Active Pursuits

The province has put together a well-conceived campaign called "Experience New Brunswick" to encourage visitors of all budgets to explore its outdoor attractions and activities. The travel guide also outlines dozens of multi-day and day adventures ranging from a C$10 (US$8) guided hike at Fundy National Park to C$276 (US$221) biking packages that include inn accommodations and gourmet dinners. For more information on the program, call tel. 800/561-0123.

I'd recommend that readers with an adventurous bent look closely at the outdoor center at Cape Enrage, where you can canoe, rappel, rock climb, and kayak in a dramatic coastal setting.

Backpacking -- Among the best destinations for a backcountry tromp are Mount Carleton Provincial Park and Fundy National Park, both of which maintain backcountry sites.

Bicycling -- The islands and peninsulas of Passamaquoddy Bay lend themselves nicely to cruising in the slow lane -- especially Campobello, which also has good dirt roads for mountain biking. Grand Manan holds appeal for cyclists, although the main road (Rte. 776) has narrow shoulders and fast cars. Some of the best coastal biking is around Fundy National Park -- especially the back roads to Cape Enrage, and the Fundy Trail Parkway, an 11km (6.75-mile) multiuse trail that hugs the coast west of the national park. Along the Acadian Coast, Kouchibouguac National Park has limited but unusually nice biking trails through mixed terrain (rentals available).

A handy guide is Biking to Blissville, by Kent Thompson. It covers 35 rides in the Maritimes, and costs C$15 (US$12). Contact Goose Lane Editions, 469 King St., Fredericton, NB E3B 1E5 (tel. 888/926-8377 or 506/450-4251).

Bird-Watching -- Grand Manan is among the province's most noted destinations for birders, located smack on the Atlantic flyway. (John James Audubon lodged here when studying local bird life more than 150 years ago.) Over the course of a year, as many as 275 species are observed on the island, with September typically the best month for sightings. It's not hard to swap information with other birders. On the ferry, look for excitable folks with binoculars and Tilley hats dashing from port to starboard and back, and talk to them. Boat tours from Grand Manan will bring you to Machias Seal Island, with its colonies of puffins, Arctic terns, and razorbills.

On Campobello Island, the mixed terrain also attracts a good mix of birds, including sharp-shinned hawk, common eider, and black guillemot. Ask for a checklist and map at the visitor center. Shorebird enthusiasts flock to Shepody Bay National Wildlife Area, which maintains preserves in the mud flats between Alma (near Fundy National Park) and Hopewell Cape. Also offering excellent birding is the marsh that surrounds Sackville, near the Nova Scotia border.

Canoeing -- New Brunswick has 3,500km (2,200 miles) of inland waterways, plus lakes and protected bays. Canoeists can find everything from glass-smooth waters to daunting rapids. In Kouchibouguac National Park, for example, there is a rental and tour concession based at Ryans Recreational Equipment Rental Centre (tel. 506/876-8918) from mid-May to mid-September. More experienced canoeists looking for a longer expedition should head to the St. Croix River on the U.S. border, where you can embark on a multi-day paddle trip and get lost in the woods, spiritually if not in fact.

Fishing -- The Miramichi River has long attracted anglers both famous and obscure, lured by the wily Atlantic salmon. In some considered opinions, this ranks among the best salmon rivers in the world, although diminished runs have plagued this river in recent years as they have all rivers in the Maritimes. Salmon must be caught on flies, and nonresidents need to hire a guide to go after salmon. For other freshwater species, including bass, and saltwater angling, the restrictions are less onerous. Get up to date on the rules and regulations by requesting copies of two brochures: "Sport Fishing Summary" and "Atlantic Salmon Angling." These are available from Fish and Wildlife, P.O. Box 6000, Fredericton, NB E3B 5H1.

Golf -- In St. Andrews, the Algonquin hotel's newly expanded golf course is a beauty -- easily among Eastern Canada's top ten, right behind the bigger-name stars on Cape Breton Island and Prince Edward Island. It features nine newer inland holes (the front nine), and then nine older seaside holes that become increasingly spectacular as you approach the point of land separating New Brunswick from Maine. (All 18 of them are challenging, so bring your "A" game.) Service and upkeep are impeccable here, and there's both a snack bar on premises and a roving club car with sandwiches and drinks. Greens fees are C$105 to C$125 (US$84-US$100) for 18 holes, lessons are offered, and there's a short-game practice area in addition to a driving range; call tel. 888/460-8999 or 506/529-8165 for tee times. In Fredericton, Kingswood (tel. 800/423-5969 or 506/443-3333; www.nbgolf.ca/golf.php) was recognized by Golf Digest as the best new Canadian golf course in 2003. It features 27 holes, a par-3 course, and a double-ended driving range.

Hiking -- The province's highest point is in the center of the woodlands region, at Mount Carleton Provincial Park. Several demanding hikes in the park yield glorious views. There's also superb hiking at Fundy National Park, with a mix of coastal and woodland hikes on well-marked trails. The multiuse, 11km (6.75-mile) Fundy Trail Parkway has terrific views of the coast and is wheelchair accessible. Grand Manan is a good destination for independent-minded hikers who enjoy the challenge of finding the trail as much as the hike itself.

An excellent resource is A Hiking Guide to New Brunswick, published by Goose Lane Editions. It's C$15 (US$12) and available in bookstores around the province, or directly from the publisher (469 King St., Fredericton, NB E3B 1E5; tel. 888/926-8377 or 506/450-4251).

Sea Kayaking -- The huge tides that make kayaking so fascinating along the Bay of Fundy also make it exceptionally dangerous -- even the strongest kayakers are no match for a fierce ebb tide if they're in the wrong place. Fortunately, the number of skilled sea-kayaking guides has boomed in recent years.

Among the most extraordinary places to explore is Hopewell Rocks. The rocks stand like Brancusi statues on the ocean floor at low tide but offer sea caves and narrow channels to explore at high tide. Baymount Outdoor Adventures (tel. 877/601-2660 or 506/734-2660) offers 90-minute sea kayak tours of Hopewell Rocks for C$55 (US$44) adults, C$45 (US$36) children. Other kayak outfitters along the Fundy Coast include FreshAir Adventure (tel. 800/545-0020 or 506/887-2249) in Alma, and Seascape (tel. 866/747-1884 or 506/747-1884) in Deer Island.

Swimming -- Parts of New Brunswick offer wonderful ocean swimming. The best beaches are along the Acadian Coast, especially near Shediac and in Kouchibouguac National Park. The water is much warmer and the terrain more forgiving along the Gulf of St. Lawrence than the Bay of Fundy.

Whale-Watching -- The Bay of Fundy is rich with plankton, and therefore rich with whales. Some 15 types of whales can be spotted in the bay, including finback, minke, humpback, the infrequent orca, and the endangered right whale. Whale-watching expeditions sail throughout the summer from Campobello Island, Deer Island, Grand Manan, St. Andrews, and St. George. Any visitor information center can point you in the right direction; the province's travel guide also lists many of the tours, which typically cost around C$40 to C$50 (US$32-US$40) for 2 to 4 hours of whale-watching.