The Fundy Trail Parkway is the perfect spot for a New Brunswick family day trip. There are hiking, biking, and autoroutes, making this ideal for anyone to enjoy.
We went and explored a few trails, down to waterfalls, across the suspension bridge and also drove the length of the trail. We also visited the interpretive center at Great Salmon River. My history loving hubby and older son have to read all about everything! We will be headed back each summer to check out the beaches and more of the trails.
The Fundy Trail Parkway is located along the Fundy coast, about 10 km east of St. Martin’s, NB. It is a great day trip that can be accessed via Sussex or Saint John. You can can choose to drive on the paved parkway hugging the coastal cliffs or perhaps you prefer to hike or bike the trails. The hiking trails connect to paths and stairways down to pristine beaches with waterfalls and towering cliffs at water’s edge. We are definitely taking a whole day this summer to explore and enjoy the beaches.
Accessibility
Many of the lookouts and observation areas are wheelchair and stroller accessible. It is a lovely place to take older people as well. We spent a day taking my mom, stopping at Long Beach to rest and enjoy the ocean air. There are many accessible look offs, making with stroller, walker, and mobility friendly.
In Great Salmon River, is an Interpretive Centre, housed in a re-creation of the bunkhouse which once housed the men who worked and lived there. In the late 1800s, into the mid-1950s, Big Salmon River was a thriving logging, fishing, and shipbuilding community. There are very few signs of this on site now. The foundation of a schoolhouse and some structures near the river where the logs passed is all that remains.
It is worth visiting and learning through the artifacts and photos in the Interpretive Centre. The centre’s displays will provide a sense of the past flourishing community. If you have a dog with you, no worries, you can even bring them into the center with you!
The Details: Fundy Trail Parkway – New Brunswick Family Day Trip
- Rates are available for Daily, 5 day and seasonal passes.
- There are washrooms at both entrances and at the interpretive center. There are some outhouse type facilities in other locations (Long beach) as well.
- Many lookouts, beach, and other areas are accessible for strollers, wheelchairs, and mobility limitations.
- Be sure to stop for a walk across the suspension bridge.
- Check out the maps and plan to see the Walton Glen Gorge, beaches, suspension bridge, interpretive center, and waterfalls.
- There is an entrance from Sussex and an entrance through St. Martin’s.
