco or cannabis and drinking alcohol are prohibited in the provincial park; and you need to bring your own lunch and drinking water, because there are no services on the island. Sunscreen and bug spray are recommended even in October. Some trails are rough near Garrison Pier, where storms have washed rock across the path — visitors with mobility concerns should factor that in, since most routes require 5–7 km of walking.
A Fundraiser That Funds the Island Itself
The Friends of McNabs Island Society is a volunteer-run, non-profit registered charity dedicated to the preservation of McNabs and Lawlor Islands, and the fall tour is its largest annual fundraiser — the money goes back into garden restoration, shoreline cleanups and the island's education programs. The society's guided tours carry a 4.8 rating on Google through its novascotia.com listing, earned one Sunday outing at a time. Its summer series of Sunday guided tours in July and August departs from Eastern Passage's Fisherman's Cove aboard A&M Sea Charters; the Halifax-departing fall tour is the seasonal bookend, and a good excuse to spend a crisp Sunday on the water.
Practical Information
Date & Time
Sunday, October 18, 2026 (rain date Sunday, October 25). Meet 9:15 AM; depart 9:30 AM; return to Halifax by approximately 5:00 PM.
Departure Point
Ambassatours dock (beside Cows Ice Cream), Cable Wharf, 1751 Lower Water Street, Halifax — on the downtown waterfront.
Tickets
Advance purchase only via Eventbrite: search "McNabs Island Fall Foliage Tours". $40 adult non-member; $30 society member; $20 youth 16 and younger; 4 and under free (ticket still required).
What to Bring
Lunch and drinking water, comfortable walking shoes or hiking boots, layers for changing weather, sunscreen and bug spray. Waterproof boots for the Adventure Tour. A leash if you bring the dog.
Accessibility
Most routes involve 5–7 km of walking (10–15 km on the Adventure Tour). A storm-damaged trail section near Garrison Pier is rough underfoot. Boarding the boat involves steps.
Contact
info@mcnabsisland.ca or mcnabsisland.ca/contact.
One boat, one Sunday, and an island most Haligonians only ever see from the bridge — if your October calendar has an open weekend, this is the trip to spend it on. Pair it with our Nova Scotia in fall guide and the fall foliage map for planning the rest of the weekend, or look ahead to another harbour island with our Georges Island guide.
At a Glance
| Date (2026) | Sunday, October 18, 2026; rain date Sunday, October 25 |
|---|---|
| Departure | Ambassatours dock beside Cows Ice Cream, Cable Wharf, 1751 Lower Water Street, Halifax; meet 9:15 AM, boat leaves 9:30 AM sharp |
| Return | Back at Garrison Pier by 4:00 PM; boat departs the island 4:30 PM, ties up in Halifax by about 5:00 PM |
| Tickets | Advance only via Eventbrite: $40 adult non-member, $30 society member, $20 youth 16 and younger, 4 and under free (ticket still required); no dock sales |
| Tours | Six guided routes; rank your top three on the order form, seats allocated first-ordered; most routes cover 5-7 km of walking |
| Organizer | Friends of McNabs Island Society, a volunteer-run registered charity; the fall tour is its largest annual fundraiser |
| What to bring | Lunch and drinking water (no services on the island), layers, sunscreen, bug spray; waterproof boots for the Adventure Tour |
| Accessibility | Most routes involve 5-7 km of walking (10-15 km on the Adventure Tour); a storm-damaged trail section near Garrison Pier is rough; boarding involves steps |
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the McNabs Island Fall Foliage Tour?
The 2026 edition runs Sunday, October 18, with a rain date of Sunday, October 25. Passengers meet at 9:15 AM and the boat departs the Halifax waterfront at 9:30 AM sharp for the roughly half-hour crossing, returning to Halifax by about 5:00 PM. If weather cancels the first sailing and you cannot make the rain date, the event is cancelled and tickets are refunded.
How do I buy tickets?
Advance purchase only through Eventbrite, by searching the event name; there are no dock sales. Every passenger needs a ticket, babies included. Adults pay the standard rate, society members and youth sixteen and younger pay reduced rates, and toddlers four and under are free but still ticketed. There are no refunds, even if you do not get your tour choice.
How do the six tour routes work?
Every ticket holder joins one guided tour, chosen from six routes: heritage tours of the north and south ends, a nature tour with a naturalist, a longer Adventure Tour out to Thrumcap open to walkers over sixteen only, a coastal shoreline tour, and a Hangman Beach tour of the McNab family homestead site. You rank your top three on the order form and volunteers allocate seats on a first-ordered basis; preferences are accommodated where possible but cannot be guaranteed, and there is only enough daylight for one tour.
What should I bring for the day?
Lunch and drinking water are essential because there are no services on the island. Add comfortable walking shoes or hiking boots, layers for changing weather, and sunscreen and bug spray even in October, plus waterproof boots if you are on the Adventure Tour. Dogs are permitted but must stay leashed at all times; smoking tobacco or cannabis and drinking alcohol are prohibited in the provincial park.
Is the tour suitable for slower walkers?
Most routes cover five to seven kilometres on a mix of old roads and woodland trails, and the Adventure Tour runs ten to fifteen kilometres, so this is a walking day. A storm-damaged trail section near Garrison Pier is rough underfoot, and boarding the boat involves steps. Visitors with mobility concerns should factor both in when choosing a route.
Where does the money go?
The fall tour is the largest annual fundraiser of the Friends of McNabs Island Society, a volunteer-run non-profit registered charity dedicated to preserving McNabs and Lawlor Islands. The money goes back into garden restoration, shoreline cleanups and the island education programs. The society also runs a summer series of Sunday guided tours in July and August from Fisherman Cove in Eastern Passage.
