Just read on a fishing group on FB that everything to the right of the doubletrack at spiderlake is closed. Signs and tape up. Anybody been through lately. Being a dartmouth boy that would definitely suck
From what ive been reading. Somone ran into the guy putting up signs and said the trails would be shut down permanently
I had my suspicions the closure due to pandemic would be a good way for them to continue keeping them closed afterwards. I feel like they would have an easier time keeping it closed post pandemic than they would have if they tried to randomly close them one day pre pandemic, anyways. It’s not like they were always open/welcoming arms to anyone on the land so I’m not surprised if this does happen.
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Unfortunately it is entirely possible that they will be permanently closed. Halifax Water has full authority to allow or disallow use of the land under their jurisdiction for any purpose as they see fit.
3.1.3 Recreation
Recreational activities have the potential to negatively affect the watershed area; however, if managed effectively, some forms of recreational activity can be low-risk and may be permissible in specific areas of the watershed. These activities may include walking, hiking, biking, fishing, hunting, geocaching and cross-country skiing.
https://www.halifax.ca/sites/default/files/documents/home-property/water/LakeMajor-SWP-Plan.pdf
I’ve never been convinced of the logic at play here. No bike riding,because of the risk to the watershed, but the open pit mine and golf course are ok.
I think the multiple fatalities up there has something to do with it. Also having GF thats works in 911 dispatch. They got alot of calls of ppl that get a ways back on skull and get lost
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The golf course and mine are in different areas, not necessarily directly on HW lands and may not directly affect the watershed as far as runoff ect, whereas the trails go directly to the source waters on HW land. I agree it is extremely low impact for bikes and walkers to be there but trails also attract ATV douches who do way more damage. That is just my speculation not an official line. It doesn’t really matter what reason they use, it doesn’t have to make sense to people without all the information that they have to make their decisions.
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I doubt it. We search for people in all sorts of areas that don’t have this issue such as Bluff, BMBCL, Crystal Crescent… etc. People die in them all.
edit: I was on Halifax SAR for 10 years.
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This is most likely old white guy narrow thinking kind of thing IMO. You can run heavy logging equipment uphill of Pockwalk Lake, an arguably more important watershed. I used to see barrels of oil laying around, machines rotting on the hill, clear cuts. All up hill of the main lake. But no ATV’s allowed there. Bikes were ok, but there were no mountain bike trails being made there either.
It sounds like someone has done a lot of work on skull, in a bad way. Its not rideable.
I was in there yesterday, signs still up to the right, everything on the left he been left alone, speaking from first hand experience, the calls for searches in that area over recent years have been basically non existent, who knows what will happen, enjoy the area while we can now! 
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Not rideable due to damage?? What’s up w this? This has happened since the closure??
Last time I was in was prob late Feb when winter conditions were mint.
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Ahh sorry that was from the other day when I was there, haven’t been back yet.
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Halifax Water signs still indicate closed until further notice (as of May 14).
I was in there again today, any trails on Halifax Water land are closed, all others appear to be god to go
From your picture it looks like the fallen tree in front of the bridge has been removed.
Must have been, that was my first time down that trail