After several days on Prince Edward Island, Tom and I headed to Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park on the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick. As we drove south from Moncton toward the bay, we could see the muddy bottom of the Petitcodiac River and realized the tide must be out. We weren't sure if low tide was approaching or had just passed but we wanted to reach Hopewell Rocks as close to low tide as possible.
As soon as we reached Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park, Tom and I parked and quickly walked to path to Elephant Rock. We rushed past a sign indicating the current time as well as the times for low and high tide. We had only missed low tide by an hour as we headed down the stairs to walk on the ocean floor before the tide rose any more. I walked through mud to the water's edge and immediately realized the the rubber sandals I wore were not the perfect beach shoes afterall. They were slick as snot covered in Fundy mud! The mud was cool and soft, like a mud bath. The rocks hiding under the mud, howerver, could be smooth and slick or sharp and painful. I was convinced I would fall in before the day was done, but I was determined to reach the water. Tom was less adventurous but kept his phone in hand to capture me falling in as he avoided the mud. I think he was disappointed when I returned with only a few close calls and minor mud splatters.
We enjoyed nearly an hour walking along the ocean floor before heading back up the stairs to view it more from the top. We had passed several viewing points along the trails in our rush to the ocean floor. We took our time walking back along the trail to read the plaques and enjoy the views. We stopped in the beautiful visitor center then headed out to our camper to eat and rest until high tide.
A visit to Hopewell Rocks isn't complete unless you view it during both high and low tide. That's what makes Bay of Fundy so special. It has one of the most extreme fluctiations of tide levels in the world. The water can rise as much as 46 feet from low tide to high tide.
You can view a few photos of our visit to Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park on the Carpe Diem Facebook page by clicking on the image below.
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