The Fundy Trail

Friday, October 5
St Martin and Fundy Trail Parkway was next on our agenda. The weather looked favourable today so off we went about an hour south and east of Sussex. First we drove through some very nice farming areas, then transitioned into forest, hills and pretty soon we could see the ocean. It's always a thrill to crest a hill and ....there she is!

The Fundy Trail is both a hiking trail and now is also paralleled by a very good 30 km (19 mile) highway. The trail is operated by a non-profit trail group. Even though they didn't pay for the highway there is a nominal fee to drive it. Once you see the views the fee is more than reasonable.

The trail itself is divided in two. One is a ten km (6 mile) multi-use bike/hiking. The second section is a very robust 60 km (40 mile) hiking trail. The hiking trail is on many bucket lists and has become so popular you need to reserve a spot. Five years ago they had 200 hikers in the season. This year they had one thousand.

Pumpkin harvest is in full swing.

Ready to be picked up and off to the stores.

A height guard. Must be a covered bridge ahead!

Another beauty!

A nice creek flowing under the bridge.

Colours are nearing their peak!

Just a gorgeous drive.

There's the ocean!

The St Martins lighthouse

Some very rough water and rip tides present during tide-in and tide-out.

Rugged coastline. No wonder they need a lighthouse.

She could use a coat of paint.

Boats at low tide in St Martins

And a covered bridge on the outskirts of town.

At the end of town, and at the end of the beach there are sea caves. Carved by the wave action on soft stone.

At low tide you can walk all the way to the sea caves.

Millions of years of wave action and erosion created these.

You can see the erosion in the stones on the beach. My shoe is shown to add scale.

Another sea cave not yet deep as the previous one. Likely harder stone here. Note how the rock is slanted as it rose from the earth. As the continental plates crashed into one another it created lifting and buckling.

As we started the Fundy Trail we drove high into the hills along the shoreline.

Erosion also left behind some flower pots, like we saw at Hopewell Rocks.

We stopped at Fuller Falls. Very impressive and looks great when the sun is just at the correct angle.

Each viewpoint was impressive.

This is the Salmon River as it empties into the Bay of Fundy. This is late summer so the flow is reduced, and this is low tide which lessens the amount of water further.

However the Salmon River actually supported sailing ships that docked here (at high tide) to load lumber. The remnants of some of the pier is in the center of the picture.

This was a booming community back in the late 1800's.

Wood stacked ready to ship.

The modern bridge across the Salmon River......

......and the less modern suspended bridge. 

Very pretty river. Lots of trout live here too.....and the odd salmon.

Lots of beach area at low tide.

Lots of rocky beaches as well.

Did I mention the views!

Some steep hills on the trail.

We turned around and came back to St Martins. The Fundy Trail is not currently a loop. That will take many more years to complete, so you drive in and drive back the same way. But the VIEWS!

The St Martins covered bridge. Traffic no longer crosses it.

Just around the corner though.....traffic does use this one.

We headed back toward Sussex but not without another detour to find just one more covered bridge

What a great site-seeing day. The weather held off for us. May not be so good for the next few days, but surely we'll find somewhere to explore!

.....and that was Our View From Here!