Two National Parks by land and sea

VISITORS TO NEW BRUNSWICK’S COASTAL REGIONS can take their pick of two Maritime treasures, Fundy National Park and Kouchibouguac National Park, that offer an eclectic mix of adventures. Along the province’s southern coast, a short drive from the famous Hopewell Rocks, Fundy National Park’s rugged shoreline thrills visitors with a landscape shaped by the world’s highest tides.

“The tidal effect is huge,” says Andrew Fry, Fundy National Park’s visitor experience manager. “Sixteen metres is the height of a four-storey building. You can imagine the optics of 16 metres of water being sucked out into the ocean a couple of times a day.” Guided by park interpreters, visitors can go for a walk on the ocean floor at low tide – a surreal experience in itself – and view everything from shells and fossils to crabs and mud shrimps. Nearby, Alma Beach, adjacent to the quaint fishing village of Alma, with just 200 inhabitants, is a popular spot for beachcombers in search of treasures from the sea.

“It’s a pretty wild thing to see lobster boats sitting in the mud at the bottom of the ocean and then, eight hours later, sitting level with the wharf,” says Fry, who recommends admiring this spectacle from Alma’s new beach boardwalk. At Fundy National Park, there are experiences for everyone. Snorkel with rare inner Bay of Fundy salmon. Or hike the park’s new sustainable trails, designed to minimize environmental impact.

Mountain bikers can pull tricks at the new ride centre, featuring an exciting pump track (a dirt course with berms, banks and turns) for BMX riders. Ultramarathoners gravitate toward the Fundy Circuit Ultra 50-kilometre trail race in September, while craft beer connoisseurs head for Alma’s Holy Whale Brewery, housed in an old church.

Kouchibouguac National Park, along New Brunswick’s eastern coast, is just a two-hour drive away. Its name means “the river of long tides” in the Mi’kmaq language. Here, First Nations cultural interpreters share their expertise with visitors as they make friendship necklaces, watch traditional ceremonial dances, learn about Mi’kmaq tools and hunting methods, experience wigwam living and more.

Kouchibouguac’s rich human history – which also includes Acadian, English and Irish settlers – exists in a magnificent natural setting. “It’s in the Maritime lowlands, which is a very special area in Canada,” says Nicole Daigle, product development officer with Kouchibouguac National Park. “We have a mosaic of different habitats and ecosystems, including the Acadian forest, bogs, lagoons, estuaries, and endless white sand dunes.”

Visitors can head out on a guided motorboat tour or in a replica voyageur canoe to Blackland Gully, a narrow channel amid the dunes. It’s home to Canada’s largest nesting colony of common terns with up to 25,000 of the squawking birds flocking here. In addition, hundreds of grey seals occupy nearby sandbars, barking and frolicking in the water. The viewing experience is as enthralling for families as it is intriguing for serious naturalists.

The large number of things to do in this national park makes it a year-round destination, Daigle says. “We have a wide variety of activities for visitors, from live music events to family treasure hunts. We have over 60 kilometres of biking trails that people can use from spring to fall. And you can come back in the winter, which is phenomenal here. We have lots of snow for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and fat biking.”

Both Fundy National Park and Kouchibouguac National Park are family-friendly and compact. They offer a range of accommodation options, from cabins to campsites, and ample opportunities to craft your own New Brunswick adventure.