A hidden ghost town in Nova Scotia

Edit: Since this post has taken off on social media, I updated it with a few more photos I took on a second trip into Renfrew with a friend. Thanks for all the shares!

I heard about this place this week and had to plan a trip out there. I got off work today and hit the road.

Renfrew was apparently quite the place once upon a time. When the gold rush hit, it turned people into millionaires. Over 600 people lived there in its prime. Now it's fully forested.

Renfrew, Nova Scotia

The roads in were muddy and quite challenging because of it. Some of the side shoots I visited were little more than streambed due to the recent heavy rain. My KLR handled it pretty well I must say.

Dumped it on the way in. Oops!


I also found a camp site.



And on this campsite was a memorial to a boy. Not sure of the story behind it. I was going to google his name when I got home but my iPhone takes crummy photos sometimes. A user below has updated the thread with details regarding Adam's death and I've added more photos of the memorial.





The roads to Renfrew.


The first house I found. Looks cozy!


The roads get worse.


The second house.




This one legitimately looks like it was a beautiful place in its day.


About as bad as they got. Lots of deep water crossings (higher than the axles) and submerged rocks.


End of the line for piggy. No way around so I had to use two feet and a heartbeat.


The mine proper.


The access to the mine itself if still very well secured, for good reason. I'm sure the shafts aren't safe.




A couple of shots inside the building through an opening.



Random machinery in the woods.







Another house.


I decided against investigating this place because I had the weirdest feeling it wasn't uninhabited. There was a clothesline outside with clothespins and the grass around the entrance was trampled.


I stopped at this point as it was getting late and started to head back. Looking at google maps when I got home I discovered that there are more buildings further in. Looks like I'm going back soon!

More photos added from a second trip in!

More heavy machinery, abandoned.










And some not-so-heavy machinery!




This is someones home-made gold panning setup. We found lots of evidence of people cracking open quartz looking for gold.





Thanks for reading!!

One of the trails on the way out.

Interesting trip and pics. Interesting history of a community and its relics.

thats awesome! which end of renfrew was it?more pictures?i had thought i passed by you yesterday in wellington.around 5 ish there is only one bike with those markings.cheers.

I came in from the Enfield side and carried through to Nine Mile River and then back to Enfield.

That's pretty much all I had for photos as I didn't bring my camera, expecting rain. However, I plan to go back in next Thursday.

Trailering my bike down from Ontario shortly to Nova Scotia and am interested in this area. Do you happen to have an 8 figure mgrs grid for the start point? Looking to find the start point.

Cheers,

Paul.

I don't have a grid ref. but I did setup a google maps with directions from the nearest highway exit to the gate. I can take you in if you want to when you get here.

http://goo.gl/maps/uYbQN

That is really cool. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks I appreciate that. I'm really hoping to get out to check that out. Only issue is time and space. Wife and baby down to visit family and friends etc. everyone knows how that rat race is!!

As the dad to my first child, a three month old boy, I completely understand.

I have been to Nova Scotia many times, but this is the first time I heard about Renfrew! Thanks for sharing!!!

Wow great pics! That A-frame must have been really nice at one time....!

thanks for sharing,,,, i really like old and abandoned places.

Man stuff like this is so cool. Good stuff!

Here's a link that you may find helpful:http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMA7B2_Renfrew_Ghost_Town_Hants_County_Nova_Scotia

Earl

Any more pics of this trip? I'd love to see more!

I'm planning on on heading back out there this Thursday if I can get my bike fixed. The rear sprocket carrier bearing is bad and needs replacing. The old girl is currently up on jacks.

Jacob_NS -

Make sure you get that kids name (weird place to put a monument?) and you should try to see if that one home is occupied. That's a dream find right there.....

:eek1

Always trust your gut when it says "no."

Nice report.

I read the plaque and it mentioned he liked three wheeling, but doesn't go into a cause of death but the area was deep in the woods. It seems likely he might have been killed while riding and family put this up in his memory. I'll get the actual name this week.

As for the house, I don't want to end up in some homeless squatters stew pot!

well this is just great, another place on my list now to visit.

thanks alot