With 18 months to go before Canada's 150th birthday, Nova Scotia has completed only 38 per cent of its portion of the Trans Canada Trail.

That's the worst completion rate of any province.

As of July, trails for all three territories in northern Canada were nearly finished, while the Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador portions were complete.

And the 24,000-kilometre trail is supposed to be fully connected by July 1, 2017.

Trans Canada Trail spokeswoman Jane Murphy says volunteer organizations in Nova Scotia have faced some difficult challenges.

She says access to public land is very limited in Nova Scotia, which has led to delays.

However, she insists the province is further ahead than the numbers suggest.

Murphy says another 30 per cent will be added this summer once a water trail across Bras d'Or Lake is registered.

Nova Scotia has committed to connecting 1,100 kilometres of trails. So far, more than 300 kilometres have been linked.