Fundy National Park - Foster Brook/Goose River Camping Weekend

Estimated distance: 22.6 km (14 miles)

Date of hike: 2016/08/26 - 2016/08/28


In this post, I will discuss a backcountry trip to the camps at Foster Brook and Goose River in Fundy National Park.

Yes, I know, this is the third post about Fundy National Park on the blog. This is supposed to be a blog about trails all over the Maritimes and beyond. Believe you me, there are plenty of posts coming about plenty of places. But Fundy happens to be my favourite hiking destination in the whole wide world, so bear with me.

Earlier in the spring, Dale and I hiked through the Foster Brook trail and examined its features and, more importantly, its backcountry campsites. We had been wanting to camp in the backcountry of Fundy for years, and we had been backcountry camping a couple of times, so we decided to go to Fundy and do a weekend trip that would take us to Foster Brook the first night, and Goose River the second. The crew consisted of Dale, Jeremie, myself, and a friend of ours whom we had invited to join us for one of our summer trips. We had planned three trips and invited him to join us on any that were convenient for him. He said that the Fundy backcountry trip was the most convenient for him; however, in a sense, he later ate his words. He was a city slicker from Brampton, Ontario, who had never been on a proper hike or camping trip in his life, and he was about to embark on the most strenuous hiking and camping trip that any one of us had ever attempted. We mentioned this to the lady in the visitor centre when we were checking in, and she said, "You guys are so mean!", to which I chuckled. Her statement proved true in the end.

After we checked in, we drove to the Foster Brook trailhead. (The trail and campsites are discussed in greater detail in the previous post.) After strapping on our gear and taking a few obligatory trailhead photos, we set out.

Dale fooling around on the trailhead sign.

Myself hangin' out at the trailhead! 

We climbed the initial hill and continued up the trail to the main downhill slope. The first while was uneventful, except for the fact that our packs became uncomfortable, and needed adjustment. Our novice friend needed frequent breaks, as well. We descended the hill and reached the river just as the last glimmers of twilight faded away. From this point onward, we used flashlights to navigate the trail; since the trail is well marked and well maintained, this was not a terribly difficult task.

Eventually, we reached the campsites. By this point, it was completely dark; setting up camp in the dark was challenging. We set up the tents, and then went about preparing supper, which consisted of hot dogs and baked beans, which, I can now say from experience, I do not recommend as backcountry food. We spent the evening talking, stargazing from the river bank, and trying to rig up a bear rope for our garbage. A large, nearly horizontal tree served the latter purpose. Later, we took turns going up to the outhouse, and then we called it a night.

Hmm...do the ecologists and wardens at Fundy National Park know about these rather intimidating, um...creatures roaming about the Point Wolfe River valley?

I woke up and stepped out of our tent in the middle of the night and looked up at the celestial dome. By now, the stars had come out very clearly, and the display was stunning. Fundy National Park is one of Parks Canada's Dark Sky Preserves. In these areas, very little artificial lighting is installed so as to minimize light pollution, so that the night sky might appear similar to how it did centuries ago.

In the morning, we awoke to a beautiful, sunny sky, green trees, and a crystal-clear babbling river just metres from our campsite. Well, actually, we awoke to our friend's music. As I lay awake in the tent, I heard his phone start singing; "Oh, ho, ho, it's magic, you kno-o-ow, never believe it's not so!" He figured that it was best to wake me up with the song, as he feared that if he did not wake me up, I would wake him and the others up by a more innovative and unpleasant means. So his actions were justified. Albeit, I'm not sure exactly what unpleasant means I would have pulled out of my hat. I'll have to think of some for this summer's trips...hee hee.

Campsite 10 in the morning sun. 

The Point Wolfe River from site 10, looking upstream. Notice the pitch of the valley wall; several hundred metres upstream, the trail ascends this incline without switchbacks. The photos do not do the landscape justice; this valley is far deeper than it appears.

We all got up and got breakfast cooking. Or, rather, tried to get breakfast going. We had brought instant just-add-water pancake mix (not a bad backcountry food, but impractical to lug around a 1kg box of it, as we did), but we had overlooked a method of greasing the pan. Because of this, breakfast was a horrible disaster; all we produced was soft pancake glue and a pan with hardened pancake batter stuck to it. However, we did eat it, and it didn't taste half-bad. However, we realized that we would have to go back to Alma to get grease spray for the next morning's breakfast before heading to Goose River. (Another backcountry tip: Bring different meals for different days, so that if one fails, you have viable alternatives for following days. Some foods are more foolproof than others; for example, oatmeal.) So, we decided to retrace our footsteps to the Foster Brook parking lot, rather than continue to the Marven Lake trail, as Dale and I had done in May.

