Mactaquac Provincial Park is located about 30 km from Fredericton in New Brunswick. 

The province of New Brunswick manages a total of 9 provincial parks that provide camping. Mactaquac Provincial Park is the largest with over 310 sites many of which are serviced with electricity.

Mactaquac Provincial Park was founded in the 1960s with the building of the Mactaquac Dam.

Site Review:

There are 3 campground areas.

Campground 1:

All of the sites are basically in an open field.

The sites here are all serviced with electricity but the quality of the sites is poor. There is no privacy between sites and some are very tight together. Very few of them appear to have a level pad slope.

Campground 2:

Most of the sites in this campground area are unserviced.

Campground 3:

All of the sites here are located in a wooded setting and have electrical service. Most sites here are pull-thru with gravel pads though some levelling is still required.

All of the sites in all of the campground areas have fire rings and picnic tables.

We stayed on site 365.

All the campground areas are equipped with numerous comfort stations that have flush toilets and hot showers. Campground 3 has at least 3 comfort stations to service 60 sites.

There are laundry facilities located at the Park Store.

Activities:

I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of activities available at Mactaquac Provincial Park.

Swimming:

There are 2 unsupervised beaches available.

Boating:

There are 2 marinas:

• Mactaquac Power Boat Marina
• York Centennial Sailboat Marina

Golfing:

The Mactaquac Golf Course is located at Mactaquac Provincial Park. It is an 18 hole golf course that is open year-round.

Zipline:

This aerial adventure combines a series of rope skills and ziplining built on a challenging course. This appears to be a seasonal activity because when we went just after Labour Day it was closed for the season.

Hiking:

You will find 6 trails suitable for hiking of varying lengths.

The most popular trail is the kilometre-long Beaver Pond Trail.

Biking:

There are no designated bike trails within the park but the main roads are relatively flat for casual cycling.

Canoeing/Kayaking:

The park does not rent any equipment but you are welcome to launch your own watercraft on the Saint John River.

Recreation Centre:

There is a recreation centre located in campground area 2. Here you will find fields and various playground equipment. Balls etc. can be borrowed for use in this area.

Things to Know:

1. Wood and ice are available for purchase at the campground gatehouse.
2. You can not rent canoes, kayaks, boats or bikes. There is a boat launch available for use if you bring your own equipment.
3. There is a small park store where you can purchase basic supplies. It is not open after Labour Day.
4. There is a gas station and a variety store nearby where you can purchase sundry items and alcohol.
5. You will need a New Brunswick fishing licence if you wish to fish on the Saint John River. These can be purchased online or at retailers such as Canadian Tire stores or at Service New Brunswick Centres.
6. There is minimal directional signage throughout the park so you would be wise to obtain a map from the gatehouse to aid in finding some of the activity locations.

IMO:

We accidentally ended up at Mactaquac Provincial Park when we were evacuated from Nova Scotia due to Hurricane Dorian. This turned out to be a pleasant surprise.

The park and the facilities are clean and nicely maintained. There are several seasonal campers located throughout the park which did give the park a private campground feel rather than that of the nature-based provincial park that I am used to in Ontario.

The overall family atmosphere and the variety of activities made it a place I would recommend as an RV Place to Go.