Cole Harbour (natural harbour)
Cole Harbour is the name for a natural harbour located in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.
It is located in central Halifax County, with the mouth of the harbour located 6 kilometres northeast of Halifax Harbour.
The entrance to Cole Harbour is protected by Rainbow Haven Beach, a barrier beach which forms a lagoon on the inland side.
Measuring approximately 4 kilometres east to west and 3 kilometres north to south, the harbour is shallow and rocky. Virtually the entire shoreline and the harbour itself are protected by the provincial government as the Cole Harbour - Lawrencetown Coastal Heritage Provincial Park.
The centre of the harbour is divided by a man-made feature; during the late 19th century a railway was constructed from Dartmouth to Musquodoboit Harbour and crossed the width of Cole Harbour on a 3 kilometre causeway. Rail service was abandoned by CN Rail during the 1980s and the corridor has been converted to a rail trail as part of the Trans Canada Trail.
