Garden of Eden is a small rural community located north of Eden Lake. It was named after William McDonald, who settled here in 1830, and was known as “Adam of the Garden” because he was the first man there. This map of Garden of Eden was created by combining modified topographic data, community details, and a shaded relief model to depict terrain features. Find out how to download or a print a copy of this map.
The Garden of Eden Barrens are a sparsely vegetated area found around the southern part of the county (and northern part of Guysborough County) located south of Eden Lake. It is a distinctive terrain feature marked by open, windswept uplands with sparse vegetation.
The area is characterized by thin soils, exposed bedrock, and heath-like vegetation, shaped by glacial history and ongoing environmental conditions such as wind exposure and poor drainage. Unlike fertile valleys or meadows, barrens support only hardy plants—low shrubs, lichens, mosses, and scattered conifers. This makes them ecologically fragile but also unique within the county’s landscape.
Hunters Lake is a fresh water lake located west of the Gut in the community of Eden Lake.
Garden River is a fresh water tributary that flows into Eden Lake.
Z Lake is a small fresh water body located south of the Gut in the community of Rocky Mountain. It was once known as Cranberry Lakes, until a name change in 1964.
Moose River is a fresh water tributary that originates in the Woodfield area, and flows south into Eden Lake.
There are two Campbells Brook located in Pictou County. One is located along the Northumberland Strait, it originates in the community of Hedgeville, then flows north into the community of Seafoam and empties into MacDonalds Cove. The other Campbells Brook, is the south east corner of the county, it originates in the community of Laggan and then flows south through several communities before eventually flowing into East River St. Mary’s.