After eating and packing up, we hiked out of the camping area and back up the trail. We ran into a handful of other hikers on the way; a few hikers had brought their dogs out for a woodland stroll. We stopped for water and a rest at the base of the steep hill, and a chance to take our loads off for a while. Then, we began the ascent to the top of the valley. Needless to say, the return climb was far more strenuous than the initial descent. We stopped several times on the way up the 300-metre (330-yard) incline, and this climb tired us out for the remainder of the hike out. On the way out, we stopped several times for a drink and a breather. I still wonder how we would have felt had we continued to the Marven Lake trail, as the trail between the river ford upriver from the campsites and the Marven Lake trail is every bit as steep, but far longer and more relentless than the first incline.

After our hike out of the gorge and over the rolling terrain on the hilltop, the trailhead was a welcome sight. We placed our gear back in the truck, and rested for a few minutes before driving to the Fundy General Store in Alma for much-needed supplies. We stopped in at the visitor centre on the way to Alma to inform the staff that we would be parking at the Goose River parking lot for the second night, rather than the Foster Brook lot. The lady recognized us from the evening before, and was surprised to see us back so soon. But, she quickly figured out what we were doing there.

After our shopping, we drove back into the park down the Point Wolfe Road, past the Foster Brook trailhead, over the signature red covered bridge to the parking lot for the various trails that depart from Point Wolfe. Trails accessible from this parking lot range in length from the 500-metre (550-yard) Shiphaven to the 10.1 km (6.3 mile) Coastal trail, which leads to Herring Cove and ultimately to Headquarters. We loaded up our gear, and began the Goose River trail.

Before I go on, I must apologize for the current lack of photos from the Goose River leg of the trip. We took many photos on the trail and at camp, but they were taken on Jeremie's camera, and we have yet to transfer them to my computer. I will update the post with the Goose River photos as soon as they are available.

The Goose River trail is almost entirely an old cart track; some sections are gravelly, and others are grassy. At its western terminus, the final descent into Goose River is a narrow footpath. The trail as a whole is rated as "difficult" by Parks Canada based on its length (7.9 kilometres (4.9 miles) one way; newer signage indicates slightly longer) and its variable terrain.

The first 1.2 kilometres are shared with the Marven Lake trail. This section is difficult because of a gradual but relentless incline, the difficulty of which is only amplified if the hiker is carrying camping gear, as we were. At the junction with Marven Lake, we continued to the left towards Goose River. The incline became gentler for a short while; a little while afterwards, the trail reached a short flat, then trail went into a series of gentle inclines and declines over a grassy cart track. The trail turned to gravel just as it began to descend into First Mile Brook, 2.4 kilometres (1.5 miles) from Point Wolfe. First and Second Mile Brooks are terrific places to rest and refill water bottles and bladders; the water is clear and cool. However, as any backcountry hiker knows, all surface water should be considered unfit to drink unless adequately boiled (Parks Canada advises boiling for a minimum of ten minutes) or filtered. A hiker's water filter is a terrific asset in the backcountry; I highly recommend one to any prospective backcountry hiker. We used a Katadyn Hiker model; after the initial chemical taste (imparted by cleaning the filter with chemical tablets) was cleared out, the filter output the freshest-tasting water I had ever drunk. I look forward to using it this year to filter the clear, cold waters from the streams and rivers on the Dobson Trail.

After crossing the bridge over First Mile Brook, the trail ascends sharply, then levels out some distance beyond, and for a short time, the trail returns to rolling terrain. Then, after another sharp but relatively short descent, the trail reaches Second Mile Brook at 3.1 kilometres (1.9 miles). This is the last fresh water source before Goose River.

Crossing the bridge over Second Mile Brook, the trail becomes considerably more strenuous for about the next 500-700 metres (550-770 yards). The gravel trail inclines considerably, and immediately after the brook, most of the path is washed out; signs are placed at intervals to warn the park's firewood ATV drivers of the washout. The hiker must walk on the narrow edges of the trail until reaching the top of the hill. At the end of the hill, the trail again becomes grassy, and takes the hiker over gently rolling terrain all the way to Goose River.

