Fundy National Park! It is a park I have heard about since I was a youngster. It is a park I would never have dreamed of ever visiting in my lifetime being that I lived in BC, not in New Brunswick. But dreams do come true and life has a strange way of throwing twists and turns.. so here I am now… I find myself exploring the highest tides in Canada surrounded by red rock cliffs and massive beaches. How lucky am I! Someone pinch me please!
Alma Beach
Throughout the Fundy National Park are hiking trails, fresh water lakes, rivers, waterfalls, campgrounds and sandy beaches. The park protects, what is called, the Maritime Acadian Highlands. Established in 1948 the swath of park land covers over 206 square kilometres of wilderness bliss.
For the truly adventurous the park connects to the Fundy Trail (previous Blog post) via a rugged, unmaintained and rough 41 kilometre backbacking trail. A trail which I felt was egging me on to explore. There was no time on this visit but the trail is now on my adventure wish list which is now looking more like a wish book.
The Fundy National Park is located off the beaten track, away from cities and cement. The village of Alma is next door to the park and is the main destination providing services for park visitors. After setting up base camp in the park, my first vist was to Alma so to restock my ever dwindling supplies. Entering the village I was mesmerized by the beautiful beach fronting the village. The tide was low, the sun was out and the nearby cliffs glowed in a deep red haze. I was engulfed in the beautiful scenery. A trip for supplies that would normally take 15 minutes took 2 hours.
The following day, I was up at sunrise. The plan was to hike and explore some of the popular destinations in the Fundy National Park. The night before, I read the information I had collected and picked out the trails and destinations that got my mojo going. I decided on exploring the Third Vault Falls, Bennett Lake, Wolfe Lake, Herring Cove, Mathews Head and Pointe Wolfe. I wanted to explore more but there is only one of me and many adventures.
The two destinations that gave me the most satisfaction during my stay were the Third Vault Falls because of the falls and the Mathews Head Trail because of the views of the cliffs and the Bay of Fundy.
Third Vault Falls
The Third Vault Falls was a 7.5 kilometre trek through the Acadian forests before leading to a remote waterfall. The usual hazards were present during my hike. There were exposed tree roots and boulders to avoid. There were the odd hills to climb. And there were spider webs to walk through and families of mosquitoes eager for my blood.
At the falls there was a swimming hole, rock boulders and a 16 metre waterfall. The boulders were doubling up as sunbathing platforms for many. I was surprised how many people were at the falls since I met nobody on the trail.
There were groups picnicking on the rocks at the base of the falls while others were sitting back totally engulfed by the scenery. Me.. I am an odd one… I closed my eyes and focused on the sounds of the crashing falls – natures calming therapy. Back to reality I had a quick lunch, took some pictures and video and then headed back up along the trail.
The Mathews Head Trail (Main Blog Photo) was a 5 kilometre loop trail exploring through a forest, fields of wild flowers before leading to some viewpoints on top of red rock cliffs overlooking the Bay of Fundy. I figured after my waterfall hike I needed to fuel my needs for elevation since I love cliff and mountain top viewpoints.
Mathews Head Lookout
The Mathews Head Trail did the trick. The cliffs at Mathews Head all filtered down to a singular viewpoint. From the viewpoint I could see forever. There were beaches in the distance. The Bay of Fundy lay low hundreds of metres below my feet decorated with red rock boulders like cherries on a sundae. And on both sides of me were jagged cliffs. Not a soul in sight. I was alone. I sat and stared. I stood and gawked. It was heavenly beautiful.
On my way back I felt I had way too much energy to burn so I took a detour down the Coastal Littoral Trail. Every now and then I would venture to the side of the cliffs for a view of the bay and beaches. As I continued along the trail it started to deteriote. There were mud holes and lots of shade from the trees. Any hiker knows this is just a recipe for mosquitoes. They buzzed. They landed. They bit. I swatted them. I ate some and cursed at many. Soon I had had enough and headed back to the parking lot, itching away like a good little hiker should.