The Saint John Region is, as you might expect, so much more than the City itself. Yes, the City is packed with attractions, events, and interesting destinations. But outside of the City, you’ll find a natural wonderland just waiting for you and your family to explore.
Parks
TimberTop Adventures
Join TimberTop Adventures at one of Canada's largest aerial adventure parks. Experience up to 12 courses with over 115 creative obstacles, including rope bridges, suspended climbing walls, swinging ropes, spinning logs, a flying skateboard, a trapeze and over 29 zip line challenges.
Rockwood Park
One of Canada’s largest municipal parks, Rockwood Park offers a campground, an Interpretation Centre, lakes for swimming, an 18-hole golf course, a zoo, and a playground. With more than 50km of hiking trails to explore, the park is a four-season adventure zone with something for everyone.
Wolastoq Park
Built in 2004 by J.D. Irving, Limited, the park overlooks the Reversing Falls Rapids, and features a collection of statues of historical Saint John figures. Stroll Wolastoq’s shoreline and you will see how these lands provided the Maliseet people with an abundance of food, materials and medicines, while acting as an important transportation route for hunting and trade.
Stonehammer Geopark
Stonehammer UNESCO Global Geopark includes geological stories from late Precambrian time a billion years ago to the most recent Ice Age. Guides are standing by to give you insider tips on how best to witness where South America and Africa collided, where you can zip over erratic rocks, climb volcanic rocks, dine from a geologically inspired menu, paddle an Ice Age River, cruise twisted rivers, and much more!
The Fundy Trail Parkway
Visitors to this low-speed auto parkway and walking/cycling trail will wind past pristine beaches, waterfalls tumbling down ancient cliffs, and along a shoreline sculpted by thousands of years of the world’s highest tides. Be sure to stop in at the Interpretive Centre and take a short hike across the suspension footbridge that stretches across the clear waters of Big Salmon River.
Irving Nature Park
A favourite of over 5 million visitors since it opened in 1992, the Irving Nature Park is a 600-acre (243 hectare) site created by J.D. Irving, Limited (JDI) to help protect an environmentally significant area. Featuring forest and marsh, beaches and trails, it is ideal for recreational activities as well as interactive outdoor educational programs. Park visitors can enjoy the rugged beauty, boardwalks and lookout points.
Mispec Park
Just 15 minutes from town, historic Mispec Park is home to Mispec Beach, one of the finest unsupervised sandy beaches on the Bay of Fundy. The beach offers visitors free-of-charge parking, picnic sites, a playground, a paved games court, and a sports field.
New River Beach Provincial Park
A huge stretch of sand along the Fundy Shore, this saltwater beach offers tidal pools abundant with crabs and starfish; maritime vistas of offshore islands; and constant bird-watching opportunities. The park’s facilities include walking trails and boardwalks, campsites, a playground and volleyball courts, and three rustic shelters air-conditioned by the Fundy breeze.
Seaside Park
This is Saint John's designated Peace Park, with a panoramic view of the Bay of Fundy and a children’s playground.
Station One Skate Park
Saint John’s Station One Skate Park, centrally located beneath the Route 1 overpass near Harbour Passage, is fully-loaded. The park is free of charge for all, well-lit, and equipped with ramps, flatrails, curbs, and a whole lot more. Don’t forget your helmet!
Fallsview Park
Fallsview Park is one of the best locations to view the Reversing Falls Rapids, a daily phenomenon created by the collision of the Bay of Fundy tide and the St. John River.
Ocean
Since the Saint John Region is on Canada’s east coast, right on the Bay of Fundy, saltwater adventures are always nearby. Twice each day, 160 billion tonnes of seawater flow in and out of the Bay of Fundy. These tides transform the shorelines, tidal flats, and exposed sea bottom as they flood into the Bay and its harbours and estuaries. You can experience this phenomenon from Fundy National Park. Here, the difference between high and low tide can be as much as 12 metres. At Alma Beach, at the time of low tide, you can walk more than a kilometre from the high tide line across the tidal flats to the water's edge.
Beaches
In the Saint John Region, we’ve got the best of both worlds when it comes to hitting the beach. Riverside freshwater, or oceanside saltwater, it’s up to you—and they’re all just a short drive from Uptown.
Rivers
The Saint John River is also called Wolastoq, which is Maliseet for "beautiful river”. It twists and turns from the Edmundston region, near the border of Quebec, through Victoria County where you can visit the spectacular Grand Falls Gorge, on to the riverfront capital of Fredericton, and then finally the City of Saint John. Here, it transforms from serene to powerful as it collides with the Bay of Fundy. It’s perfect for swimming, boating, kayaking, canoeing, and even water-skiing. At points along the river, cable ferries will take you to friendly communities across the water.
Lakes
There are 235 lakes in New Brunswick, 13 of which are in or near the Saint John Region. You can fish here, and enjoy other activities, such as paddling, kayaking, boating, sailing, swimming, or just taking in the view.
For a full listing of attractions and beaches across the region:
City of Saint John
Town of Rothesay
Town of Quispamsis
Town of Hampton
Town of Grand Bay-Westfield
Fundy-St Martins