Jun 20, 2024 – Time for Some Fundy

There are few things in RV traveling that come with sweeter anticipation as a reservation at a national park campground. Prior to arriving at Fundy National Park, we stayed at several old campgrounds in Quebec and New Brunswick. Our frustrations peaked from the challenges of low voltage readings from power pedestals, excessive use of leveling blocks and uphill sewer connections. Not to mention the fact that daytime temperatures had reached well above 90 degrees for several days. After all that, we were ready for a Parks Canada campground and cooler temperatures.

The Bay of Fundy brings people to Fundy National Park. But as we discovered during our stay, the park is much more than the famed tidal bay being comprised of 80 sq miles of which only 8 are shoreline. While we stayed a week at Headquarters Campground that was a 5-min walk to the bay, spent an entire afternoon on the shoreline in Hopewell Rocks State Park during low tide, and a couple weeks later viewed a tidal bore on the bay’s southern side, we discovered that the rolling highlands and Acadian forests that contain over 25 waterfalls was the highlight of Fundy National Park.

The Caledonian Highlands, which defines much of Fundy National Park rise abruptly 200 feet above the coast. From there, the rolling hills and mountains contain over 60 miles of forested hiking trails where moose live. Although we found evidence of them, we never did see one. That’s fine because the experience of being in these boreal forests was more memorable to us than expected. While the coastline and the powerful effect of the moon on Fundy Bay is impressive, it was our time in the forests and the marshes that made Fundy National Park special among the three parks we visited in the Canadian Maritimes.

Among our many hikes was a short and casual one to the very popular Dickson Falls. This one stands out the most as its ancient forest of moss-carpeted rocks and babbling brook formed from a waterfall inspired Spencer and me to return the next morning to photograph before visitors arrived in number. I was taken in by the magical qualities of the lush forest where sunlight enters through the canopy of birch trees to illuminate the moss and ferns in ways that create several shades of green interrupted only by the modest flow of water working its way down to the bay. Wispy ferns of several types sprinkle the moss-covered rocky ground with bouquets of bright greens. The scene was so beautiful at every turn that for two hours Spencer and I wandered over rocks and water looking for compositions to capture. All while having the place to ourselves.

That special morning with my camera is how I remember Fundy National Park – mostly. But there is another experience during our stay at the national park that is also worth noting – the day spent in the Fundy Trail Provincial Park. In between days of solid rain, we took advantage of a clear day with mild temperatures to explore the Fundy coastline via the Fundy Trail. The trail runs about 20 miles along the bay’s coastline. I’ll let the photos speak about this memorable day.

As I said earlier, it is the bay itself that brings people here and like the boreal forests of the Caledonian Highlands, it has a magic of its own – a very powerful magic. Stayed tuned for our next blog which will be to highlight the bay where the amount of water flowing in and out twice a day is equal to the waters in all rivers on the planet. And please check out our previous blog about our visit to Quebec City.

And one last thing, if you haven’t yet read our blogs from last year’s visit to Banff and Jasper National Parks, two of Canada’s best, check them out here.