Hiking near Halifax (Nova Scotia, Canada); half a day of free time

Question

This summer I'm going to visit Halifax for a conference. After the conference ends (~2PM), I'll have the rest of the day for myself, then will have to clear out of the hotel next morning (~10AM) and get on a plane that leaves at ~10PM.

I would like to visit one of those nice hiking trails you can read about on websites like Halifax Trails or even at the official website.

Is Long Lake Provincial Park my best option, with it being accessible by public transportation and having a wide spectrum of trail difficulty? What should I keep in mind? Do I have any other options?

My priorities are somewhat conflicting: I want a middle-difficulty trail for it to be interesting but I'm also time-constrained and I'll have nowhere to store my luggage (an 80L backpack, probably) on the last day. (It's probably not a good idea to go hiking on the flight day, anyway.)

Answer 1

I guess I can now answer my own question: Yes, Long Lake Provincial Park is a good place to hike for half a day. It seems like it's the most known park in Halifax after Point Pleasant Park, but the latter is more for walking than hiking.

Water looks brownish and there's some foam that's probably a product of algae, but locals have no trouble swimming in it in June (as opposed to the ocean), so I could have brought a swimsuit.

I didn't see a lot of opportunities to climb (only one or two, maybe).

Most of the trail I've seen was just forest. Mosquitoes started being a bother in the afternoon. Definitely should have brought some repellent.

Some parts of the trail were damp from recent rains, and some were just puddles, so waterproof hiking boots proved very useful.

Another option was Herring Cove Backlands (which are in a few bus stops from Long Lake Provincial Park), but trails there are less marked and I didn't try to visit it.