The first part of our Maritime Provinces trip began in New Brunswick. Well – actually, the trip began with a flight to Boston and then a 6-hour rental car ride through Maine to New Brunswick.
We toured Boston and coastal Maine over a decade ago but decided to get off the highway for lunch near Ogunquit. Driving to the end of the peninsula, we discovered the Perkins Cove area teeming with small shops, galleries, and restaurants. The chilly weather coupled with hot chowder and lobster rolls gave us the quintessential New England experience to kick off the vacation!
Saint Andrews by-the-Sea, New Brunswick
We spent our first night in New Brunswick at a B&B in Saint Andrews by-the-Sea. The quaint fishing village, established in 1783 by British Loyalists from Maine, boasts historic clapboard buildings, whale-watching tours, and walking trails on Passamoquoddy Bay.
We explored historic Water Street and drove by the lighthouse. Had time allowed, we wanted to tour Minister’s Island – reached only by driving along the ocean floor at low tide!
The Algonquin Resort is worth mentioning. Completed in the late 1880s, the hotel brought tourism to the fledgling area with a world-class golf course, ballroom, bowling alleys, observation tower, and tennis courts. We toyed with staying at the Algonquin but decided on a B&B within walking distance of the historic area instead.
You could spend several days in the Saint Andrews area. However, we had miles to cover so we drove through Saint John, the oldest seaport city in Canada, and on to Saint Martins to explore the Bay of Fundy.
Fundy Trail Parkway
Situated between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, the Bay of Fundy boasts some of the world’s highest tides crashing among rocky cliffs. The recently completed Fundy Trail Parkway offers breathtaking coastline views with steep dramatic dropoffs.
Before entering the parkway, we stopped at the Saint Martins Sea Caves. During low tide, visitors can walk in several caves formed completely from tidal erosion. But plan ahead. You don’t want to get stuck in the cave during high tide unless you plan to swim out.
The Fundy Trail Parkway hugs the coastline for 19 miles between Saint Martins and Alma. But within those 19 miles lies numerous overlooks, hiking trails, beaches, four waterfalls, and an interpretation center. Visitors must purchase a daily, five-day, or annual admission pass, which is well worth the modest fee.
One could easily spend a full day exploring all the sites. However, with the inclement weather, we based our hikes and stops on active rain showers.
Flowerpot Rock and Fuller Falls
We briefly stopped at the Fownes Head Lookout to view Flowerpot Rock (shown in the picture at the top of this post). The rock gets its name from the greenery and trees growing at the top. High winds toppled part of the rock over in 2022, but we still found it impressive and could see tufts of grass growing on the “new” top.
The rain held off long enough to take the short trail down to Fuller Falls. Flanked by verdant greenery and ferns, we quickly reached the top of the falls. The best part was taking the cable ladder (more like stairs) to the lower observation deck for better views.
The lower falls continue down the cliff all the way to Melvin Beach below. For a longer hike, you can take the stairs down to the beach – but you have to hike all the way back up.
Big Salmon River Area
Most of the activity on the parkway centers where the Big Salmon River meets the Bay of Fundy. In 1845, the lumber community of Big Salmon River began with a sawmill to supply many Canadian shipbuilders. Later, the Pejebscot Paper Company, owned by Hearst Corporation, provided pulpwood from these trees. Today, the Big Salmon River area boasts an interpretive center with free talks, several trailheads, and other points of interest.
If you have time, stop at the Cookhouse for the Lumberjack Breakfast offered on weekends by reservation. The replica building also sells picnic lunches and hosts an interpretive cookie and tea tasting on select days While there, walk around the sawmill and one-room schoolhouse.
We took the five-minute trail to the suspension footbridge that crosses over the Big Salmon River. Built in 1974, the footbridge spans 275 feet. Other trails from this area include the Big Salmon River Loop and Cranberry Brook Loop. Nearby, you can take the Hearst Lodge Scenic Footpath that follows the river to the fishing lodge. At one point a B&B operated at the lodge but closed in 2015.
Long Beach
We picked up lunch at Saint Martins and decided to picnic at Long Beach. At low tide, the beach extends almost one-third of a mile. A plaque explained that the Bay of Fundy experiences such dramatic tides due to its cone-shape (allowing water to pool when the tide comes in) and its length which coincides with 12-hour tide cycles.
Just 10 years ago, the Fundy Trail Parkway didn’t reach this area. Built as funds became available, the parkway extended eastward in phases beginning in 1995. With the completion of the east entrance near Alma in 2021, the parkway was officially finished.
Walton Glen Gorge
Our last stop on the Fundy Trail Parkway was at Walton Glen Gorge. To access what is often called the “Grand Canyon of New Brunswick,” we took the 1.5-mile hike from the interpretive center to the observation deck.
The trail itself was flat and rather boring. However, the observation deck afforded views of the gorge. The highlight is the Walton Glen Waterfalls, which cascade over 140 feet (or 14 stories) down the steep cliffs. We took the half-mile shortcut path back. With 65 stairs, we found it much more scenic than the regular path.
No longer hugging the coastline, the parkway ends at Bay of Fundy National Park, which you’ll have to read about in an upcoming post.
Information
For more information and maps, visit the Fundy Trail Parkway website here. Be sure to also look at Saint Martins Sea Caves, Saint Andrews by-the-Sea, and Saint John.