Autumn Hiking during New Brunswick’s Fall Foliage

Every year beginning in September and lasting into October, New Brunswick, on Canada’s east coast, offers a spectacular fall foliage show. Whether it is hiking through the woods or spending an afternoon in one of the province’s many parks, there is something to enjoy for people of all ages. Walking through one of the many hiking trails in New Brunswick, one can enjoy the vibrant colors of the many types of trees and bushes along with the clean crisp fall air. New Brunswick’s capital city of Fredericton has an inner city trail system with lots of trees that offer spectacular fall foliage. The Bay of Fundy area offers many hiking and biking trails, which run along the bay to enhance the fall foliage experience. Fundy National Park offers over 100 km (60 miles) of hiking trails and cycling paths. The Hopewell Rocks area offers a great area to enjoy spectacular fall colors alongside the world’s highest tides. In the northern part of the province the fall foliage season begins a bit earlier than the southern part. Mt. Carlton in the northern interior offers a great scenic hiking experience along the provinces’ highest peak. The Acadian region and the Miramichi region offer many hiking trails where one can view scenic fall foliage colors.

There are many different types of fall colors. Fall leaves will turn from green to red, orange, yellow and colors in between. There are various types of trees in the Canadian Maritime region as well. They range from different types of maple trees, elm, oak, birch and aspen. The timing of fall foliage colors depends on the region and species of trees. Also, a cold spell or heavy rain in early autumn can speed the fall foliage process somewhat. Usually the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend in early October is the peak fall foliage period in southern New Brunswick.

The fall foliage season is not limited to only New Brunswick. The province borders on the New England region of the United States and the provinces of Nova Scotia and Quebec. New England fall foliage is famous. Many of these regions also offer fall foliage tours. There are numerous hiking trails and parks in these regions as well. If you are prepared you can even do some fall camping, but beware, the evenings can dip to slightly below the freezing mark into October, especially in northern regions. The region also offers many motels, chalets and bread and breakfasts if you plan on spending a few days enjoying a specific region. You may only be interested in exploring a hiking trail close to home and chances are there are some close by that you can spend a morning or afternoon at. Either way if you want to experience autumn fall foliage and its beauty get on your hiking shoes and enjoy one of nature’s finest shows.

If you live in or have visited Saint John, New Brunswick you likely would have taken notice of the many trails in an around the city that offer a paradise for hikers and cyclists.
I personally have probably hiked the majority of them and frequent them often. There is no better way to clear the mind and get exercise than to walk through the many kilometers of trails combined in various parks in Saint John.

Rockwood Park is located just five minutes from the city center and offers many trails and 10 fresh water lakes. The park has 2,200 acres that has a web of paved as well as gravel and dirt trials. This is ideal for hiking and biking. I have hiked throughout the park many times and never grow tired of it. A few friends of mine bike though the trails often. In addition the park offers swimming, cross-country skiing and skating. There is even a golf course and a zoo in the outer part of the park.

Another favorite of mine is the Irving Nature Park. Overlooking the Bay of Fundy, this wooded area offers over 20 kilometers (12 miles) of nature trails. It also boasts long sandy beaches as well as as abundant wildlife including harbour seals, porpoises and hundreds of species of birds. I never get tired of walking the perimeter trail that takes you around the peninsula in a little over an hour. You can stop and sit on a beach along the way while inhaling the aroma of salt-water breezes. After your hike you can stop and enjoy a barbeque at one of the rest stops and enjoy close by lookout points overlooking the Bay of Fundy. You can also walk shorter trails throughout the park. There is a dirt road that takes you along the perimeter of the park if you prefer to bike. Best of all entrance to the park is free of charge.
There are a few other smaller parks that offer hiking trails throughout the city. Mispec Park on the eastern tip of the city offers 5km of hiking trails (3 miles) along the Bay of Fundy. Mispec also has a sandy beach to walk along when the tide permits. Harbour Passage in the city center connects the north side of the city to the downtown with a safe walking, running and biking trail. It has over 3 kilometers of paved trial that is also wheel chair accessible. Harbour Passage will soon be part of the Trans Canada Trail. I love walking the Harbour Passage trail, although for me, it is not a hard-core hike. It does offer a good walk for people of all ages and people with disabilities.
In addition to trails in the city, the towns of Quispamsis and Grand Bay-Westfield offer hiking and walking trials as well. There are lots of spots in and around Saint John to get out and get some exercise and help clear the mind. Go take a hike.