At the end of a gentle decline, some 4.8 kilometres (3 miles) beyond Second Mile Brook, the trail reaches the first backcountry campsite at Goose River. Campsite 4, located just off the main trail, is spacious and provides spectacular views of Martin Head and the Bay of Fundy, all while being sheltered from the harsh weather elements that the beach campsites are more vulnerable to. The tent pad, however, while spacious and grassy, is slightly inclined. There are trees all around sites 4 and 5; this would make them ideal for hammock camping. Immediately adjacent to site 4, on the main trail, is the outhouse for sites 4 and 5, and the woodshed for all of Goose River's campsites. Campfires are permitted at every campsite at Goose River, with metal firepits provided on sites 4 and 5, and a stone circle firepit on site 6.

Continuing down the trail, about 30 metres beyond site 4, the trail crosses over a small stream with a pipe protruding from the ground. This is the water source for the Goose River campsites. Next to the water source, a side trail departs to the right; this is the Fundy Footpath access trail. The Fundy Footpath is a very scenic but very strenuous 41.4-kilometre (25.7-mile) footpath through some of the last remaining coastal wilderness on the East Coast. The trail ultimately leads to St. Martins. We plan to hike through and document this trail from west-to-east (St. Martins to Goose River) in the summer of 2018.

Some 20 metres beyond the water source, the trail reaches site 5. This site is very sheltered, with trees all around, but is significantly smaller than, and offers a less spectacular view than, site 4. Continuing down the trail, the final descent into Goose River begins. The trail is very narrow, and descends the hill in a 400-metre (440-yard) series of steep switchbacks. This is the one drawback to site 6; to get firewood or water, the hiker must hike back to the top of the bluff and carry it down.

We reached Goose River in mid-evening; the sun was already below the horizon at this point. We had reserved site 6; however, another party, who had presumably reserved a bluff site, had already set up on the site we had reserved. Thankfully, an old and now defunct campsite existed about 100 metres (110 yards) up the beach, which we could set up on, as we did not have the heart to ask the other party off of site 6. At very least, the other party was social and friendly towards us, so the whole ordeal did not turn out as badly as it could have.

We set up camp, and after a lengthy struggle, the nature of which I do not care to elaborate on, we prepared chili for supper. The beach site, while beautiful, is quite cold, and exposed to the wind. It was quite difficult to start a fire in the stone pit; it took us a few tries to get a stable burn. After supper, we stargazed, walked on the beach, and sat by the fire for the rest of the night. I was the first to go back to the tent and lay down, and I fell asleep very quickly.

The next morning, we woke to a cloudy sky. Goose River was at low tide by this point. The difference in the water level between the previous evening and the morning was amazing; tides in the Bay of Fundy can fluctuate by over 15 metres (49 feet) on strong tides. At low tide, the stony bank of the Goose River shore was fully exposed, and was a very interesting sight. The bank was very steep and at least 7 metres (23 feet) high; it almost looked like an earthen dam.

After taking in the scenery, we prepared our second pancake breakfast, this time with success. By this point, the sun had come out, and the area was absolutely beautiful. After eating breakfast and shooting the breeze for a while longer, we packed our gear, said goodbye to our neighbours, refilled our water bottles, and departed in the early afternoon. The hike out was enjoyable, but uneventful; we stopped at both brooks, rested, took photos, ate some food, and refilled our water bottles. The last kilometre was far easier going down than it was going up.

When we reached Point Wolfe, we discovered a note in the truck window telling us that we had ran over our permitted time on our entry permit. We packed up the truck quickly, and made a beeline to the visitor centre to explain our tardiness. The staff were perfectly understanding, and even allowed us a few minutes to use the washroom and shop around in the park boutique. 

After leaving the park, we went to the Fundy Take-Out, just across the Upper Salmon River from the park entrance, for supper. The Fundy Take-Out is one of my all-time favourite seafood restaurants; the food is excellent, and portion sizes are enormous. The Seafood Platter, which costs around $30 before tax, comes with clams, a fish fillet, scallops, shrimp, a lobster tail (Bay of Fundy lobster are said to be the world's best), and fries. It all turned out to be too much for me to eat in one go, but nonetheless, it was worth every penny after our excursion (or, for that matter, on any occasion).

