Hike the Fundy Trail Parkway and track down the loggers

Hiking at the Fundy Trail Parkway

We go hiking on the Fundy Trail Parkway. The Bay of Fundy is one of the spectacular natural highlights in Canada's Atlantic provinces. No wonder with a difference in tides that almost completely empties the entire bay. Here the sea behaves differently than at that New Brunswick's. Twice a day the whole bay between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia runs out, and the red seabed lies open until the tide brings the water back again. In order to really be able to observe this, you need time or drive to places where nature has left impressive witnesses to the power of water, such as the Hopewell Rocks. Another place where you can see this well is this Glooscap Trail.

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Detour to the Fundy Trail Parkway

We are en route for a full week from the west end of the bay at St. Andrews-by-the-Sea to the east of the bay, where it extends south to Nova Scotia. We take time for a detour to the Fundy Trail Parkway, which is built east of St. Martins to the western border of Fundy National Park. We can either drive along this route by car and stop at ever new views. If you have more time than we can, you can hike the whole route or part of it or - in summer - take a shuttle bus.

Treppauf - Treppab at Fundy Bay © Copyright Monika Fuchs, TravelWorldOnline — Upstairs - downstairs at Fundy Bay

Foggy mood on the Bay of Fundy

We are not very lucky with the weather and can guess the views of the bay more than we can see them. Thick fog obscures the view. Nevertheless, we stop at viewpoints on the way to get an impression. When designing the route, special emphasis was placed on changing nature as little as possible. Therefore we climb down wooden stairs that have simply been laid on the ground. The view of the waterfall, which falls over the cliffs here, is impressive even in fog. How nice does it have to look in the sunshine?

In such places the tree trunks were collected © Copyright Monika Fuchs, TravelWorldOnline — The tree trunks were collected in such places

Lumberjack on the Bay of Fundy

The weather gods don't mean it well with us on the Fundy Trail Parkway that day. So we prefer to look at the exhibitions on the history of logging along the way. Once upon a time, men felled the trees in the surrounding forests. They often lived and worked for months in simple camps along the coast. Because this region has only been accessible for a short time. Their lives were isolated and dangerous. In an accident - and it was not uncommon - they were left on their own. Quick outside help was not possible.

They felled the trees in autumn and transported them to the region's streams and rivers during the winter months. It was no easy undertaking, as the trunks had to be pulled through dense forest and bush to the water. When the meltwater swelled the rivers in the spring, the most dangerous part of the work began. Then the logs were transported in the watercourses to the coast. There they were picked up by boats and shipped on for processing. In some cases, the trunks were cut into boards on site.

Waterfall at the Bay of Fundy © Copyright Monika Fuchs, TravelWorldOnline — Waterfall at Fundy Trail Parkway

In the visitor center we finally watch a film about that time. It shows clearly what life was like in the logging camps. We decide to come back with hopefully better weather. Then we want to get to know the landscape and the views on the Fundy Trail Parkway on the Bay of Fundy.

Further information:

The Fundy Trail
3 Fundy Trail Parkway
Salmon River NB E5R 1W4
Canada