Moncton 
It might be an understatement to say the Kouchibouguac National Park is a wildly diverse area. The park, which sits on the Northumberland Strait on New Brunswick’s east coast, shows off this natural diversity the best in the fall.
Credit: New Brunswick Tourism
The year-round park does offer something fun for every season. But during the fall, the mixed forest and changing colours, combined with beach access and more colourful scenery, create an epic backdrop for any outdoor activity.
Kouchibouguac is a highlight of the Acadian Coastal Drive, which runs from Dalhousie in the north to Autac in the south. The National Park is a must-stop on the drive but is among many attractions to see on the way.
Fall Tours & Events
The fun doesn’t stop with summer at Kouchibouguac National Park. There are a wide array of events, interpretive programs, and guided tours scheduled for fall in the park.
- Three major fall events take place at Kouchibouguac National Park, including Fall Star Fest, the guided nighttime walks of Moon and Dune, and storytelling with Legends around the Fire.
- Join the park for a wide array of fall programs, some of which run as late as mid-October. These include guided nature walks, trivia nights, Wigwam gatherings, or artistic workshops.
Camping and Oceanside Stargazing
Campers can take advantage of the fact that Kouchibouguac National Park is a dark sky preserve. During a stay, campers have the ultimate setting for stargazing next to the warmth and warm light of a fire. That dark sky preserve designation also means that your view of the stars is free of light pollution. Kouchibouguac offers a few ways to camp, too, with options that range from glamping to backcountry.
- The South Kouchibouguac Campground is the larger of the two campgrounds and is open until Thanksgiving weekend. With over 300 campsites, campers can choose between open spaces, wooded, or semi-wooded spaces for a tent, trailer, or RV.
- Within the same campground are Kouchibouguac’s oTENTik accommodations. These rustic cabins feature all the amenities needed for a comfortable stay including raised floors and beds.
- The park offers backcountry camping in three locations: Peiti-Large (hike-in) is the year-round site, while the other two, Sipu (hike or paddle in) and Pointe-a-Maxime (paddle in), are open May-October.
- For something a little in the middle of backcountry and oTENTik, the park also offers unserviced campsites at the Côte-à-Fabien Campground. The sites are in a more isolated area near the Osprey Trail.
Cycling under the Fall Colours
A few of Kouchibouguac National Park’s main attractions from spring to fall are the extensive cycling trails. Along with the beaches, top-notch biking trails draw in many visitors. And the fall scenery of the park’s trail areas will only serve to enhance the ride. Most trails are located south of the Kouchibouguac River and west of the beaches. All along the trails are vault toilets and picnic shelters for resting on longer routes.
- A loop around the entire park creates roughly 30km worth of cycling for a full day of adventure through the mix woods forests.
- Begin at Cote-a-Fabien campground to follow the north side of the Kouchibouguac Riverbanks. 6km in, a footbridge enables crossing the river to more bike trails in Middle Kouchibouguac.
- The cycling trails within the park are well-marked, and it is easy to create your own loops and routes within the 30km circle. More cycling trails await across the river and near the Claire-Fontaine Loop.
Fall Hiking at Kouchibouguac
The nature trails around the park are all relatively simple hiking trails. While a few extend over 5km, many offer boardwalks for ease of access.
- While it may be a bit chilly to enjoy the water, the Kelly’s Beach Boardwalk still makes for a great fall walk and offers great views across the park and the water.
- Many shorter trails and loops lead your hiking adventures to the Kouchibouguac River. Follow this east to find some of the park’s best fall scenery with trees changing from green to orange, red, and yellow around the water. Turn this into a longer hike by following the entire riverside trail at 11km one-way.
- The Osprey Trail, to the north of the park, is a steady 5.3km loop. The trail offers incredible views of the Black River Peninsula, great fall birding, and a wide mix of fall forest scenery.
Picnic at Kellys or Callanders Beaches
While much of the hiking or cycling at Kouchibouguac bring your activities into the woods and forests, the park’s beaches are a must-visit even when it is too cold to swim. The park’s ocean lagoons are separated from the Northumberland Strait by the Kouchibouguac sand dunes.
- Callanders Beach, on the south side of the park, is the quieter of the two, for a fall picnic. Along with the dunes, this area also overlooks the Saint Louis Lagoon.
- The Kellys Beach picnic area is a bit larger with more amenities and offers trail access to the park’s south sand dune.
- The forest areas of the park are not the only area with colour-changing fall foliage. The bog, dune, and beach areas are also covered in bright, warm, fall hues.