All in all, this camping weekend is not for the faint of heart. The terrain is challenging to say the least, but the hiking trails are pleasant and the campsites beautiful. I absolutely intend to return to Foster Brook and to Goose River at some point in the future. Next time I go to Goose River, however, I will stay on the bluff, rather than on the beach, and I will spend both nights at Goose River, rather than trek around the park to different campsites. I recommend both campsites, but I also recommend that you make a different choice of food than we chose, and that all members of your party be seasoned hikers, the latter piece of advice I'm sure our friend will strongly agree with. But to that friend, I say on behalf of the three of us, "Congratulations, buddy, you're a survivor of the long hard trail!"

Get out there, log some miles, see some places, and live some stories.

Fundy National Park - Foster Brook Trail

Estimated distance: 10.3 km loop

Date of hike: 2016/05/20

In this post, I will describe the Foster Brook trail and backcountry campsites in Fundy National Park.

This trail had been a subject of great interest for us for years. We had always wanted to hike it and scope out the camp, but were always deterred because oftentimes we were travelling with people who would not have easily handled the more strenuous parts of the trail. Accounts of the trail describe it as very steep and strenuous; the trail leads down a valley wall to reach the Point Wolfe River before continuing upriver towards the campsites. It then continues to a river ford, after which the valley wall must be climbed to reach the western terminus of the trail, which is located along the Marven Lake trail, 3.4 kilometres (2.1 miles) from the parking lot at Point Wolfe, where you will find several trailheads, an expansive beach, a large but mainly unserviced campground, a picnic area, and what is perhaps the signature feature of the area, the Point Wolfe covered bridge.

The trailhead is located along the Point Wolfe Road; the driveway is about 180 metres (200 yards) before the Herring Cove Road and about 6 kilometres (3.7 miles) from the Headquarters area. A short incline leads past an old house and follows a sign to a small parking lot; the trailhead is here, along with a descriptive sign and map, as well as two rubbish bins.

The Foster Brook trailhead.

There is a small sign a few paces from the trailhead; this sign is for the purpose of indicating whether the trail's river ford is passable or not. If the ford is impassable, the sign will state the closure; otherwise, it will be blank.

The trail begins with a ~200 metre (~220 yard) steep incline through a softwood stand; after this, the trail goes uphill at a gentler grade for some distance, and then goes up and down until the crest of the first hill. There are several brooks along the trail, most of which are bridged. One is not bridged, but is rocky, very shallow, and very narrow, so fording is not required. The hiking is typical Fundy upland forest; mixed forest with birch glades at intervals. The birch trees along this trail are very impressive; they are so large and so old that the bark is nearly indistinguishable from the surrounding softwoods.

After hiking through the forest for about 1.6 km (1 mile), you will reach the aforementioned steep descent down the valley wall. The coarse stone trail goes straight down the hill; there are no switchbacks. The hillside section is said to be about 300 metres (330 yd) long; it did not come across as being this long to me, possibly due to the fast, steep descent. The pitch of the hill is about 50%; this is comparable to an alpine ski slope of advanced to expert difficulty.

A metal stake along the trailside; when you reach this marker, you are no more than 50 metres (55 yards) from the crest of the hill.

This trail marker is beyond the metal stake; when you pass this and walk around the bend, you are at the crest of the hill.

The hill, taken from about halfway down.

The hill from near the bottom.

Foster Brook is visible from the hill.

Once you reach the base of the hill, you will find yourself in a forest glade. The Point Wolfe River will be a few paces ahead of you, and Foster Brook a few paces to the right of you. Signs posted here tell you that you are at the Point Wolfe River, 1.9 kilometres (1.2 miles) from the parking lot and 1.3 kilometres from the backcountry campsites. For about the next kilometre (0.6 mile) from this point, you will hike on the floodplain beside the river. The river is always visible, and the hiking is easy, with a few smaller up's and down's along the way. A short distance before reaching the campsites, you will begin to move away from the river and deeper into the forest. There is a small hill along the way.

The campsites are located along a short side trail, on the banks of the river. The side trail is clearly marked by campground signs coming in from both sides.

This sign, placed along the main trail, directs the overnight hiker down the side trail to his forest abode.

