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.