Cape Chignecto

Cape Chignecto is a coastal soaring site inside Nova Scotia's Cape Chignecto Provincial Park, on the Bay of Fundy — home to some of the most extreme tides on the planet. The park requires every pilot to carry HPAC insurance (a yearly membership for Canadians, a temporary policy for visitors) and pay a $5 admission fee. The main paragliding launch is a groomed cliff setup; a hang gliding launch is being developed about 500 ft to the east, reachable with park staff's permission. The site works across skill levels under HPAC's verification system — student pilots fly with an instructor, novices in milder conditions — but one part of it doesn't: the long 10 km high-cliff section beyond the bay's arc needs a southerly wind that rarely lasts long in summer, runs alongside a very narrow intertidal zone, and is recommended only for pilots already experienced in coastal flying. Landing is on the beach, and the tidal range here is genuinely extreme — at some phases of the moon, high tide reaches right up to the base of the cliffs, so timing your flight and landing around the tide table isn't optional.

Launch & conditions

The main paragliding launch is a groomed cliff setup with a dedicated set-up area. A hang gliding launch is being developed about 500 ft to the east, accessible with park staff's permission.

Getting there & local rules

The site is reachable by any vehicle. Every pilot needs HPAC insurance — a yearly membership for Canadians, a temporary policy for visiting pilots — and the park charges a $5 admission fee.

Local rules & hazards

This site follows HPAC's tiered skill-verification system: students fly with an instructor and novices stick to milder conditions, but the long 10 km high-cliff section beyond the bay's arc is recommended only for pilots already experienced in coastal flying — it needs a southerly wind that rarely holds long in summer, alongside a very narrow intertidal zone. The Bay of Fundy's tidal range is extreme: at some phases of the moon, high tide reaches the base of the cliffs, so plan any flight and landing around the tide table.

Check conditions before you fly

A forecast for the valley is not a forecast for the launch. Before heading to Cape Chignecto, read the wind and thermals for the site itself, confirm the day's rules with the local club, and remember the standing rule — when in doubt, don't launch. In the free OutDare app you can open Cape Chignecto with a 7-day forecast built from high-resolution weather models, see who else has been flying, and get there with offline maps.