Cliffs of Fundy GeoPark was just designated UNESCO site.
Old Wife Cliffs/ Photo Credit: Cliffs of Fundy Geo Park
The Cliffs of Fundy Geopark stretches 125 kilometres, with about 40 designated sites from Debert to the Three Sisters cliffs past Eatonville — and out to Isle Haute in the Bay of Fundy.
See the world’s highest tides and Canada’s oldest dinosaur fossils, while exploring stunning landscapes that are steeped in Mi’kmaq and Acadian legends. Here are 50 things to do when you are visiting Fundy GeoPark.
Colchester County Area
Cliffs of Fundy Welcome Centre
See where the oldest dinosaur fossils in Canada were found and learn about how Nova Scotia’s unique geology was created. The pictures, films and interpretive explores the history and culture of the area from Lower Truro to Apple River. It is a great place to start your journey as they offer so much information about Fundy GeoPark.
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3246 Highway 2, Economy
That Dutchman’s Farm, Animal & Nature Park
Credit: That Dutchman’s Cheese Farm
There is more than just cheese for you to see at That Dutchman’s Farm. Their Animal & Nature Park offers a wonderful break from driving and allows you to get up close and personal with local and exotic animals. Make sure to stop into the cheese shop to sample some cheese and buy some grain and corn.
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4595 Highway 2, Upper Economy
Economy Falls Trail
Go on an amazing adventure when you hike the Economy Falls Trail and view the beauty of one of Nova Scotia’s largest waterfalls. It is an easy to moderate trail of gravel and dirt paths that leads to 186 very steep stairs that you must descend to make it to the base of the wonderous falls.
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River Phillip Road, Economy
Thomas Cove Coastal Reserve
The trails at Thomas Cove Coastal Reserve have spectacular, panoramic views of the Cobequid Mountains, Five Islands, and the south shore of the Minas Basin. If you go at low tide, you will see red sandstone rocks, cliffs, and ledges that are exposed by the famous Bay of Fundy tides. You can even walk along the dune-like sand formations that the tide formed on the ocean floor.
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654 Economy Point Road, Five Island
Five Island Lighthouse Park
Take a tour of the historic Five Island Lighthouse and climb to the top, so you can experience the breathtakingly spectacular view from it’s top deck. The park has areas for walking, picnicking, fun games, and relaxation as well as a gift shop with modestly priced souvenirs.
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96 Broderick Lane, Five Island
Old Wife at Five Islands Provincial Park
We couldn’t mention Five Islands Provincial Park without bringing up Old Wife. It is one of the most striking coastal vistas and one of the best exposures of the breakup of Pangea over 200 million years ago. You can clearly see where the lava cooled and the sediments were swept away.
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618 Bentley Branch Road, Five Island
Bass Barn Fishing Charter & Tours
Take in the sights from the Minas Basin and see what you can reel in with Bass Barn Fishing Charter & Tours. Economy and Five Islands Provincial Park from the water are simply stunning. You can even catch glimpses of Atlantic Dolphins and Sunfishes.
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432 Highway 2, Lower Five Island
Go Clam Digging
Fresh seafood is an iconic Nova Scotia treat, and you can dig your own clams around the Bay of Fundy. One of the best locations to dig clams is Five Island Provincial Park. All you need is a bucket, a shovel, and patience.
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618 Bentley Branch Road, Five Island
Londonderry Iron Mines
Nova Scotia is not just home to fossils and coal, it also had high quality iron ore. During the late 1800’s Londonderry was busy mining iron. To celebrate the town’s mining history, the memorial park was created with iron mining tools. The park is located just off Highway 4.
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Londonderry Provincial Park, 1776 Station Road, Londonderry
Mi’kmawey Debert Interpretive Trail
From an ice-age landscape with mastodons, caribou, and giant beavers to hunting communities, the Mi’kmawey Debert Interpretive Trail tells the story that is over11,000 years in the making. Hike the trail and stop to read the interpretive panels that describe the amazing story of the ancestral Debert sites.
