Welcome to a spectacular coastal park overlooking the Five Islands in the Bay of Fundy, home of the world's highest tides. Home to an historic lighthouse, the park has areas for picnicking, fun and relaxation. You will love the view!
Discover Five Islands Lighthouse Park
Five Islands Lighthouse Park is part of the Cliffs of Fundy UNESCO Global Geopark.
- The scenery is spectacular. The panoramic view of the Minas Basin includes all Five Islands as well as the Old Wife (part of Five Islands Provincial Park), the Brothers (also known as Two Islands), Cape Blomidon and Cape Split. This is notably among the best scenery in the Bay of Fundy.
- You won't feel crowded here. Five Islands Lighthouse Park has 8.8 ha (22 acres) of open parkland, almost 300 m (1000 feet) of ocean front, and access to a long, gravel beach.
- Welcome to the seacoast. Breathe in the salty, fresh air. Feel the wind off the Bay. The park facilities have a nautical theme. The main attraction: the historic lighthouse standing like a beacon, welcoming to the park visitors from near and far. Other facilities are new, yet rustic, and weathered by the sun, sea salt and wind.
- Five Islands Lighthouse is a wooden, "pepperpot"-style lighthouse built in the winter of 1913-1914 and moved to its current location in 2008. (The lighthouse is closed to the public until further notice.)
Did you know?
The area is named after five small islands (east to west) - Moose, Diamond, Long, Egg and Pinnacle.
Know when you go
FAST RISING TIDE! Beware of the incoming tide if you go on the mudflats. Do not attempt to walk to the islands. The channels fill first, and quickly. You may be cut off on a sandbar and trapped by the tide.
- 2024 Season: Open May 11 - October 14, daily from 8:00 a.m. to dusk
- Parking is available at the entrance year-round.
- Admission to the park is free.
- The lighthouse is closed to the public until further notice.
- This is a day-use park. Overnight parking and camping are not allowed. To find campgrounds and accommodations in the Five Islands area, visit novascotia.com.
- Picnic facilities include a 20 x 40 foot post-and-beam picnic shelter. The shelter is wheelchair accessible. Two small barbeque grills are adjacent to the shelter.
- Two washrooms are near the picnic shelter and parking area. One is equipped with a baby changing station. Washrooms are open daily from 8:00 a.m. to dusk (May-October).
- Walking paths with a total length of approximately 1 km meander through the park. These include gravel paths that link the parking area to the lighthouse, lookoff, playground, picnic shelter and washroom. A mowed grass path winds through the open field.
- Sit awhile on one of the locally-crafted benches, or relax in a hammock, and enjoy the amazing view.
- The park has a unique, ship playground. Kids (and kids at heart!), let your imagination sail away ... to the Five Islands or around the world! Ship ahoy! The playground is designed for children 5-12 years of age. The protective surfacing around the playground, as well as some play components, are accessible.
- A long, gravel beach (unsupervised) is beside the park. Access the beach from the end of Broderick Lane.
- Electric vehicle charging station available onsite (1 x Universal SAE J1772 connector, Level 2)
Location and directions
Civic address: 140 Broderick Lane, Lower Five Islands, NS
The park is located at the end of Broderick Lane (off Route 2) in Lower Five Islands, Colchester County, on the north shore of the Minas Basin of the Bay of Fundy.
The park is approximately 20 km east of Parrsboro and 70 km west of Truro, just off Route 2, the “Glooscap Trail" travel route. Access Route 2 from Highway 104 at Exit 4 in Amherst, Exit 5 near Springhill, or Exit 11 at Glenholme.
Picnics and special use
You can reserve the picnic shelter at Five Islands Lighthouse Park for a picnic or special event. Go to picnics and special use.
Visitor Comments
We welcome thousands of visitors to Five Islands Lighthouse Park every year. Below are comments from a few of them:
"More beautiful than I imagined" - T.H., Nova Scotia
"Magnificent" - J.C., Australia
"$1,000,000 view" - C. & M. S., Ontario
"Best picnic spot ever!" - J. & N. B., Ontario
"Well done! Stunning! - H. & D., Alberta
Park News
UNESCO Cliffs of Fundy Geopark
The Five Islands are collectively one of many geosites between Lower Truro and Cape Chignecto Provincial Park that form the Cliffs of Fundy UNESCO Global Geopark. In 2019, the Municipality of Colchester and Cliffs of Fundy Geopark Society signed a Memorandum of Understanding acknowledging Five Islands Lighthouse Park as part of the Geopark.
A view that changes with time and tide...
The beautiful view from Five Islands Lighthouse Park changed dramatically overnight on October 19, 2015, when the arch in Long Island completely collapsed. Long Island (known as "the island with the hole") was iconic, a familiar landmark to locals, and a special island viewed by visitors from around the world. The loss of the arch is a reminder of the ever-changing landscape in the Minas Basin. We will miss the "old" Long Island and will continue to marvel at the wondrous view. Read Long Island arch collapse being investigated through photos.
2014 CNTA Attraction of the Year: Five Islands Lighthouse Park
Central Nova Tourist Association bestowed their 2014 Attraction of the Year award to Five Islands Lighthouse Park on May 27, 2015. We are proud of this award and pleased to be recognized for our creation of an outstanding attraction in a very beautiful place.
Park History
In 2001, the late Mrs. Gertrude Jenkins of Lower Five Islands generously donated a 22-acre coastal property to the Municipality of the County of Colchester for free, public recreational use. The property, most of which is an open field, remained undeveloped for several years.
In 2008, the Five Islands Lighthouse was moved from nearby Sand Point to this municipal parkland and became the focal point of the new day park. Park visitors come from just down the road and around the world!
On July 23, 2011, about 150 people gathered at Five Islands Lighthouse Park to celebrate this new park and the annual Five Islands Lighthouse Day. The backdrop was an ocean breeze, sunshine, and a spectacular view of the Five Islands. The highlight of the day was the unveiling of a plaque in appreciation of the Mrs. Jenkins' donation, in memory of her foster son, Cecil Shea. On hand to unveil the plaque were Municipal Councillor Tom Taggart and Gloria Lewis, President of the Five Islands Lighthouse Preservation Society.
About the Lighthouse
Lighthouse History
This wooden, "pepperpot"-style lighthouse was built at nearby Sand Point in the winter of 1913-1914. Its kerosene lamp was first lit in 1914 and continued to shine until about 1963, when a battery-operated system replaced it. Electricity arrived at Sand Point and the lighthouse in 1967, and the light was changed from white to red.
A New Home
The lighthouse had to be moved back from the shoreline at Sand Point several times due to coastal erosion. In 2008, the Five Islands Lighthouse needed a new home because the private property on which it was situated at Sand Point was sold. Using a crane and flat-bed truck, the lighthouse was carefully moved in November 2008 from Sand Point to its new location at the municipal parkland on Broderick Lane. The lighthouse sits perfectly in its new home overlooking the islands.
The Lighthouse Today
The lighthouse is owned by the Municipality of Colchester. In 2013, on its 100th anniversary, the lighthouse was officially recognized as a Municipal Heritage Property.