A drive to New Brunswick’s Fundy Trail Parkway is more appealing than ever. Thanks to a series of new roads that opened in 2021, you can now drive straight through the park from Saint Martins and onward to Fundy National Park. This creates a contiguous route along New Brunswick’s Bay of Fundy coast. It makes for a spectacular road trip.
The Fundy Trail Parkway is a very customizable drive. You can spend an hour or a full day here, depending on your goals and interests. There are 21 lookouts, five beaches, four waterfalls, and more sights to explore along this 30-kilometre stretch of road.
Here are our suggestions for the can’t miss points of interest along the way. We haven’t focused on the lookouts here. All 21 are an easy pull-out off the parkway, and every single one offers spectacular views. Instead, we’ve noted the places we found were the best for longer stops during our visit. These are our favourites, but there’s so much more to explore!
The Fundy Trail Parkway is part of our New Brunswick Bay of Fundy road trip >
Interpretive Centre at Big Salmon River
No matter what else you decide to check out within the park, be sure to stop at the Interpretive Centre. Here, you can watch a short film explaining this area’s logging history. You can also take in beautiful views of the Big Salmon River. A short walk to the suspension bridge offers a fun experience. Expect to spend a couple of hours in this sector. Add more time if you’d like to stop at the Cookhouse for lunch.
Long Beach
This is the most accessible beach along the Fundy Trail Parkway. The parking area is located right next to the beach. It’s easy to jump out of the car and explore the expansive beach area and take in the stunning views.
Walton Glen Gorge
If you only take one hike while you’re visiting the Fundy Trail Parkway, make it this one. Walton Glen Gorge is a large and scenic canyon, and the 2.3-kilometre hike leads to an observation deck with spectacular vistas. The hike involves some stairs and light hills. It’s not accessible, but it could be considered light-intermediate. Two of the park’s four waterfalls are in this sector, so it’s worth spending a good portion of your time here.
A few things to note about the Fundy Trail Parkway
The Fundy Trail Parkway is not a 24-hour road. It has specific days and hours when it’s open, and it’s gated when it’s closed. A per-person admission fee is charged to access the parkway. There are no camping facilities or accommodations offered on site. You’ll need to continue to your next destination before the gates close.
The flowerpot formation at Fownes Head collapsed in a storm in February 2022. This is marked as Point of Interest 1 on some versions of the Fundy Trail Parkway map.
A canteen is available at the Cookhouse where you can pick up a simple lunch. If you have specific dietary needs, we recommend packing a picnic and bringing it with you.
Find an itinerary for our New Brunswick Bay of Fundy road trip here >