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Plains Road, Debert
Five Islands Ocean Resort & RV Campground
Stay where dinosaurs once walked, and wake up to the sounds of the Bay of Fundy. The resort and campground is right on the shore of the Bay of Fundy. It is close to many Fundy GeoPark locations, which makes it a great base camp.
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482 Highway 2, Five Islands
Enter the Bunker
A reminder of the Cold War, this 64,000 square foot bunker was meant to serve as a military headquarters in case of nuclear attack. You can tour the bunker, play video games and even play laser tag. It is radically awesome in the Bunker.
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47 Lockheed Crescent, Debert
Soley Cove
While this is a roadside stop, it is worth the stop. Soley Cove is one of the most aesthetically pleasing spots in the GeoPark. The “flowerpots” were created by Triassic sandstone and the powerful tides the sea stacks, caves and coves.
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Lower Economy
The Nook and Cranny Brew Pub
Check out The Nook and Cranny when you want to enjoy fresh, local seafood and craft beer. Along with the regular pub grub, they also have a specialty menu that their chef creates monthly that focuses on using the freshest ingredients sourced from local suppliers.
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627 Prince Street, Truro
Phillips Honey & Blueberry Farm
Credit: Phillips Honey & Wild Blueberries
If you love blueberries, spend a morning picking low bush blueberries at the Phillips Honey & Blueberry Farm. They have ‘blueberry rakes’ available for you to use if you’d like to scoop the blueberries instead, just be prepared to face the misery of picking the berries over when you get home. Be sure to pick up some fresh, local honey to take home.
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159 George Weatherby Road, Debert
Masstown Market
Visit the popular Masstown Market to pick up fresh fruit, prepared meals, fresh fish, deli meats, bread, ice-cream, gifts, and so much more. They have both in-store shopping and online ordering options.
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10622 Highway 2, Masstown
Bistro 22
Have a delicious meal that feature fresh local ingredients at Bistro 22. This upscale restaurant has a casual feel in an intimate setting. Be sure to try their popular Haddock chowder and famous desserts that are made on-site daily.
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16 Inglis Place, Truro
Shubenacadie Provincial Wildlife Park
Credit: Shubenacadie Provincial Wildlife Park
Explore the 40 hectares of the Shubenacadie Provincial Wildlife Park to see natural woodlands where birds, native mammals, and a variety of exotic species live. There are static and interactive displays that describe the inhabitants that live in the park. The park is also wheelchair accessible, so people with mobility issues can access the interpretive panels and viewing area.
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Cumberland County Area
Clarke Head
To the west of Clarke Head, the sea stacks and cliffs are a reminder of what happened over 320 million years ago when the continents came together. Walking along the beach is unforgettable and offers amazing places to take photos.
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Glooscap Park Campground, 1380 Two Island Road, Parrsboro
East Bay
In East Bay, the Flatirons offer a unique look into the Earth’s history. You can see the layers of history in the cliffs and the footprints of early tetrapods in the rocks.
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Ward Falls
Created by Cobequid Fault, the Ward Falls shapes the landscape. Visit one of Nova Scotia’s popular waterfalls. Reaching the falls is easy as the hike is short and the trail is well maintained.
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Glooscap Restaurant & Lounge
This local favourite restaurant is back after being destroyed by a fire in 2018. Glooscap Restaurant is a wonderful spot to enjoy a meal before or after exploring the Fundy GeoPark. Offering local seafood and other tasty options, there is something for everyone.
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758 Upper Main Street, Parrsboro
Ship’s Company Theatre
Celebrating 36 years, a show at the Ship’s Company Theatre is a wonderful way to end a day exploring the Bay of Fundy. While the theatre is closed in 2020 due to COVID-19, the show still goes on, online.
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18 Lower Main Street, Parrsboro
Fundy Geological Museum
Partridge Island//Credit: Fundy Geological Museum
Walk in the footsteps of Canada’s oldest dinosaurs and learn how the Bay of Fundy reveals half a billion years of geological history. Explore the cliffs at low tide or head into the museum to see what the area may have looked like during the Triassic and Jurassic time periods. The museum also offers guided tours and fossil hunts of the area including Partridge Island, East Bay, Wasson Bluff and more.
