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New Brunswick

Once the favored stomping grounds of millionaires and celebrities who journeyed here for silver, salmon-filled rivers and rustic lodges deep in primeval forests, New Brunswick's beauty and abundance has slipped off most bucket lists in recent decades. Living in the shadows of its more fashionable neighbors, Prince Edward Island (PEI) and Nova Scotia, New Brunswick is regularly referred to as the 'forgotten' or 'drive-through' province. Those who do explore its majestic, brown-sugar beaches, culturally rich Acadian villages, quaint coastal islands and vast tracks of forests brimming with wildlife are richly rewarded. Whether you're kayaking through the world's highest tides, wandering through world-class museums, or bibbing up for a lobster feast, it'll often just be you and the locals. Visit before the secret gets out.

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout New Brunswick.

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Irving Eco Centre
Just 9km northeast of Bouctouche, Irving Eco Centre makes accessible 'La Dune de Bouctouche,' a gorgeous, powder-soft sandspit jutting into the strait. The interpretive center has worthwhile displays, but the highlight is the 800m boardwalk that weaves above the sea grass along the dunes. The peninsula itself is 12km long, taking more than four hours to hike over the loose sand and back. If you're short on time, walk the boardwalk and return along the beautiful beach, taking a dip along the way. There's a 12km hiking and cycling trail through mixed forest to Bouctouche town, which begins at the Eco Centre parking lot.
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Roosevelt Campobello International Park
Southernmost Campobello Island is home to this 1133-hectare park. Its star attraction is Roosevelt Cottage, the 34-room lodge where Franklin D Roosevelt came with his family between 1905 and 1921 and visited periodically throughout his US presidency (1933–45). The surprisingly rustic structure is furnished with original Roosevelt furniture and artifacts; well-versed tour guides give insight into the Roosevelts' personal lives. Adjacent Hubbard House, built in 1891 and home to an insurance broker and concert pianist, is far more glamorous. Various activities are run from the cottage's interpretive center, including Tea with Eleanor (non-reservation 11am, free; reservations 3pm, $14), croquet on the lawn and guided hikes. The park is just 2.5km from the Lubec bridge, and from the Roosevelt mansion's front porch you can look directly across to Eastport, ME. The park is administrated and funded by both Canada and the US. Unlike the manicured museum area, most of the international park has been left in its natural state. A couple of gravel roads meander through it, leading to beaches and 7.5km of nature trails. It's a surprisingly wild, little-visited part of Campobello Island. Deer, moose and coyotes call it home, and seals can sometimes be seen offshore on the ledges near Lower Duck Pond, 6km from the visitor center. Look for eagles, ospreys and loons. Pick up detailed maps from the visitor center.
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New Brunswick Museum
The New Brunswick Museum has a varied and interesting collection. There's a surprisingly captivating section on industrial history with 1908 figurines by Acadian Alfred Morneault and an outstanding section on marine life, including a life-size specimen of a whale. There are also hands-on exhibits, models of old sailing ships and a stunning collection of Canadian and international artwork on the top floor. This is the province's top museum and worth a visit.
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Acadian Historic Village
Just 15km west of Caraquet, this village of old is 33 original buildings relocated to this historical site. Staff in period costumes reflect life from 1780 to 1880. Several hours are required to have a good look, then head for a traditional meal at La Table des Ancêtres. Join Madame Savoie in her 1860s kitchen for a lesson in Acadian cooking ($75, twice daily) or get your kids kitted with costumes and a day full of historical activities ($35).
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Metepenagiag Heritage Park
Forty kilometers northwest of Miramichi, on the Esk River, the Metepenagiag Heritage Park has interpretive tours of Mi'kmaq culture and history on a 3000-year-old archaeological site.
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Parlee Beach
With the warmest sea water in Canada and the Blue Flag international eco-certification, it's not surprising that Parlee is popular. Thankfully, this long stretch of golden sand is big enough to include everyone. The shallow, balmy water and lifeguards paroling this stretch make it favorite with families. Showers, change rooms, snack shacks and a restaurant are all hidden on the other side of the dune, making this something of an oasis. It's unlikely this is the Canada you were expecting.
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Fundy Trail Parkway
Stretching east from St Martins for 30 glorious kilometers, this magnificent parkway provides big ocean views and access to a large network of trails and footpaths along the Bay of Fundy coast. The 30km-long parkway offers numerous viewpoints, picnic areas and beach access points while trails lead to waterfalls, suspension bridges and more sandy beaches. There are hopes to extend the parkway to Fundy National Park by 2021. At Big Salmon River visit the Big Salmon River Interpretive Center, which has exhibits from when a logging community lived here, plus lots of information on hikes. Nearby, a suspension bridge crosses over the crystal-clear river, leading to the 61km Fundy Footpath, a solid five-day trek from Big Salmon River to Goose River in Fundy National Park for which you must register at either end. If you're looking for something a little less giant, try the 4.4km Long Beach Footpath or the beautiful and non-strenuous 2.3km trail to Walton Glen Gorge beginning at the end of the parkway. Running parallel to the parkway is also an accessible 10km-long multiuse trail for walkers and cyclists. In the off-season, the main gate is closed, but you can park at the entrance and hike or pedal in. On weekends, a shuttle runs within the parkway to various trail heads.
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Reversing Rapids
The Bay of Fundy's phenomenal tides are a defining characteristic along this coast. Here, where the Saint John River nears this tidal bay, one of the province's best-known sights occurs. Known as the Reversing Rapids, the real action is happening underwater, where a 61m waterfall drops into a plunge pool. What you see from above is the high tides of the Bay of Fundy colliding with the strong river current, causing rapids, standing waves and the water to flow upstream. As the tide goes out, the river rolls back through the narrow gorge to the sea again with plenty of whirlpools and rapids. If this doesn't wow you sufficiently, you can take a zip line over the rapids. At low tide, watch the rapids from the viewing platform at Fallsview Park signposted off Douglas St. At high tide, head over the bridge to Falls View Rd where there is an information center and a glass skywalk (adult/youth $15/8) out over the water. Tides tables are readily available.
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Ministers Island
This picturesque tidal island was once used as a retreat by William Cornelius Van Horne, builder of the Canadian Pacific Railway and one of Canada's wealthiest men. As well as touring the island on foot along 20km of marked trails, you can visit Covenhoven, his splendid 50-room Edwardian cottage, plus the towerlike stone bathhouse, tidal swimming pool and stunning, château-like barn (the largest freestanding wooden structure in Canada). Important: the island can only be visited at low tide, when you can drive (or walk, or bike) on the hard-packed sea floor. At high tide, it's 3m under water but staff will kick you off in plenty of time. To get to Ministers Island from downtown St Andrews, follow Rte 127 northeast for about 1km and then turn right on Bar Rd. If you walk over, take Cedar Lane just past the toll booth, which was planted in the 1800s as a dust-free path to Covenhaven.