The Hopewell Roches Provincial Park is one of the most popular attractions in New Brunswick, Canada – in particular photogenic flower pots. In fact, more than a quarter of a million people flock to this park every year to see the dramatic tides of Fundy Bay.
However, making the most of your visit to Hopewell Rocks really requires a little planning because you can have a very different experience if you visit high tide and low tide. Whether you visited Hopewell Rocks as part of a New Brunswick road trip or take a Moncton day excursionMake sure to follow these tips to plan your visit to Hopewell Rocks.
About Hopewell’s Provincial Rocks Park
Hopewell Rocks Park Provincial is open from mid-May to the end of October. Entrance fees are currently $ 15.85 for adults, $ 13.59 for the elderly, $ 9.06 for children aged 5 to 18 and children under the age of 5 are free. The tickets are valid for two consecutive days, which allows you to easily visit the rocks of Hopewell both at high tide and low tide. There are also available family tickets and optional shuttle service fees of $ 1.74 per person.
There is an abundant free parking at the Hopewell Rocks provincial park and, even in the middle of the summer, the park does not feel crowded. That said, it will be busy on weekends, so visit the middle of the week if you can.
In the provincial park of Hopewell Rocks, there is an interpretation center for visitors and a half-one-long path through the woods which provides picturesque overhangs at Fundy bay. On the bottom of the ocean, there are twenty sea batteries with a variety of sizes and shapes along a two -kilometer section of coastline. Many have received fanciful names such as elephant, bear, dinosaur and and. The most famous sea batteries are flower pot rocks.
There are three access points to the bottom of the ocean which are accessible when it is not a high tide. The main access point is a metal staircase of 99 stages which descends towards the flower pots. You can either walk along the way to reach the stairs or take a tram if you have mobility problems.
Those who have mobility problems can continue a little more to North Beach, who has a ramp at the beach that suits wheelchairs (although the wheelchairs will find it difficult to sail on the beach.) The third option can be reached by following a path south of the interpretation center, where the path descends slowly to sea level.
It is easy to spend a full day at the Hopewell Rocks provincial park because there is a coffee on site, as well as many picnic areas and even a playground. You can make a self -guided tour of multimedia exhibitions in the interpretation center, which explain the science of the park and what you can expect when visiting the back of the ocean. It is also possible to join a guided tour with an interpretation guide.
Some facts on Hopewell’s rocks:
- The Bay of Fundy tides rises up to 13 vertical feet per hour
- The high tide can reach a height up to 46 feet (it is as high as a four -story building)
- During a full moon, there are highest tides than normal due to the gravitational attraction of the moon
- Each summer starting in July and for 4 to 6 weeks, hundreds of thousands of shore birds made a migratory stop in Hopewell Rocks
Tips for visiting Hopewell Rocks
Visit both high tide and low tide
To obtain the full impact of the tides of Fundy Bay, it is best to visit Hopewell Rocks at the same time at high tide and low tide, and they facilitate the task by facilitating the ticket for two consecutive days. Some people will say that it is better to visit first at low tide, then come back later at high tide to see the spectacular difference in water levels.
However, I do not think it really counts when you visit first, as long as you are lucky to see the rocks that are both high and low. Keep in mind that because the tide arrives so quickly or backs up so quickly, you should really try to get there at high and low tide to see the biggest changes. When I visited for the first time, I arrived approximately 45 minutes after the tide high and already the water was no longer under the rocky rocks.
Pay attention to the tide table
Before leaving, be sure to check the Hopewell rocks tide table To plan your visit. On the main deck and the stairs, tidal times will be displayed and you want to keep an eye on your watch to make sure you start to come back along the coast to the point of one hour before the high tide.
The staff do a good job to sweep the beach to collect visitors to the access points before the tide high and if there were an emergency, there are a few places where you can wait for the tide, but I don’t think you want to be stuck on a platform for hours until the tide is withdrawn.
Dressed appropriately
If you want to explore the coast at low tide, it is better to wear robust and protective shoes such as waterproof hiking boots or water shoes with good grip. When the tide goes out, the seabed is also quite muddy (you will see why this part of Fundy bay is called chocolate river.)
It is not a day to wear your most beautiful outfits, because you become muddy. In fact, many children love to slide and slide into the mud and can end up covered. Fortunately, there are benches with pipes to wash your feet located near the main staircases of flower pot rocks.
You may want to wrap an additional towel to clean and dry after washing the mud.
Stay for lunch or dinner
If you want to catch the two tides in one day, plan to have a picnic to taste in one of the picnic areas of the park or enjoy a meal at the restaurant on site in full service. Otherwise, your options are somewhat limited in the region. Dinner is served at the Hopewell Rocks Motel & Restaurant, just at the entrance to the park. Otherwise, about 10 to 15 minutes, you can get a sandwich or a bowl of noodles at Cinnamon Soul Cafe, but the service is slow.
Go beyond flower pot rocks
Many people who visit Hopewell Rocks take the stairs to see the flower rocks and do not venture far beyond this area. However, if you want to get away from people and see some of the other fresh sea piles, be sure to go down the beach in both directions of flower pots. There is no longer to see if you walk to the right of the batteries than the left, but it is worth doing both.
Do not cross the limits of prudence
Each year before the park’s opening for the season, security experts are launching along the coast and tighten certain areas with adhesive tape that may fall rocks or other safety problems. With a coastal and constantly evolving erosion, it is important to pay attention to these warnings and stay outside of these areas.
Explore the coast from water
Walking on the seabed is a fun experience in Hopewell Rocks, but another excellent way of seeing the coast is in kayak. Baymount outdoor adventures Offers day and after Dark visits to Hopewell Rocks. I was registered to try the night kayak tour, but unfortunately, the time did not cooperate and my visit was canceled due to violent winds which created dangerous conditions.
Hopewell Rocks is a must when you visit New Brunswick and the Bay of Fundy! I have heard of people who predicted cruises in this region specifically to see the bay of Fundy tides in Hopewell Rocks, but they could only see it in high tide because of the cruise excursion.
If you visit during a cruise, check the tidal tables so that the excursion has the right expectations. However, I hope you can spend more time on Earth and acquire Hopewell Rocks’ complete experience.
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Tamara Gruber is the founder and publisher of We3Travel. Former director of marketing and travel advisor, Tamara is a award -winning and expert travel writer recognized in family trips. Tamara is a member of Satw, Natja, Ifwtwa and Adventure Travel Trade Association, and headquarters to the Board of Directors of the Family Travel Association. She is also the publisher of YourTimeTofly.com and the co-host of the Mavens Travel Podcast Podcast.