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162 Two Islands Road, Parrsboro
Ottawa House Museum
Overlooking the Minas Basin, the Ottawa House Museum explores how the Bay of Fundy helped the early colonies.
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1155 Whitehall Road, Parrsboro
Crane Point
Follow the beach east of Ottawa House to Crane Point. Across from the Parrsboro Lighthouse, the cliffs of Crane Point holds fossil record of life before the ‘Coal Age’, which is around 325 million years ago.
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1155 Whitehall Road, Parrsboro
Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy
Credit: Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy
Having the most powerful tide in the world, the Bay of Fundy is the perfect place to test tidal energy technology. The Fundy Ocean Research Centre explores sustainable energy with interactive displays.
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1156 West Bay Road, Parrsboro
Spirit Reins Ranch
Credit: Spirit Reins Ranch
Meet some friendly horses, and take a relaxing ride along the Bay of Fundy beach and the tidal floor. Just outside of Parrsboro, Spirit Reins Ranch offers a unique way of visiting parts of the Fundy GeoPark.
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432 Prospect Road, Parrsboro
Age of Sail Heritage Museum
Travel back in time and experience what life was like on the Bay of Fundy in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. Explore the six display building, try your hand at traditional skills, and hear the history of shipbuilding and sailing.
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8334 Highway 209, Port Greville
Credit: Cape Chignecto Provincial Park
Anderson Cove & Squally Point
Go for a hike on the Squally Point Trail where you will have a spectacular view of the wild coastline of the Cliffs of Fundy. The looped trail is an easy hike and takes you to the viewing platforms that offer interpreted look-offs with breathtaking views, picnic areas, and beach access.
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Cape Chignecto Provincial Park, 1108 West Advocate Road, Advocate Harbour
McGahey Brook Canyon Trail
If you like a hiking challenge, then the McGahey Brook Canyon Trail is just perfect for you. This difficult trail goes along the top ridge of the canyon and descends at McGahey Brook, so you get to see the waterfalls. You can complete the loop along the beach or the Fundy Ridge Trail.
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Cape Chignecto Provincial Park, 1108 West Advocate Road, Advocate Harbour
Cobequid Fault
Experience the birth of the continents when you touch the Cobequid Fault, which is where the continents collided some 375 million years ago. The view is spectacular from the top of the eroding cliffs that dip steeply down to the Bay of Fundy.
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Cape Chignecto Provincial Park, 1108 West Advocate Road, Advocate Harbour
The Lighthouse on Cape D’Or
Credit: The Lighthouse on Cape d’Or
Wake up to the sound of the Bay of Fundy, and spend the night in a working lighthouse. During the day, The Lighthouse restaurant is open, cooking home cooked, farm to table meals. The Lighthouse on Cape D’Or is open seasonally from May to November.
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1 Cape D’Or Road, Advocate Harbour
Wasson Bluff
Visit one of Canada’s most significant fossil sites. Wasson Bluff is a treasure trove of fossils of early dinosaurs and creatures from the early Jurassic period. There are guided tours from the Fundy Geological Museum.
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Fraserville Scenic Drive
Cutting through rocks from different geologic ages and unique landscapes, the Fraserville Scenic Drive connects Dilligent River to Fraserville. The Cobequid Fault created the roller-coaster like drive, where each hill has its own name.
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Highway 209 from Fraserville to Port Greville
Spicer Cove
A remote hidden gem, Spicer Cove offers a more relaxed view of Coal Age fossils than the famous Joggins Fossil Cliffs. The towering cliffs are spotted with fossils of trees and creatures that once called the Cumberland Basin home.
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Apple River Road, Cumberland
Springhill Miner’s Museum
Created from the pressure of the tectonic plats, coal once of main source of power for the world. The Springhill mine once was a main of coal in Nova Scotia, until the “Bump” in 1958. Head under-ground to experience what working in a mine was like and hear the stories of the miners.
