With the greatest tidal fluctuations in the world, the water levels at the Bay of Fundy can be up to 40 feet different. With parks dedicated to this unique phenomenon, visitors can walk on the ocean floor then come back in a few hours and kayak. Located in the Canadian Maritimes, travelers will find lots to do including a Parks Canada National Park along with lots of ways to get outdoors. Here are the Top Things to do at the Bay of Fundy.
Top 9 Things to do Bay of Fundy with Kids
Both the Fundy National Park and Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park are excellent places to learn more about the Bay of Fundy tides.
Visit a Park
Take a Hike
Find a Red Chair
Take a Swim
Beach Walk
Stargaze
Do the Xplorer Program
Camp
Walk on the Ocean Floor
Fundy National Park
As the Parks Canada site dedicated to the Bay of Fundy, this is one of the top things to do at the Bay of Fundy. It offers lots of outdoor activities, seasonal interpretive activities along with camping.
Hiking Trails for Families
The Fundy National Park offers 100 kilometers of hiking trails. For family-friendly trails, try one of the following.
- Caribou Plain—2.1-km loop
- MacLaren Pond–.5-km loop
- Shiphaven—1.0-km roundtrip
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Parks Canada Red Chairs
Dedicated to showcasing the best views, Parks Canada has over 200 red Adirondack chairs scattered across its park. Each encourages visitors to slow down and sit. Fundy National Park offers 12 chairs across the Fundy National Park to sit and savor a special view in a Red Chair.
Swimming at the Fundy National Park
The bay’s water is a tad too cold for swimming though the Fundy National Park offers more opportunities to swim.
Pool—Cannonball into the heated saltwater pool near the park headquarters. It is open from June until early September. Additional admission. Lifeguard on duty.
Lake swimming—Head to Bennett Lake or Wolfe Lake for swimming.
Take a Walk along the Beach
A must for everyone, take a walk along the beach and the seafloor during low tide. See barnacles, rock crabs, whelks, limpets and periwinkles.
One of the best places to walk along the beach is near the Park Headquarters at Alma Beach. Another spot is on Chemin Point Wolfe Road and the Coastal East Trail. Point Wolfe Beach is another option.
Stargazing at the Bay of Fundy
The Bay of Fundy is a Dark Sky Preserve so look above during your trip. The lighting is kept at a minimum to retain the area’s dark skies.
Kids at Fundy National Park
Similar to the National Park Service’s Junior Ranger Programs in the U.S., Parks Canada offers the Xplorer Program. Kids receive a booklet at the visitor center to complete. It takes about an hour and kids receive a collectible dog tag charm with the park’s name imprinted on it.
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Other Activities at the Fundy National Park
Golf
Tee off at the 9-hole, par-70 golf course at the Fundy National Park.
Paddling at Fundy National Park
Bennett Lake Boathouse rents out kayaks, canoes and paddleboards. Wolfe Lake is also open for paddling.
Historic Molly Kool Home
Located at the entrance of the Fundy National Park, this is the childhood home of the Maritime’s first female sea captain.
Cabins and Camping at the Bay of Fundy
Parks Canada sites offer unique camping options and the Bay of Fundy features several options.
- oTentiks—A-frame structures featuring sleeping for five or six, including a series of platform beds, along with a table and four chairs and a bench.
- Yurts—Traditional round dwellings from Central Asia that include a bunk bed with a double and twin bunk along a propane heater and solar lights.
- Oasis–A round tear-drop structure keeping it cozy with just enough space for a sofa bed and a hammock above.
- Rustic cabins—One-room structure with a pair of twin-sized bunk beds and a central wood-burning cooking and heating stove along with a table and two benches. Firewood is provided.
Find the permanent structures across four Bay of Fundy campgrounds.
- Headquarters–154 camping spots
- Cannontown–includes 30 camping spots
- Chicinecto–includes 261 camping spots
- Point Wolfe—154 camping spots
Campgrounds feature sites with electricity and water, electricity, water and sewer, or no services. Find a central area with a bathhouse with showers, toilets and self-service laundry, and kitchen shelters. Most camping sites include a picnic table and a fire ring.
