Our April, 2020 vacation to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic was obliterated. Will our late summer trip to New Brunswick and Mount Carleton Provincial Park still be a go? Only time will tell.
The plan is to spend half the week at Mount Carleton and half the week at Old Shipyard Beach Campground in Nova Scotia. These are two of our most favourite places in the world to camp.
But, New Brunswick Provincial Parks remain closed until further notice. And, of course, it is not advised to travel for the foreseeable future. It’s basically just a waiting game.
Mount Carleton Provincial Park Image Gallery
High resolution versions of these images and other photos from the same day are available at Dreamstime. Want to earn cash from your own photos? Why not sign up for free with Dreamstime and start submitting now: Become a paid photographer!
Why Mount Carleton?
This provincial park is nestled in the wilderness of north central New Brunswick. The namesake mountain is the highest in the Canadian Maritimes and part of the Appalachians. You can hike to the summit without too much physical hardship and the views from the top are epic.
But, that’s just one hiking trail within the park. It’s a tough go to cover them all during a 3-4 day visit. Depending on the season and rainfall amounts, there are numerous waterfalls to enjoy along the way.
Plus, the park is a dark sky preserve. We always go at the start of September when we mostly have the park to ourselves. The night sky is amazing. It’s even more amazing when reflected in the still waters of Nictau Lake.
The sunsets on Nictau Lake, shown in the gallery above, are nothing short of breathtaking. Unfortunately, my only experiences with the sunrise have been shrouded in fog. But, I’m certain they’re equally amazing. The thought of catching a sunrise (or sunset) from the summit makes me giddy.
It should be noted that this is a remote park. It’s over 40 kilometres from the closest town (and closest ATM). And, that 40+ KM is not on a smooth, straight four lane highway. There’s lots of curves, steep hills and rough patches. Vehicle traffic is sparse but you might have to dodge a moose or two.
The reason why that fact should be noted is that the park is cash only. There is no internet. Therefore, there is no use for plastic. We learned this on our first visit and head to turn around and do the return trip to Saint Quentin to hit the bank.
Mount Carleton Provincial Park Video
A Mount Carleton COVID-19 Analogy
When you leave the park and head east toward Bathurst and all its modern amenities, it’s an even longer road than what you experienced from Saint Quentin. It’s a very rugged and lonely stretch of ‘highway’ that mostly serves as a logging road.
It’s about a 130 kilometre drive. There are no road signs that indicate how far you’ve gone or how far you have left. The curves and steep hills are endless. The vistas are beautiful but disorienting. Your cell phone will mostly be useless.
If you’re concerned about the health of your vehicle, as we were with the motorhome in 2018, the drive certainly tests your nerves.
But, at some point, you reach a point where Bathurst ahead of you is closer than Mount Carleton is behind. You won’t really know when you’ve passed the point. But, after you do reach your destination, you’ll realize that all important halfway point was probably where the drive seemed the most desolate.
After what seems an impossibly long time, signs of civilization will suddenly start to pop up. A country store. A lodge. Even a tattered road sign. Then, even more suddenly, you arrive in the safety of Bathurst.
On April 17, 2020, as I write this, in the journey called the COVID-19 lockdown, I believe we’ve already passed that halfway point. We’re still in a wilderness with no signs of our desired destination. But, it’s coming.
Let’s hope so, anyway. To think the other way is just defeating.
Why Old Shipyard Beach Campground?
This is a gem that we’ve been to twice now. It’s nothing more than a strip of land that edges onto the Bay of Fundy. But, that’s the feature. You can sit on your picnic bench or even inside your tent, trailer or motorhome and watch the hypnotizing tides of Fundy come in and out.
You can walk the ocean floor at low tide. At high tide, the water laps against the sea wall beside you. There are nearby places to explore, like the town of Advocate Harbour and the rock cliffs of Cape D’Or. It’s not as secluded as Mount Carleton but it’s certainly off the beaten path.
This place is located on the triangular chunk of land that stretches out into the Bay of Fundy between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. It’s, distance wise, not overly far from the Trans Canada Highway. However, this again is not a four lane, straight highway. The road to Old Shipyard Beach is a white knuckled journey up, down and around.
Fundy Tides From Old Shipyard Beach Campground
