We stayed in Moncton for a week to visit with family. Luckily, it proved to be a good jumping off point for visiting many sites along the northern shore of the Bay of Fundy.
Below you’ll find plenty of ideas for your own trip, including:
Things To Do
We were surprised by how many memories we made in this area! Here are some of the highlights:
Hopewell Rocks
There are many places near the Moncton area where the Bay of Fundy tide changes are at their most magnificent and Hopewell Rocks is one of them! Compare the picture on the left to the one above. We picked a day where we could see high tide in the morning and low tide in late afternoon, but you could also see the change by going two days in a row. Be sure to check the tide tables to plan your visit. You can also see Hopewell Rocks by kayak if you’d prefer some additional adventure!
Cape Enrage
While we waited for the tides to change at Hopewell Rocks, we hopped into the truck and drove to Cape Enrage. The location offers scenic views of the Bay of Fundy, as well as activities like zip-lining and rappelling. Our kids seemed most interested in exploring the rocky beach and looking for fossils.
Magnetic Hill
Putting your car in neutral and feeling like you’re rolling uphill is the claim to fame for Magnetic Hill. We were interested to learn that back in the 1950’s this was Canada’s third most popular tourist attraction after Niagara Falls and Banff! Truth be told, we almost didn’t bother going, but we were so glad we did. It was a neat experience and a simple, quick after-dinner outing. If, like us, you don’t need the tourist stuff that comes with the experience, we would recommend going in off-hours when you have it all to yourself.
Mapleton Park
We discovered this gem of a park a mere 5 minute drive from our campground and visited it many times during our week in Moncton. For me, Mapleton Park has the perfect 5km loop for a run. We also did some family hikes there. I love when we stumble across something on our travels that impresses us like this park did!
Scenic Drives
We enjoyed many scenic drives simply in the process of moving from one place to the next, however New Brunswick has done a great job of mapping out formalized scenic drives and road trips for you to take. Simply hop in the car and hit the road!
Other Fun “Fundy” Stuff
One place that we didn’t get to, but will need to come back for is Fundy National Park and the Fundy Trail Parkway. These deserve a devoted trip as there is so much to do and see. Also, about 20 minutes to the east of Moncton is Parlee Beach which apparently has the warmest saltwater in Canada.
Places To Eat
High Tide Restaurant (at Hopewell Rocks)
One of the things we did to pass the time while we waited for the tides to change was to enjoy lunch at the High Tide restaurant within the Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park. The food was delicious and there were good healthy options for everyone. Check out the interpretive centre while you’re there.
Rossano’s Italian Grill
We enjoyed Rossano’s so much that I wished we could have picked it up and taken it home with us! The food was delicious, we had a big booth to ourselves and the prices on both the regular and kids menus were extremely reasonable considering the high quality of the food.
Where We Stayed
Stonehurst Camping & Golf
We chose Stonehurst Camping because of its location – close to the highway, easy access to the city, but still in the countryside. We’d never stayed somewhere before that is also a golf course and it turned out to be really fun. During down times, the kids or I would wander over to the driving range to hit a bucket of balls!