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Fundy National Park near Alma, is open 365 days a year and 24 hours a day. Admission is $8.50 CAN for adults and youths 17 and under enter for free.
Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park
For the best place to walk on the ocean floor, head north of the Fundy National Park. Near the town of Moncton, find Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park, the home to the highest tides in the world according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Since Hopewell Rocksis featured in a lot of educational programming. My carful of kids are very excited to visit.
First stop by the Visitor Center to learn more about the tides. See how marine life adapts to the changes in water level.
You can walk to the beach area or take a shuttle bus (additional fee). Or walk downhill, like us, and take the shuttle uphill.
Climb down a series of rugged industrial staircases and enjoy taking in the view and snap a picture, especially if you’re visiting during high tide.
We timed it correctly and the tide is completely out. During low tide, the Bay of Fundy is about 50 feet lower than at high tide.
It’s amazing. On the ocean floor, we find plants, marine life and shells.
If the kids need a break, visit the High Tides Café at the Visitor Center or the Low Tides Café for snacks close to the beach.
Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park is located at 131 Discovery Road, 27 miles east of the Fundy National Park. Before arriving take a look at the tidal charts to find low tide so the kids can walk on the ocean floor.
Admission is good for two days. Adult admission is $15.54 CAN, and kids (5 to 18) are $8.88 CAN. During the summer season (June to mid-August) Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Lodging Near the Bay of Fundy
When we visited the Bay of Fundy National Park we originally planned to stay in an oTENTik. Though the Parks Canada Ranger called to tell us our reservation had been canceled due to wind from Hurricane Arthur.
As a courtesy, the ranger called the closest hotel for us to ensure we had an alternative place to stay. Then Parks Canada issued a full refund.
Parkland Village Inn
We found the charming Parkland Village Inn in the town of Alma. Next to the Fundy National Park entrance, Alma offers a self-serve laundry, a fish and chips shack and a couple of souvenir shops.
The Parkland Village Inn along the shore of the Bay of Fundy features 15 rooms with views of the bay. Watch the fishing boats bob up and down with the tides from the windows at the neighboring Fisherman’s Wharf.
Located at 8601 Main St.
Where to Eat
When visiting the Canadian Maritimes, I recommend sampling seafood from across the region. In the Parkland Inn we dined at the Tides Restaurant serving up local seafood. During our visit we enjoyed a date night, leaving the kids upstairs with a babysitter-certified big sister, cartoons and some fish and chips.
We love seafood and that’s what is on the menu. I ordered the local scallops and my chef-husband sampled the local lobster. Both were exceptionally fresh and satisfying.
The owners and staff of Parkland made our evening most enjoyable. The weather was crummy but our view was lovely and we made the best of it and enjoyed lobster and scallops for an impromptu date night.
Lyme Disease
The Black-legged tick is found throughout the Canadian Maritimes. To prevent Lyme Disease that the tick carries use the following precautions.
- Wear light-colored clothing, including long pants and long-sleeved shirts.
- Use insect repellant with DEET.
- Stay on trails and avoid long grass and brush.
- Take a shower shortly after hiking.
- Put clothes in a hot dryer for 10 minutes to kill ticks.
Know Before You Go
- Check the tide times before you arrive.
- Wear water shoes with good traction.
Disclosure
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Our 2015 Trip
It was the Road Trip from not Heaven…
We got a car stolen in Montreal.
A few days later a hurricane hit.
Then the dog ran away.
But we persevered and continued on with our trip.
The carful of kids drove through sideways rain in the pitch dark of a moonless night to get to New Brunswick from Portland, Maine but we got here.
Destination: Fundy National Park for the crazy tides. We’ve wanted to visit for years and not letting a little inclement weather get in our way. Even if its name is Hurricane Arthur.
He came ashore across the Bay of Fundy at Meteghan, Nova Scotia. Knocking out power and blowing down trees.
Our hotel’s power made it through the night but the roads flooded in spots. After checking the weather and calling the Bay of Fundy National Park, we load up and make our way to Alma.
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