Hopewell Rocks

One place that is a definite "must see" on the coast of New Brunswick is the Hopewell Rocks. Located about 100 miles northeast of St. James, it was a feasible day trip for us. 

There is a small entry fee to go into the park and walk down to the beach to see the rocks and seabed. It was also necessary to drive through the Fundy National Park that charged a day fee for each of us, but the total of both fees was less than $30 US. We drove our Jeep, but there was plenty of parking for RVs near the entry.

A lovely, shaded path led from the Visitors Centre to the stairwell down to the beach. 

The weather was perfect, high 70s with a slight cool breeze. 

Along the way there were several observation decks. From the first we got a good look at Daniels Flats, very wide and mushy-looking mudflats.

We were also able to look down at the beach below. Can you see the tiny people? The formations with tapered bases and plants on top are called Flower Pots.

Arriving at Staircase Cove at around 1 PM, we heard there was a free guided tour going down at 2 PM, so we found a shaded picnic table and ate the lunch I had packed that morning.

There are 101 steps from the cliff top , down to the sea bed. When the tide comes in, it goes as high as the top of the grey masses of seaweed. We were there at low tide.

Exploring the holes carved out of the cliff walls by the tide, and the shifting mass of mucky silt on the beach, gave me a better idea of how the layers of sandstone have been laid down over the millennia. Cut and fill. Give and take.

Although these rock formations have been here for a long time, they feel like they are ever changing. It is easy to see how the sea will scour away their footings and they will fall in the future.

The Hopewell Rocks are only 40 minutes from Moncton, another large city in New Brunswick. If we had stayed there instead of St John, we might have taken advantage of the fact that our admission was good for two days and returned at high tide. But we didn't. There are so many variables to consider when planning a trip into unknown territory. In this case, Moncton would have been a bit farther than we wanted to drive from Bar Harbor, but it would have made our next drive shorter. 

It is now Friday evening. We drove over the Confederation Bridge, which connects New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, and are safely settled in Harrington Family Campground. We saw numerous RVs on the road and at the little commercial area just off the bridge, but this campground is empty, except for us and one seasonal occupant. There are a lot of RV parks on the Island. 

I choose this one because it is between the main city, Charlottetown, and the location of the Green Gables house, Cavendish. It is a Passport America park, and when I convert the cost to USD it comes to $12.60 per night for a water and electric site. Not bad! Wifi is free, but a bit shaky. Satellite reception is good.

We are planning on going to see Green Gables tomorrow.