Fundy National Park is located on the Bay of Fundy about an hour drive from Saint John or Moncton, in New Brunswick.

Tides at Fundy National Park

The Bay of Fundy has the highest tides in the world. The difference between low tide and high tide can be as much as 17m (50ft.). Generally, the difference between low tide and high tide in most other places in the world is about 1 metre (3ft). 

Fundy National Park has 4 main campground areas:

Chignecto North Campground:

171 water/electric sites plus an additional 10 sites that are full service. Located in a wooded setting about 4 km from the park entrance.

Headquarters Campground: 

• 55 sites with at least electric and water- some of these are full-service sites.
• No campfires allowed.
• Near the East entrance within walking distance to the town of Alma.

Point Wolfe Campground: 

• There are a total of 144 camping sites most are unserviced and suitable for tents.
• 24 of the sites have water and electric.
• You have to cross the Point Wolfe covered bridge to access this campground. 
•  Due to clearance restrictions, access to the campground is limited to a maximum vehicle/equipment length of 7.3 m (24 feet) and a height of 4.4 m (13 feet).

Cannontown Campground:

•  Newest campground with 30 full-service sites
• centrally located to park amenities (like pool, playground and golf course).
• Sites are open and some have a view of the Bay of Fundy.

There is a combined total of over 500 sites. 

Site Review:

We had site #61 in the Chignecto campground the first time we visited.  It has water and electric hook-up.

This was a great site. It’s what I like to think of as a perfect 10 in terms of the site trifecta (size, slope, seclusion). The site was large, level and private. All the sites at the Chignecto campground were similar.

The campground is set in a large wooded area. It has access to the following amenities:

• hiking and biking trails
•  a laundromat
•  a dump station
• a well-appointed communal kitchen shelter
• clean comfort stations
• a playground
• astronomy viewing site

The second time we visited Fundy we stayed in the Headquarters Campground on site #3. It was a full-service site. You can walk into the town of Alma and down to the beach from this campground.

There is a Visitor Centre near the East entrance where you can obtain information about the activities at Fundy and the surrounding area attractions. A nice gift shop is located there as well. There is also an area at the Visitor Centre where you can connect to WIFI.

Activities:

Golfing:

Fundy National Park has its own golf course. It is a 9-hole par 70 course designed by renowned golf course architect Stanley Thompson. To book a tee time call 506-887-2927. Golf carts are available. There is a fee.

Swimming:

Located off Point Wolfe Rd. overlooking the Bay of Fundy is a beautifully appointed solar heated salt water pool. There are change areas and lifeguards on duty. There is no additional charge for people camping at Fundy to use the pool.

Bennett Lake and Wolfe Lake have unsupervised beaches for swimming.Bennett Lake

Additionally, there is Alma Beach, Cannontown Beach and Herring Cove Beach. These are unsupervised beaches on the Bay.

Fishing:

Fishing is allowed at Bennett Lake with a park permit. Permits are available at Bennett Lake and the Visitor Centre.

Lawn Bowling:

Try your hand at Bowls, a challenging game closely related to Bocci. Equipment is available for rental at the Pro Shop.

Tennis:

There are three courts in the park. Equipment is available for rental at the Pro Shop.

Playground:

Located next to the tennis courts and the soccer field in the Cannontown campground area.

Hiking:

There are numerous trails throughout the park for hiking. There are different lengths and different degrees of difficulty. Some offering great views of the Bay of Fundy

 A popular trail is Dickson Falls. It is a short trail that affords some nice views of a forest waterfall.

My favourite walk is along the beach at low tide when the seafloor is exposed. It reveals what is called an intertidal zone, an array of tenacious organisms able to survive underwater for half the time and in the open air the other half. Barnacles, periwinkles, little crabs and all sorts of seaweeds become visible.

Kayaking:

Kayaks and canoes are available for rent for lake use on Bennett Lake.

Sea kayak rentals are not available at Fundy National Park. If this is an activity you are interested in you would have to contact a provider from outside of the park such as Fresh Air Adventure in Alma.

Biking:

There are trails developed specifically with the mountain biker in mind. These can be easy or rugged. Mountain bikes are available for rent and there are even self-serve stations set up to do some tune-up repairs on your bike should you need to.

Hopewell Rocks:

Located about 30 minutes from Fundy National Park via Hwy. 114, is Hopewell Rocks. It is a popular destination that attracts tens of thousands of visitors every year and is perhaps the most photographed site in New Brunswick. Here you will see the iconic red sandstone “flowerpot” rocks that tower 15m (49 ft) or more at low tide.

You can walk along the ocean floor and explore the formations. The beach is accessed from a set of stairs off the main viewing deck as well as from stairs/ramp beside the lower parking lot. Visitors may safely explore the beach for 3 hours before low tide, until 3 hours after low tide (check tide tables for the day of your visit). As the tide comes in and water levels rise, interpretive staff will clear areas of the beach that become submerged quickly.

