Active Pursuits in Fundy National Park
The park maintains miles and miles of scenic trails for hikers and walkers, with good signage and stairs where necessary. These range from a 20-minute loop to a 4-hour trek, and they pass through varied terrain. The trails are arranged such that several can be linked into a full 48km (30-mile) backpacker's loop, dubbed the Fundy Circuit (which typically requires 3 to 5 nights camping in the backcountry; preregistration is required, so check in at the visitor center if you're serious about doing it).
Among the most accessible hikes is the Dickson Falls with a short route of 1km (under a mile) and a slightly longer one of 1.5km (1 mile). Many steps lead to a mossy, cool ravine and a boardwalk up to the waterfall. Interpretive signs educate about the special ecosystem in and around the brook, like the flying squirrels that dig up mushrooms and spread the spores which in turn grow into new mushrooms that provide nutrients for the trees.
The Third Vault Falls Trail is an 8km (5-mile), in-and-back hike that takes you to the park's highest waterfall (it's about 14m/46 ft. high). The trail is largely a flat stroll through leafy woodlands -- until you begin a steady descent into a mossy gorge. You round a corner and there you are, suddenly facing the cataract. How cool is that?
All the park's trails are covered in the visitors' guide you receive when you pay your entry fee at the gatehouse.
Biking in Fundy National Park
The roads east of Alma offer superb bicycling terrain, at least if you get off busy Route 114. Especially appealing is Route 915 from Riverside-Albert to Alma; combined with a detour to Cape Enrage, it makes for lovely touring. Along this scenic road you'll pedal through rolling farmland and scattered settlements, past vistas of salt marshes (as well as the wonderfully named Ha Ha Cemetery). The hills here look low, but they get steep in spots and require a serious grind at times; you should be in reasonable shape. Route 915 runs for about 27km (17 miles) in all; the detour to Cape Enrage adds about 13km (8 miles).
Also note that the park allows mountain biking on six trails: Goose River, Marven Lake, Black Hole, Bennett Brook (to the top of Point Wolfe valley), East Branch (must take right-hand side trail only, and return from river on same path), and Maple Grove. These first two trails are steep; be prepared.
Outdoor Elements (tel].506/433-3060) headquartered in Sussex at 597 Main St., rents mountain bikes at Chignecto South at Fundy National Park as well as fat bikes and snowshoes for winter fun. Open mid-May through September and in the winter when the snow flies.