Walking down the side trail, you will first walk past the outhouse on the right-hand side; the trail continues toward the river, and after a short distance, you will follow the direction of a sign and make a sharp left turn towards the campsites.

At Foster Brook, only one campsite is reservable; number 10. In previous years, there were three reservable sites; recently, park management reduced the number of reservable sites to give the overnight hiker more privacy. However, sites 8 and 9, while no longer maintained or monitored, are still marked, and may be useful if, for instance, a large crowd were to go out, and more than one tent site were desirable. I only have a photograph of site number 10 due to limited battery life of my cellphone, which I used to take photos. However, I will describe all three sites.

Site 8 is on the side of the trail opposite the river. This site would only hold a very small tent; in my opinion, it barely qualifies as a tent site. It is very small and very uneven. Also, being on the opposite side of the river, one would have to walk a longer distance to get water.

Site 9 is better; there is a lot more space for a tent, but the ground is still uneven. A small stone firepit has been constructed by campers; a few years ago, Parks Canada stopped permitting fires at Foster Brook, and removed the firepits and woodshed that the camp was once furnished with. Another such rudimentary firepit exists at site 10. Sites 9 and 10 are on the side of the trail adjacent the river, and have water access directly behind them.

Site 10 is ideal. It is very flat, and very spacious; it could hold at least 3 small tents. As previously mentioned, it has another small stone firepit, with small benches surrounding it, unlike the other site. The only potential issue with this site is that it is at least 50 metres (55 yards) from the outhouse. This is the only issue in general with the area, is that the outhouse is a considerable distance from any of the three sites. However, all in all, it is a very pleasant, peaceful area to spend a night.

Campsite number 10. Very flat, very spacious, and right on the riverbank. Benches right next to the river. An ideal backcountry campsite.

The outhouse, across the gully from the campsites.

After exploring the campsites for a while, we walked out of the camp and continued west on the trail toward Rat Tail Bar and the Point Wolfe River. While hiking between the campsites and the ford, you will encounter a sharp left turn; if you look straight ahead, perpendicular to the bend, you will notice a very faint trail going up the hill. We went up this faint trail a short distance, and further up the hill, found a clear, unmarked trail heading up the hill and into the woods. This is the Rat Tail trail. Named for the brook of the same name, in past decades, this hiking trail led through the woodland out to the Hastings Road. The campsites were originally called the Rat Tail campsites, and this trail was the only way to access them. However, the trail had some very boggy sections, and eventually fell into disuse. The Foster Brook trail, which originally was a one-way trail that only went as far as Foster Brook, was extended to the campsites, and the campsites were renamed the Foster Brook campsites, despite their closer proximity to Rat Tail Brook and Rat Tail Bar. The extension was completed, and the Rat Tail trail was closed in 1986. The section of the modern-day Foster Brook trail that goes from the river ford to the Marven Lake trail is part of the original Rat Tail trail.

After hiking a short distance, you will come down a short, steep embankment down to a sandbar on the edge of the river. This is where you must ford. The river is typically very shallow; where we forded it, it was no more than knee deep, with a smooth stone riverbed. The ford was very easy, albeit very cold; by the time I made it across, my toes hurt because of the water temperature. On the other end, you will find a sandy shore to stand and dry off. At this point, a sign indicates that you are 4.9 kilometres (3 miles) from Point Wolfe and 6.2 kilometres (3.9 miles) from Marven Lake and its nearby campsites. After drying off, we continued down the trail towards the Marven Lake trail.

This next section is the most strenuous part of the whole hike. For roughly the next kilometre (0.6-0.7 mile) the trail is relentlessly uphill; the first 500 metres (550 yards) are very steep climbing, with occasional deadfall across the entire trail. The trail is very narrow at this point, as well. Physical fitness, copious hydration, and copious nourishment are imperative for this section. The trail goes up the valley wall for a long distance and eventually reaches some relatively flat areas, but then goes uphill again. At the top of the valley, the grade is not as intense, but still challenging after tiring out from the initial climb.

When nearing the Marven Lake trail, more flat spots will be encountered. Eventually, you will come out to a cart road with two signs at the junction. This cart road is the Marven Lake trail. From here, you can walk to Point Wolfe, or to Marven Lake, and spend a night. The Marven Lake trail also connects to the Bennett Brook trail, which will be another story for another day.

Western terminus of the Foster Brook trail.

