Hopewell Rocks

Located on the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick, Hopewell Rocks offers multiple experiences, from admiring the towering sandstone stacks that are known as the Flowerpot Rocks when the tide is out then, just hours later, watching those same formations turn into islands as their bases are submerged under the rising ocean. Adventure outfitters offer kayaking tours during high tide, while other tour operators offer low-tide experiences, such as dining on the ocean floor. Hopewell Rocks is also included in many sightseeing tours along the Bay of Fundy.

• There is an admission fee to visit Hopewell Rocks, which is valid for two consecutive days and is paid at Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park.

• Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park has a visitor center where you can learn about the science behind the tides.

• A wheelchair-accessible trail leads from the visitor center to the ocean floor and a shuttle bus is also available for a small fee.

Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park is around a 35-minute drive south of Moncton, the biggest city in New Brunswick, or about a 2-hour drive east of Saint John. Public transportation is scarce, so it’s advisable to book a guided tour if you don’t have your own wheels.

The best time to visit Hopewell Rocks depends on the tides. Check the tide times before heading out: you can find them online or at any tourist attraction around Hopewell Cape. You can only walk alongside the rocks at low tide, but at high tide the tops of the rocks can be seen from the forested trails in Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park. The park is open to visitors from May through October.

You can channel your inner paleontologist by searching for fossils at Hopewell Rocks. When the tide is out, keep your eyes peeled for fossilized flora and fauna along the exposed cliffs and rocks. Over hundreds of millions of years the region has been an incubator of creatures big and small.