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145 Black River Road, Springhill
Amherst Point Migratory Bird Sanctuary
Credit: John Morton/Friends of the Amherst Point Bird Sanctuary
At the head of the Bay of Fundy is the home to over 200 species of birds. Walk along the trail to try to spot the local and migrating birds. The trail will take you past a variety of ponds, marshes, forests and old farm fields.
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Southampton Road, Amherst Point
Advocate Boat Tours
See the cliffs from the Bay of Fundy on the only boat tour operator in the area. Visit Cape Split and Isle Haute with up to 6 people. They also offer to help you put together trips to the Fundy GeoPark, including Joggins Fossil Cliffs, Driftwood Beach, and Cape D’Or.
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3838 Highway 209, Advocate Harbour
Bakery and Brewery in the Same Building
This unique location was opened in 2018 and has become a staple on Main Street, Parrsboro. On one side is Rising Tide Bakery, offering fresh, preservative free baked goods, soups, sandwiches, chowders, and fair trade coffee. On the other side is Two Islands Brewing serving up their craft beers by the glass, can, keg and growlers.
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169 Main Street, Parrsboro
Glooscap Campground & RV
Stay on the Bay of Fundy, and nearby to Fundy Geopark locations at Glooscap Campground & RV. Pick one of the over 70 camp sites, relax on the beach and keep the adventure going by heading to one of the nearby locations.
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1380 Two Island Road, Parrsboro
Raven Haven Beachside Family Park
Relax on the warm sand and have a picnic at Raven Haven Beachside Family Park, which is a day-use park only in 2020. The park has a picnic area and washrooms. It even has a Mobi Mat that is used for people who have mobility issues getting to the beach. They even have a Mobi chair, which is a floating wheelchair that has to be reserved in advance.
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2239 Virginia Road, West Springhill
Granny’s Seafood Restaurant & Ice Cream Parlour
If you get hungry on your travels along the Glooscap Trail, stop in at Granny’s Seafood Restaurant & Ice Cream Parlour for an order of their famous fried clams and chip. They also have a good selection of ice-cream that you can order for dessert.
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1193 Highway #2, Five Islands
Watch the Tidal Bore
As the Bay of Fundy tides goes out, the tides are so strong that they reverse the flow of several rivers. The Tidal Bore happens twice a day, right before low tide. The River Hebert Tidal Bore Park is a short drive from the Joggins Fossil Cliffs and is located beside the Heritage Models Museum.
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River Hebert Tidal Bore Park, 1872 Highway 242, River Hebert
Pick Wild Blueberries
The Wild Blueberry Capital of Canada, Oxford and area is home to many u-pick wild blueberry farms. Wild Blueberries are ripest during August to early September. Don’t worry if you miss the season because you can find frozen wild blueberries at many local retailers, and they are just as healthy and tasty as fresh blueberries.
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Oxford
Visit Wallace Bay National Wildlife Area
Hike along diked wetlands and spot migrating birds. The 4km loop trail is offers numerous bird watching opportunities along the way, including the viewing blind. The area is also used for fishing and hunting during scheduled seasons. You may even be lucky enough to see the pair of bald eagles that usually nest there.
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Aboiteau Road, between Pugwash and Tatamagouche
Across the Park
Go Beachcombing
The rushing tides of the Bay of Fundy can leave behind a variety of ocean gems. So, go for a relaxing stroll along the beaches to see what treasures the tides have left in the sands and uncovered in the caves.
Watch the Highest Tides in the World
Twice a day, millions of litres of ocean water rush into the Bay of Fundy and the caves of Nova Scotia. Stand on the caves and watch the tide rush in and form the beaches and tides.
Picnic on the Ocean Floor
With the highest tides in the world, the Bay of Fundy offers many places where you can walk and picnic on the ocean floor. Make sure to check the tide times before heading out for your picnic. Even if the tide is in, the Bay of Fundy is a wonderful view for a picnic.
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Try the Local Seafood
There are so many seafood restaurants and places to choose from, it is hard to pick just one or two places to stop to try fresh seafood like lobster, clams, oysters, mussels, and more.