Slightly outdated distance board from the days of the Rat Tail trail, which must have crossed Foster Brook 6.9 kilometres from the Marven Lake junction. Today, Foster Brook would be crossed about 2.5 kilometres (1.6 miles) from this sign.

Heading towards Point Wolfe, we encountered yet another half kilometre (500-550 yards) of gradual incline, which was an unwelcome sight after the climb out of the river valley. Thankfully, after this incline, the trail is mostly downhill all the way to Point Wolfe. The hiking is very pleasant, and the cart road made for an easy hike.

Marven Lake trail scenery; an old cart path through a very dense mixed forest.

After 2.2 kilometres (1.4 miles), we encountered a junction with a sign; this is the junction with the Goose River trail. We will be hiking this trail in the near future, and I will be writing about the journey. We turned left, and continued towards Point Wolfe. The trail is rocky and all downhill from this point. Along the way, we stopped to admire a waterfall that fell down off the side of the trail. We climbed down the hill and took a nice rest. Some hikers walked by while we were in the ravine with stuffed overnight packs; they were obviously looking forward to a night out at Goose River or Marven Lake.

After a rest, we continued our hike, and arrived at Point Wolfe a short time later. We were hiking a loop that would take us back to the car at the Foster Brook parking lot. We hiked out of Point Wolfe via the Shiphaven trail. This interpretive trail leads from the parking lot to the covered bridge, offering magnificent cliff-top views of the Point Wolfe beach and the cliffs of the point. Along this trail, atop a cliff offering a particularly terrific view, you will find two of Parks Canada's red chairs. These chairs are placed throughout the park at especially stunning locations. Some are placed along main roads, and are obvious; others take more of a quest to find. Parks Canada challenges visitors to find these chairs, take pictures of themselves and their family and friends sitting in them, and share them with Parks Canada on social media. I highly recommend this for an adventure, or for something to do on a camping trip. 

At the end of the Shiphaven trail, we went down the stairs to look out over the river near the covered bridge and the old logging dam. After spending a few minutes here, we climbed the stairs to the road, crossed over the covered bridge, and began the walk on the Point Wolfe Road back to the Foster Brook parking lot. We passed a small lookout with more red chairs and interpretive panels. We also passed the western terminus of the Coastal trail. We walked up the gently inclining road up past the Herring Cove Road to the Foster Brook driveway. After walking up the hill to the lot, we arrived back at the car, concluding our hike.

This hike took us a little under four hours to complete, and we were on the road back to Riverview by 8:00 pm. Overall, this was a strenuous hike, but absolutely worthwhile. I would advise this as a day hike or as an overnight hike for any physically fit individual. The Foster Brook campsites can be reserved in advance by phone or online; because fires are not permitted, campers must present a camp stove when registering.

This summer, we will be spending two nights in the backcountry of Fundy National Park; the first night at Foster Brook, the second night at Goose River. I will write about this trip, and about the Goose River trail and campsites, upon my return.

We are hoping to do several backcountry camping trips and day hikes this summer; there will be writeups about these trips, as well.

Get out there, log some miles, see some places, and live some stories.

Kouchibouguac National Park - Sipu Backcountry Campsites

Estimated distance: 1.3 km one way

Date of hike: 2012/08/08

This writeup will focus on the Sipu primitive camping area in Kouchibouguac National Park, New Brunswick.

We had done online research before going to Sipu in hope of finding information about it and the other backcountry campsites in Kouchibouguac National Park. The research was of no avail as most descriptions of the area are not at all specific. At the time, we could not even find any photos of Sipu. Even today, the backcountry of Kouchibouguac is not nearly as well documented as the backcountry of other Maritime parks like Fundy or Kejimkujik. This post will serve as a more specific description of Sipu and how to reach it.

Sipu has four campsites on the banks of the Kouchibouguac River on top of a small riverside cliff. Its name, Sipu, is a Mi'kmaq word meaning "river." The camp can be accessed either by foot or by water. It is located along the Kouchibouguac River trail, an 11.3-kilometre (7-mile) trail which has trailheads just west of the Patterson shelter and just east of the South Kouchibouguac campground. Both trailheads are along a bicycle trail; however, bicycle traffic is not permitted on the Kouchibouguac River trail. The park's network of bicycle trails joins the trail in three other places; this shortens the trip considerably if you intend to access the camp by foot.

