Fundy National Park and Kouchibouguac National Park, New Brunswick:

From the 19th century onwards, most of New Brunswick was extensively logged, including the land now enclosed by Fundy National Park (prior to assuming National Park status). Even today, much of the land outside the park is logged by New Brunswick's rapacious forestry industry. As a result, Fundy National Park has become an ecological island in a sea of resource development. The park safeguards only a relatively small piece of land which means that the viability of wildlife and flora in the park is tenuous. The scenic qualities of Fundy National Park are rather modest; unlike the Canadian Rockies or the American West, this is not a visually spectacular place, but it contains important natural characteristics that compelled the Canadian government to set it aside as a National Park in 1948.

The park consists of forested highlands (known as the Caledonian Highlands) and the Bay of Fundy coast. The forest that covers the Caledonian Highlands is referred to as the Acadian forest and it contains a mix of red spruce, birch, maples, and balsam fir. This forest is a transition between the evergreen boreal forests of the North and the deciduous hardwood forests of the South. Due to the logging activity that took place here before it was established as a National Park, most of Fundy's trees are less than eighty years old. The soil in the park is thin, stony, and generally of poor quality. A series of hiking trails criss cross the forested backcountry, allowing for an intimate exploration of river valleys and the Acadian forest.

Fundy National Park is famous for its tides which are among the highest in the world, with an average height of 30 feet. In one area of the Bay of Fundy, the tides reach as high as 52 feet. The are several reasons for such exceptional tides. The Bay of Fundy is like a narrow funnel which channels the powerful waters of the Atlantic ocean and creates potent tidal activity. Also, the gravitational pull of the sun and the moon acts as a catalyst for tidal fluctuation. The tides here change twice a day. The difference in water levels between low tide and high tide is quite dramatic. Steep cliffs have been carved out by the constant action of the tides.

The range of activities in the park is quite extensive. There are hiking trails that explore both the Fundy coast and the forested highlands. The park also has tennis courts, lawn bowling greens, a heated salt-water swimming pool, and even a golf course. Beautiful Lake Bennett provides a scenic and relaxing canoeing experience. Wildlife, including bear and moose, may be spotted along hiking trails or the main park road.

Kouchibouguac National Park is New Brunswick's other National Park and it offers recreational pursuits alongside interesting ecological features. Like Fundy, the park's scenery can hardly compare with such heavyweight titans like Yosemite, Grand Canyon, or Banff, but there are some attractive natural features here, including salt marshes, bogs, rivers, lagoons, grassy meadows, and thick forests. The topography on this part of the New Brunswick coastline is extremely flat. Curious birds like the tern and the endangered piping plover can be spotted in certain areas of the park.

Outstanding aspects of Kouchibouguac include a series of elongated sand spits in Kouchibouguac Bay that lie a short distance off the mainland. These sand bars and barrier islands help to soften the turbulent effects of the sea. They also provide a protective barrier to a rich system of lagoons, salt-water marshes and estuaries. Kelly's Beach is a popular swimming and sunbathing area located on one of the largest sand spits. Further inland, the Acadian Forest covers much of the landscape while elsewhere, bogs consisting of sphagnum moss and small shrubs occupy about one-fifth of the park. Numerous opportunities for cycling, swimming, canoeing, hiking, and other physical activities exist throughout this well-maintained preserve.

Recommended Day Hikes:
Caribou Plain Trail - Fundy National Park
Round Trip Length: 2.1 miles
Trailhead location: Off route 114 just south of Bennett Lake
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Attractions: Part of this self-guided interpretive trail is on a boardwalk. Along the way you will see a beaver pond, a large bog, evergreens and hardwoods

Dickson Falls Trail - Fundy National Park
Round Trip Length: 1.0 miles
Trailhead location: Just off Point Wolfe Road
Level of Difficulty: Moderate
Attractions: Pleasant hike along a water brook with mixed forest, ferns, mosses, and a scenic waterfall at trail's end

Kinnie Brook Trail - Fundy National Park
Round Trip Length: 1.8 miles
Trailhead location: Off route 114 about 4 miles south of Bennett Lake
Level of Difficulty: Moderate
Attractions: This hike goes through a steep valley with a lush, emerald-green forest and a disappearing stream

Coastal Trail - Fundy National Park
Round Trip Length: 4.0 miles
Trailhead location: Just off Point Wolfe Road
Level of Difficulty: Strenuous
Attractions: As it passes through a dense coastal forest and skirts numerous ridge tops, this hike offers nice views of the coast

Kelly's Beach Trail - Kouchibouguac National Park
Round Trip Length: 0.6 miles
Trailhead location: Kelly's Beach parking lot
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Attractions: Beautiful sand dunes and lagoons are the main attractions along this short walk to Kelly's Beach. The hike can be extended by walking down the sand spit in either direction from Kelly's Beach

Bog Trail - Kouchibouguac National Park
Round Trip Length: 1.2 miles
Trailhead location: The trail is marked and is located off the park road just past the South Kouchibouguac campground on the south side of the Kouchibouguac River
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Attractions: This nature trail leads into a spectacular bog with stunted evergreens, thick mosses, and small shrubs. A boardwalk allows access into this mosquito infested microsystem. A viewing tower offers panoramic views of the bog and surrounding forest

Recommended Points of Interest:
Kelly's Beach (Kouchibouguac National Park); Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park; Bennett Lake - for nice canoeing (Fundy National Park); Point Wolfe (Fundy National Park); Matthews Head Lookout (Fundy National Park); Kouchibouguac River (Kouchibouguac National Park)

Helpful travel tips and observations
During the spring and summer, mosquitos and other biting insects can be a real nuisance, so come prepared with proper clothing, netting, and insect repellant. The pace of life out here is unhurried and relaxed, therefore take your time visiting the area and be sure to check out some of the quaint and picturesque towns that lie between the two parks. Many excellent bed and breakfast establishments cater to visting tourists. My own recommendation is the superb Jardine's Inn located in Rexton, NB: http://www.jardinesinn.com/

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