If you live in Fredericton, New Brunswick, or have even been there, you have probably noticed the hiking/biking trial that loops around the city and the St. John River. Fredericton is the provincial capital and is lined with trails and parks.

The finished portion of the Trans Canada Trail in the area, also known as the NB Trail Route # 1, begins at the village of Millville and runs through hardwood forests with a few small villages mixed in. Meeting up with the Keswick River in Zealand the trail generally follows the river course to the St. John River in Douglas. Then you continue along this magnificent river to Fredericton where you can cross to the south shore on the longest converted train bridge in North America and continue on to the town of Oromocto. Fredericton has over 80 kilometers (50 miles) of cleared trails set aside for walking, hiking and bicycling. With 25 trails offering a variety of urban, suburban, and wilderness environments, Fredericton has one of the premier trail systems in Canada. The city trail system invites walkers, runners and bikers. It even touches the city core, which allows enthusiasts to stop for a quick lunch or a drink at many restaurants and shops.

I biked this trail a few years ago and was not able to finish it due to the length of it but hope to get back there to cycle the whole trail. It is definably one of the best inner city trails in North America. Odell Park in the city center is also a great spot with picnic areas, open spaces, and hiking trials within. If you love the great outdoors within a scenic small city then Fredericton is the place to be.

Hiking is very popular in Fundy National Park, with over 100 kilometers of trails, rugged terrain and scene views, it is an amazing place. The trails range from easy to a demanding 50-kilometre circuit around the park. You can hike most trails all year around.

The park is located near the village of Alma on Provincial Highway 114 in the southern region of New Brunswick on the Bay of Fundy. From Moncton take the 114 to Alma or the 2 to the 114. From St. John take the 2 to the 114 into the park. From Fredericton take the 2 to the 114. The park is approximately 80km from Moncton.

The park has over 100 km of trails ranging from short hikes to extended 50 kilometers circuits. The parks terrain is easy and gently in some areas, and rolling to mountainous in others, so you'll find trails for every skill level.

Bennet Brook Trail: Intermediate Expert, 6km.
Black Hole Trail: Intermediate, 5.5km.
Caribou Plain Trail: Easy, 3.4km.
Coastal Trail: Expert, 3.2km.
Coppermine Trail: Intermediate, 4.4km.
Dickson Falls Trail: Easy-Intermediate, 1.5km.
Foster Brook Trail: Expert, 1.9km.
Goose River Trail: Expert, 7.9km.
Herring Cove Beach Trail: Intermediate, 0.5km.
Kinnie Brook Trail: Intermediate, 1.4km.
Laverty Falls: Intermediate, 2.5km.
Marvin Lake Trail: Expert, 8km
Matthews Head Trail: Intermediate, 4.5km.
Moosehorn Trail: Expert, 2.2km.
Shipaven Trail: Easy, 0.5km.
The Forks Trail: Expert, 3.4km.
Third Vault Falls Trail: Expert, 3.7km
Tracey Lake Trail: Intermediate, 4.2km.
Upper Salmon River Trail: Intermediate, Expert, 8.5 or 10.5km.
Whitetail Trail: Intermediate-Expert, 10.3km.

So anyone up for a good hike? Or, want to tell us about your hiking experiences please do.

Welcome to the Irving Nature Park located in Saint John, New Brunswick along the Bay of Fundy coastline. Hi my name is Chuck, and my friend is Steve. We often enjoy hiking the trail. It is a great workout, both physically and mentally as well. It is a great time for us to chat, share our ideas about the next article we are going to write, or what ideas we can come up with. (In fact the idea for this website was born during one of our hikes at the nature park). However the best part is we have fun, joke around and have great time. We are always looking for people to come along with us. We are going to keep updating the blog on hikes we are doing. So please come back for updates on a regular basics. Hope to see you there.

The Irving nature park has 8 nature trails through a restored ecosystem that are open to hiking, and here is the best part it is free. Some of the park's natural charms are its long sandy beaches and well-groomed woodlands, great for back packing and hiking. Over 20 kilometers of nature trails clearly marked for ease of access. You can also view the Bay of Fundy's ecosystem and get to see whales, fish, mussels, mollusks, whelks, periwinkles, sea urchins, harbor seals, starfish, and meet some really nice people. With its BBQ pits and family areas the park makes a great day for all.

Points of interest: Boardwalk over a salt marsh, lookout decks
Other activities: Wildlife viewing, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing

How to find the Irving Nature Park? In Saint John, take Exit 107 South off Highway 1, and then go south on Bleury St. to Sand Cove Road. Turn right onto Sand Cove Road, and continue to the Irving Nature Park.