“When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world” – John Muir
We checked into Fundy National Park (NP) for our 4-night stay in the Cannontown Campground, bought our annual NP pass, and the first thing we saw posted in the park office was that the next day had a 100% chance of rain, which turned out to be very accurate for the entire day! That’s how I got the prior blog completed. This park turned out to have a huge number of the NP red chairs to check out.
Since we had been sitting around all the first day we decided to do a major hike on the second day. We would take the Fundy Coastal trail to Herring Cove and then on to Mathews Head and return. It was listed as a difficult hike (Black Diamond), and we soon agreed that it deserved that label. Our hike totaled 12 kms and our total elevation gained was over 600 m counting the trail from Cannontown to the Coastal Trail start. You’ll see from the elevation cross section how steep up and down the trail was, especially the first section to Herring Cove. The black flies were very hungry after the day of rain, so I did get some nasty bites. We saw no one else on the first section, but we did see a few people at Herring Cove, since you could drive there. In the 1850’s there was a small settlement in Herring Cove, and they farmed, fished, and cut lumber. Any remaining buildings were removed when the park was established in 1948. The Bay of Fundy was formed about 12,000 years ago when the glaciers receded.
After Herring Cove we crossed a small stream and started the second climb to get up and over the ridge and back down to Mathews Head. Once in Mathews Head we had our packed lunch in the red chairs while the black flies invaded. They must hang out where people congregate. As we headed back, we got our poles out to help with the climbs and descents. On the way back over the ridge, we could hear a very deep thumping type sound which we figured was a grouse and luckily, we got to see him and get a good photo. There was also a small waterfall by one of the stream crossings. Even though the hike was very difficult it was still incredibly satisfying to have completed it and seen the tremendous coastal scenery. After the hike we walked down to see the large pool they fill with sea water. They were just cleaning it out so it could be opened for the summer.
The next day we decided to explore the park with the RV and do some easier hikes. We first stopped in the visitor centre to get some suggestions of things to do. The first suggestion was to drive to Point Wolfe to see the covered bridge and do the Shiphaven and Point Wolf Beach trails. Point Wolfe was a thriving lumber community for almost 100 years from 1826 to 1921, and we could see the remains of the mills on either side of the covered bridge. We walked from the first parking lot but after we returned, we drove the RV through the covered bridge since the weight and height limits were fine for our vehicle. There must have been a monk convention going on somewhere as we saw about 30 monks along the trails.
On our way back from Point Wolfe, we stopped to see one of the famous locations in the park Dickson Falls. As you started the descent into the valley it not only looked completely different than anything we had seen on the hike the day before, but it also felt completely different due to the air being heavily laden with moisture. Everything was amazingly green and it felt much colder due to the moisture. Once you reach the bottom of the valley you begin the ascent along a board walk and the waterfalls get progressively more spectacular until you reach the main Dickson Falls with takes your breath away. I’m sure it was flowing more fiercely due to the rain we had on the prior days.
For our last hike of the day, we drove 10 kms back up the mountain to the plateau to do the Caribou Plain trail. Again, a very different environment than the others we had seen in the park. The trail went through the forest of spruce and fir and out to several lake edges where you could see the raised bog areas and plants, including the purple pitcher plant. The bog was so deep that one of the display boards described about 2 moose that got stuck in the bog, one they could rescue and the other unfortunately perished.
To end our day, we decided to visit the town of Alma which was just outside the park boundary on the coast. After getting parked we visited the Holy Whale Brewing company, aptly named as it was in an old church and they used whale tails for the beer taps😉 I had a flight to try 4 different beers and really liked the Medusa Milk Stout and Sharon tried the Swedish Berry seltzer while sitting on the old church pews. The church had been built in 1932 and then sat empty from 2005 until 2015 when Holy Whale took over and renovated it. They make beer here and distribute to several other Holy Whale locations.
Next stop was Collin’s Lobster shop where we saw mega cooked lobsters that were over $100 and we bought some smoked salmon and some lobster dip. Then was Kelly’s Bake shop for 6 sticky buns and some date and peanut butter squares. Lastly was Fundy Take out for a delicious lobster roll. All these places had been recommended stops, so we had to try them all.
The next morning before heading out we stopped to do the short hike called Medicine Trail around McLaren Pond. It explained all about the medicine wheel and what different plants were used for. There was also an interesting display to raise awareness to species at risk and how they had the students paint different bats to put on display. Then we saw the Molly Kool 1840 home of the first seafaring captain in North America who was from Alma. Lastly, we visited the boardwalk wharf to see the harbour.