Sipu is also accessible by canoe or kayak. There is a large, rocky beach at the base of the hill on which the campsites sit where boats can land. A trail leads from the beach up the hill to one of the campsites. A large, obvious sign marked "Sipu" stands on the beach to show paddlers where to stop.

As mentioned before, there are four campsites. The first campsite (approaching by foot, heading south on the trail) has a picnic table and firepit. It does not have a particularly large tent pad, however. It is also the furthest site from the well.

First site: sunny with some shade. Not a large tent pad. Notice the roots protruding from the ground.

The next campsite is smaller still, and only has a firepit. You would have to find a vacant site in order to find a picnic table. This would accommodate a small tent.

Second site: not ideal. Poor privacy, small tent pad, no picnic table.

Between these two sites and the next two you will find a bear pole, a firewood shed, and an outhouse; the camp is well laid out with its amenities in a central location.

The next campsite is, unlike the other three, on the left-hand side of the trail. This site is the most private and most shielded site of the four; it also has a decent-sized tent pad. The only potential trouble is that it is only about 7 metres (23 feet) from the outhouse; this may present an odour problem if the wind is blowing from the north or northwest. For the purposes of using the outhouse and other amenities, however, the proximity is helpful.

Third site: fairly spacious, sheltered, and private. However, notice the proximity of the outhouse.

The next campsite is the largest of the four; there is plenty of space for a tent on this site. In addition to the standard picnic table and firepit, this site has a well on it, and a path to the shore leads down from it. This site is ideal for campers arriving by water.

Fourth site: very spacious. This picture does not do the site justice. There is a well pump to the right, outside of the picture, and if you look closely, you can see the path to the boat launch in the back and left-of-centre of the picture.

These campsites are probably the easiest in the park to access by foot; a footbridge over the Kouchibouguac River allows the trail to be accessed from the North Kouchibouguac Road. This route is, for the first 250-300 metres (270-330 yards), shared with a bicycle trail before you turn off onto the foot trail. A sign directs you down this trail to Sipu.

This was about a half-hour hike in. It would, of course, be significantly longer if accessing the trail from any other point. If coming in by water, one of the best starting points would be Ryan's rental shop, which is along the main road on the south bank of the river. You can go to Ryan's and rent a canoe or kayak for your trip if you do not have a boat of your own. Ryan's has a fairly large fleet of boats and a wooden dock in the river. From Ryan's, Sipu would be about a 6.8-kilometre (4.2-mile) paddle.

If you have your own boat, there is a much shorter way to get to the camp. There is a small parking lot located along route 117, about 2.2 kilometres (1.3 miles) past the Tweedie trailhead. You will encounter a small driveway which loops around; there are about a half-dozen parking spaces. This is the parking area for the bicycle trail. A bridge leads over the river; on the other side of the bridge is a raised earthen path in the river. A boat can be launched from this embankment; however, it is at least a 2-man operation, as the sides of the earthen path are steep and the shore is fairly rocky and is not extensive. From this launch point, the paddle is about 1 kilometre (.6 mile).

This was a very easy hike in to a backcountry campsite; I would recommend this site for anyone beginning backcountry camping who would like to ease their way into it, and also for anyone looking to get into canoe or kayak camping. The route that we took was very quick and easy; almost anyone could handle it. 

All in all, a short but great stroll.

Get out there, log some miles, see some places, and live some stories.

Fundy National Park - Moosehorn/Laverty Falls Loop

Listed distance: 7.3 km loop

Date of hike: 2015/06/20

In this post, I will write about the Moosehorn and Laverty Falls trails in Fundy National Park in Alma, New Brunswick.

This loop is comprised of, as previously stated, two separate trails which join ends; Moosehorn and Laverty Falls, which are rated by Parks Canada as difficult and moderate, and are (one-way distance) 4.8 km (3 miles) and 2.5 km (1.6 miles) in length, respectively.

The original plan for this trek was to hike to the Laverty Falls trail in and out to see Laverty Falls, a curtain waterfall in a cool river valley. The waterfall is 12 metres (39 feet) high, and is approximately as wide as it is high. After recent rain it is a spectacular sight, and a magnet for hikers (and, for that matter, swimmers); however, the waterfall dries up fairly quickly, and if you go to see it after an extended period without rain, it may be little more than a trickle of water flowing down a rock wall. I have never seen it dry, but my father has told me that one year he and my mother brought my cousin to the falls after a period of little rain. With the lack of rain, the waterfall looked like, as he described it, a rock wall with a hose running water down from the top. Therefore, it is important that a visit to this location be made not too long after a period of rain.

