A search is underway in Canada for a 62-year-old Australian woman who was reported missing on Tuesday while hiking in a major coastal national park in the country’s south-east.

Denise Ann Williams was last heard from on 15 April, when she told family she was travelling to Chéticamp, a fishing village on the west coast of Cape Breton Island in the province of Nova Scotia.

Her rental car, a Nissan Sentra, was found at the Parks Canada visitor centre at the start of the Acadian trail head, an 8.4km loop at Cape Breton Highlands national park.

A local said on social media they “walk in the park every other day and her vehicle has not moved in probably two weeks”.

The park, which hugs a rocky coastline, is known to contain moose, coyotes and black bears.

The Acadian trail is described on its website as a track of “moderate” difficulty, with “elevation gain and some short, steep sections”. It is estimated to take between three and four hours to complete. Phone reception in the park is patchy.

“Hike with friends and a solid walking stick,” the website advises. “If you choose to walk alone, tell somebody where you are going.”

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in Inverness Country said they received a call at about 9.30am local time on 28 April reporting Williams as missing.

They released images of her in a bid for public help, along with a physical description describing her as “5-foot-4 with greyish blonde, shoulder length hair”.

Police said Williams was believed to have been wearing a dark winter jacket, a powder-blue beanie (or toque) with “Antarctica” written on it, an orange and blue scarf and glasses.

Air and ground search efforts were continuing on Friday, authorities said, with RCMP and Department of Natural Resources air services, police dog services, multiple ground search and rescue teams, and many other agencies assisting police.

Chris Bellmore, president of Chéticamp Search and Rescue, told CBC News on Thursday it is “very difficult terrain in Nova Scotia”.

“We have very mountainous terrain here ... There’s a lot of water here and there’s actually still snow up here in the Highlands and in some areas that makes it a bit of a challenge to search.”

Nova Scotia police corporal Mandy Edwards told the ABC, Australia’s national broadcaster, that wildlife could be a danger in the area at this time of year, with bears coming out of hibernation for mating season.

“Hopefully she’s encountered some people along the way who may recognise her from the photo that was released,” she said.

“So our searchers will be looking at those clues and those tips from the public to help to direct their search.”

Daytime temperatures in the park have ranged between 0C to 14C, dipping as low as -5C overnight, with some lingering snow.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed it is providing consular assistance to Ms Williams’ family.

“Owing to our privacy obligations we are unable to provide further comment,” a department spokesperson said.

- with Australian Associated Press