As we left Alma, we decided to take the coastal road 915 which was extremely hilly and twisty but more scenic. We took the turn off to the Cape Enrage lighthouse which unfortunately was closed due to budget cutbacks but still worth the detour for the views. We even got lucky and saw a porcupine cross the road in front of us as we returned. Further along the coastal rode we saw Sawmill Creek covered bridge, one more of the 58 covered bridges in New Brunswick.
After checking in at Ponderosa Pines Campground, we headed straight for Hopewell Rocks, rain already coming down. We suited up in our rain gear and headed out. We got waved in for free — they said it was because the internet was down or maybe because we looked like two drenched optimists. Hard to say. We took a quick tour through the gift shop and saw a cool photo overlay showing the tide differential when people kayak around Hopewell Rocks versus when they walk on the ocean floor. The tide had just started to go out, so we checked out Diamond Head and Pioneer lookouts first, high water marks visible.
By the time we reached the staircase to the ocean floor, it was opening, so down we went. Fundy moves 160 Billion tons of water twice a day — up to 16 meters in height — carving arches, caves, tunnels, and those iconic flowerpots. Crews rappel the cliffs each spring to mark danger zones, and park interpreters roam around answering questions. One pointed out a nesting peregrine falcon — nearly invisible, but very cool trying to hide from the rain.
We explored until the still‑retreating tide blocked the last corner unless we wanted wet feet. Then we doubled back — and found the opposite direction was now open due to the lower tide. More sea stacks. More sculpted cliffs. More of nature’s art.
At the mud flat area, we learned this is the migration stop for Shorebirds — especially semipalmated sandpipers — they use the Bay of Fundy as a critical refueling stop during their long migration to South America. It would certainly be a site to see all those birds!
Joel also discovered the famous Fundy mud the hard way, when his foot sunk down. The ranger said it shows up wherever it feels like, depending on the tide. Luckily, they keep buckets and scrub brushes at the exit for exactly for this reason. We went back to the Diamond Head lookout to witness the change in the tide level. Now, the Shepody mud flats were visible. When we first arrived, it was covered in water. Soaked and a bit cold we headed back up to the interpretive center to dry off. Seeing how we got free entry, we felt we should make a few purchases in the gift shop. It wasn’t hard, they had a great shop.
The next day we drove to Moncton which is famous for its tidal bore — that moment when the Bay of Fundy’s giant tides rush into the “chocolate river” in a single rolling wave. Our timing wasn’t right this time, but we’ve seen it before as kids. The other classic Moncton stop, of course, is Magnetic Hill. As kids, it felt like pure magic: you drive downhill, stop, put your car in neutral, and suddenly your car glides backward up the slope like some invisible force has grabbed it. Seeing it again as adults, we realized the illusion hits a lot harder when you’re small enough to believe the hill actually has magnetic powers. However, we tried it both going forward in the RV and going in reverse and it was far more impressive in reverse as you picked up considerable speed due to the weight of the RV, worth the fun. We also checked out some of the shops they had on premises.
Shediac calls itself the Lobster Capital of the World thanks to its major role in the lobster industry. They have a very large Lobster welcoming you to town. We decided to stay in town for a late lunch with lobster on the menu in a seafood lasagna and a seafood casserole. As we walked through town we found an interesting exhibit about the Flying Boats that flew from 1939 through 1943 and they would land in Shediac from New York before heading across the Atlantic.
Next stop Parlee Beach Provincial Park. Arriving on a Friday we thought it might be busy but cold weather set in and scared everyone away. Saturday was no warmer, but we bundled up in our down jackets and headed to Canada’s warmest saltwater beach😉In the summer, the water can reach 29 C! Today we weren’t even going to test the temperature, but some kite surfers were out enjoying the wind and waves.
Since we weren’t going to have lots of beach time with the cold wind we wandered over to the wharf to the Sandbar restaurant for lunch. It’s only open 4 months a year and our waiter said in the summer there is always a line up. We know why, the food was excellent! A crab cake appetizer followed by blackened shrimp tacos for Joel and an appetizer size (not really) seafood chowder for Sharon. Time to head back to the RV for a siesta.
That evening was a bit of an issue as we kept tripping the breaker at the electric post in the park. We changed the fridge over to propane and eliminated all possible loads, but it kept tripping. Our batteries had been depleted when it first tripped, not sure when, so we went the rest of the cold night without a heat source. In the morning I researched and found the Charger/Inverter was trying to draw the full 28A from the post so that was causing it to trip since we had a new neighbour in the same row. I changed the settings down to only pull 15A so our batteries could get charged back up. This was the first real issue we’d had with the new electrical setup, but it was mainly because the Provincial Parks electrical system was old and weak.
This will conclude this blog and our first section of New Brunswick (we return to the northern area on the way home). We now move into Nova Scotia for our next set of adventures.