We drove up the long gravel road that leads to the trailhead. As stated before, we originally intended to access the Laverty Falls by the shorter, easier trail bearing the waterfall's name; however, we ultimately decided to take the more strenuous Moosehorn trail. Only one in our group had ever hiked Moosehorn before, but his memory of it was vague. None of us knew exactly what to expect.

The hike began with a fairly steep downhill incline. After 200 metres (660 feet) we reached a junction sign and a fork in the trail. The first 200 metres are shared with another trail called the Forks; this 3.4 kilometre (2.1 mile) trail leads to the convergence of two rivers into the Upper Salmon River, which comes out in the village of Alma. Part of the river forms a park boundary. An 8.8 kilometre (5.5 mile) trail bearing the river's name leads from the Forks to the Headquarters area, where you will find a large campground, a visitor centre, an expansive beach, a nine-hole golf course, and other amenities.

At the fork, we turned left, continuing Moosehorn. The trail is of moderate difficulty until just before reaching the Broad River; it is all downhill, and is, for the most part, fairly gradual. The major difficulty was the condition of the trail; the route is very rooty, and there are a lot of rock-strewn sections of the trail. It has been noted in the past that the trail is poorly marked; this issue has apparently been remedied by park staff in recent years. On trees, you will see blue trail markers which look quite new. They are very obvious; however, they are sometimes considerable distances apart from one another.

After a while, the trail began to get steeper. This is the beginning of the hiker's descent into the Broad River valley. The trail leads down a steep hillside by a series of switchbacks; the switchbacks are not terribly difficult to descend, but the trail is still fairly steep and narrow.

At the bottom of the hill is a small creek which empties from the forest into the Broad River.

The trail continues into the woods, but you can walk out to the Broad River. The river valley is comprised of beautiful, jagged, light-coloured boulders. There are a lot of waterfalls in this valley, and several are located along the trail.

Large, jagged, beige boulders, a waterfall, and churning water. Typical Broad River scenery.

Myself sitting on the rock, the fellow at the top attempting to photobomb the picture!!

The trail continues; some sections require walking over the rocks. Trail markers are painted in yellow on the rocks in such sections. The trail leads from the rocks back into the woods and then back onto the rocks; this goes on for some distance.

Later, the rocky river becomes more flat, with sandbars jetting out into the river. The trail here is fairly flat with some smaller but sometimes steep hills. It leads along the river all the way to the end, where it joins the Laverty Falls trail.

At one point you will encounter a grassy, open area next to the trail. This is what probably was the site of the Upper Salmon River backcountry camping area. The trail along the river was once a part of the Upper Salmon River trail; backcountry campsites existed along the trail for overnight hikers. These campsites have been in disuse for some time, and are now grown over.

The trail continues to a side trail leading back down to the river; this is where the aforementioned Laverty Falls are located. We went at a perfect time; there was plenty of water, and the falls were a terrific sight.

After taking a break and taking some photos at the falls, we went back up to the trail. We returned to the parking lot by the Laverty Falls trail. This trail, unlike Moosehorn, is unspectacular in and of itself; it only serves as an easier route to the waterfall. It is a gradual climb back up to the parking lot; while there are no steep sections, the uphill grade is almost constant, and it can be tedious and tiresome walking considerable distances uphill after walking Moosehorn. It is, however, much less of an annoyance than would be doing the loop the other way around. The trail passes through the forest; a few small streams cross the trail. The trail is quite muddy; you will frequently run into sections of soft, boggy soil.

We ended at the Laverty Falls trailhead, thus completing the 7.3 kilometre loop. It was certainly longer and more strenuous than the hike we would have done had we stuck with our original plan, but it was absolutely worth the extra effort. I do not hesitate to say that Moosehorn is one of the most beautiful trails in Fundy National Park, and possibly the most beautiful trail I have ever hiked to date. If you are capable of a challenging hike, you should absolutely give Moosehorn a shot.


I will write again soon about a hike which took us to a backcountry camping area in New Brunswick's other national park, Kouchibouguac.


Get out there, log some miles, see some places, and live some stories.