To fully appreciate the tidal phenomenon of the Bay of Fundy plan to view both low and high tides.

Kayaking at Hopewell Rocks

Kayaking is a fun way to experience the tide. Guided kayaking tours are offered daily at high tide by Baymount Outdoor Adventures, an independent operator. Baymount has an information kiosk near the parking area on the lower site.

If you wish to launch your own kayak and paddle without the benefit of an experienced guide, you must sign a waiver at the visitor information desk. You will also require permission to drive your vehicle to the lower site where you can off-load your kayak. The best opportunity for kayaking occurs from 2 hours before high tide until 2 hours after, as water levels are high enough for easy beach access.

The Hopewell Rocks site also has an interactive visitor centre, a gift shop and a restaurant. It is approximately a kilometre walk from the visitor centre to the observation area, for a small fee you can take a shuttle.

The cost of admission is $10 CAD per adult. Your receipt is valid for 2 consecutive days allowing you to view the site at both high and low tides. Parking is free and you are welcome to bring your leashed pet.

Alma:

Fundy National Park is located directly beside the village of Alma. Here you will find a small grocery store, a gas station, restaurants etc., as well as a couple of lobster pounds.

Lobster Pound

The term “lobster pound” was originally used to describe a method of storing live lobster by running fresh seawater through their storage containers. Eventually, enterprising lobster pound owners would add outdoor kettles of seawater heated over wood fires to boil their lobsters to serve to tourists. Lobster pounds tend to be casual outdoor oceanside restaurants where you typically eat at picnic tables and often off of paper plates. Lobster pounds are all about the lobster and the view. There is no better lobster than lobster right from the ocean. The salt air, the seagulls overhead, and the boats in the harbour help complete the experience. We ate at the Alma Lobster Shop and it was quite a treat.

The Fundy Trail Parkway:

A beautiful way to experience one of the last remaining coastal wilderness areas between Florida and Labrador and appreciate the Bay of Fundy coastline is via the Fundy Trail Parkway. There are a few distinctions you are going to want to be clear about before venturing out though.

• The Fundy Trail Parkway entrance is about 100 km driving distance from Fundy National Park.
• The Fundy Trail Parkway is 16km of hiking and biking trails and 19km of paved parkway suitable for driving.
• There are approximately 20 scenic lookouts along the trail and access to 4 secluded beaches.
• There is a Day-Use fee of $9CAD per adult.
• The Fundy Footpath is different from the Fundy Trail. You can access the Footpath from Fundy National Park. It is a 41km continuous wilderness trail along the Fundy coastline and would probably take you 3-4 days to hike. 

Near the entrance to the  Fundy Trail Parkway is the picturesque village of St. Martins. Here you will find twin covered bridges, sea caves and beaches. We stopped at the Caves restaurant to sample their “world famous chowder” and I must admit that it was delicious.

Moncton:

Moncton is about an hour from Fundy National Park. The city itself is not particularly remarkable, but what is interesting is that this is where you can witness what is called a Tidal Bore.

Bores occur in relatively few locations worldwide, usually in areas with a large tidal range where incoming tides are funneled into a shallow, narrowing river. It is basically the phenomenon where the leading edge of the incoming tide forms a large wave of water.

The best place to witness the bore in Moncton is from Bore Park on Main St. on the Petitcodiac River. For the tidal bore times, you can call 1-800-561-0123.

Covered Bridges:

Covered bridges add to the charm of New Brunswick’s countryside. There are approximately 60 of them in the province and many are over a hundred years old. If taking a scenic drive be sure to check some of them out. If travelling with larger equipment it’s best to know where they are and be aware of any size restrictions.

Things to Know:

1. Fundy National Park is part of the Canada National Parks system and there is an additional daily per person charge (on top of your camp fees). Typically this is approx. $8 CAD per adult.
2. Roads are accessible for all equipment in most of the park. However, there are restrictions in the Point Wolfe area due to the limitations posed by the covered bridge.
3. Cell phone reception is good.
4. Campfires are permitted and firewood can be purchased at the campground kiosks except for the Headquarters campground area.
5. Leashed pets are allowed.
6. Access to most of the attractions within Fundy National Park will require you to drive your vehicle. Parking is typically good.
7. The most centrally located campground is the Cannontown campground. While it is close to many of the park’s amenities, as well as the town of Alma, you are probably still going to need to drive- especially if you want to visit the Bennett Lake or Point Wolfe areas.
8. There are 2 National Parks in New Brunswick. The other one is Kouchibouguac National Park about 200 km away.

IMO:

Fundy National Park is a great park with excellent RV-friendly campsites in a picturesque area of New Brunswick. You can enjoy the park’s amenities as well as venture out and explore the surrounding points of interest. Personally, I enjoyed the nearby attractions more than the park itself, but I don’t golf and was not interested in swimming in the pool and both of these things are first-rate at Fundy. I would definitely recommend Fundy as an RV Place to Go!