Going coastal in New Brunswick

NESTLED BETWEEN NOVA SCOTIA, QUEBEC’S GASPÉ PENINSULA AND MAINE, New Brunswick can feel surprisingly remote – a natural oasis of unspoiled and remarkable landscapes. Along the province’s southern coast, for instance, hugging the Bay of Fundy, is a Maritime jewel, the Fundy Trail – a 2,559-hectare tract of land, at the heart of which is a 30-kilometre scenic parkway.

The Fundy Trail Parkway, 20 years in the making, delivers stunning vistas of land and sea. The parkway, which starts eight kilometres outside the village of St. Martins, encompasses a low-speed road with plenty of lookouts and points of interest, as well a parallel pedestrian and bicycle trail, hiking trails, and footpaths down to the Bay of Fundy’s beaches. Parts of the parkway are wheelchair accessible, so travellers can explore the coast by car, by bike, by wheelchair or on foot – in places, even from the water.

The parkway, having already connected previously inaccessible areas along the coast, will soon add a couple more roadways to loop in the towns of Sussex (2020) and Alma (2021) – the gateway to Fundy National Park, which itself added six new lookouts for the 2018 season.

“Once the connector roads are complete, tourism traffic will be routed along the southern coast of New Brunswick enabling all to see the world’s highest tides and to drive along a coastline providing views equal to any that only the most adventurous hikers could have enjoyed,” explains Nancy Lockerbie, general manager of the Fundy Trail.

The Fundy Trail, operated by the non-profit Fundy Trail Development Authority Inc., is able to boast that its lands are within two UNESCO-designated sites: the Fundy Biosphere Reserve and the Stonehammer UNESCO Global Geopark. Set along the world-famous Bay of Fundy, the tract is one of the last remaining coastal wilderness areas from Florida to Labrador. The coastline is a contrast of literal highs and lows, from cliffs that reach 50 storeys high to the ebb and flow of those epic tides.

The area offers an abundance of opportunities to embark on an energizing, outdoorsy getaway. Here are some incredible highlights:

Walk, bike and hike the trails

The Fundy Trail Parkway map provides helpful distance markers and level-of-difficulty indicators, as some trails are quite challenging. Despite the rugged terrain, there are trails suited for all abilities. As part of the Trans Canada Trail, the Fundy Trail has some wheelchair-accessible routes. A multiuse gravel trail runs parallel to the first part of the parkway and leads to the interpretive centre.

Experienced hikers can head into the bush on their own or plan their excursion with the help of a local outfitter, such as Red Rock Adventure. The Fundy Footpath, which connects to Fundy National Park in Alma, can be hiked in segments.

Intrepid travellers can pack their backcountry gear and attempt to walk its entirety in about four to five days, being mindful of the tides at Goose River and Goose Creek. Hikers are encouraged to get all the information they need to navigate safely as the Fundy Footpath is extremely challenging terrain and the Bay of Fundy’s tides are the highest in the world.

Head out on a kayak

A great way to take in those amazing landscapes is from the water. Red Rock Adventure offers a few options, from sea kayak tours that will take paddlers into the sea caves that are accessible at high tide to multiday excursions where you can sleep under the stars and enjoy fresh seafood on the beach. Its Zodiac tours allow visitors to see the area’s private coves, looming cliffs and mossy caves — and, if they’re lucky, marine wildlife such as seals and seabirds.

“The view you get from on land is totally different than what you get from the water,” says Mike Carpenter, Red Rock Adventure co-owner and lead guide. “It’s a totally different perspective that a lot of people don’t see.”

He says that the company tries to maintain a small-group atmosphere so you really get an authentic maritime adventure. “The experience of coming kayaking with us at high tide in the sea caves and then at low tide, people can walk the ocean floor in those sea caves. That’s a really cool experience for people,” he adds.

Hit the beaches

Consult the tide schedules before heading to the area’s beaches. Long Beach extends for 2.5 kilometres along the coast and half a kilometre into the Bay of Fundy at low tide. Melvin Beach shows off ancient fossils set in its 77-metre-high cliffs. Pangburn Beach is accessible only at low tide.

The Big Salmon River Interpretive Centre

The Big Salmon River Interpretive Centre can add a little context to your adventure. The building is modelled after a bunkhouse where lumberjacks once stayed. You can learn about history of the region and visit the nearby sawmill. It also happens to be where you can get your Fundy Footpath kit (with maps and a tide schedule). Although distinct from the Fundy Trail, the Fundy Footpath, recently listed as one of the “50 best hikes in the world” by Explore magazine, can be reached from the suspension bridge that crosses the Big Salmon River, before it continues along the coastline and boundaries of Fundy National Park.

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