Hopewell Rocks, New Brunswick
Hopewell Rocks, New Brunswick
*Disclosure: Our family received tickets to visit the Hopewell Rocks in exchange for this blog post. All opinions are our own.*
Thomas (8) read a book in school about the top 10 most amazing places to visit in Canada. We have already been to several of them including the Bay of Fundy, Anne of Green Gables, Alberta Badlands and Banff National Park.
This book listed the Hopewell Rocks in New Brunswick as one of the top 10 most amazing places in Canada!
Ever since reading this, Thomas has become obsessed about visiting them, so much so, that we built our family vacation around making his dream of visiting them come true.
About the Hopewell Rocks
The Hopewell Rocks are located on the shores of the Bay of Fundy at Hopewell Cape.
This attraction is one of the Marine Wonders of the World, and is the site of some of the World’s Highest Tides. The Hopewell Rocks, also called the Flowerpots Rocks or simply The Rocks, are rock formations caused by tidal erosion.
They stand 40–70 feet tall.
Our Visit
When we arrived at the Hopewell Rocks, our first stop was at the interpretive centre inside the main building.
There is a great museum that talks about the geology of how the earth was formed and specifically how the Hopewell Rocks were made.
The museum took us about 20 minutes to go through.
The Walk
From the main centre, we walked down to the entrance point for the Hopewell Rocks. This was about 1km and took us about 15 minutes to walk on the slightly downwardly sloped trail.
Everything is extremely well signposted.
If you are unable to make this walk, you can take a shuttle to the entrance point. It is $2 per person each way (STC).
The path to the entrance point is wide and flat and easy for toddlers or strollers.
Once you get to the entrance point, there are 100 steps to get down to the beach.
There is no ramp or elevator. You will have to carry the stroller down, or leave it at the top of the cliff. If you have mobility issues, you may want to think twice about descending.
On the Beach
After descending the 100 steps, you will arrive at the beach and can walk around the Hopewell Rocks, keeping behind the roped off areas.
It is a lot of fun to walk around and see the nooks and crannies. You also get a great view of the Nova Scotian shore.
Being on the shore, you really get a sense of the power of the tides and mother nature.
In case you get your feet muddy exploring the beach, there is a water hose for washing your feet at the top of the stairs.
Roaming on the beach you will find interpreters who you can stop to ask questions, or even sign up for a guided hike.
Daniel made another YouTube video talking about the Hopewell Rocks. This gives you a first-hand look into our visit.
Tips
To explore the beach, you need to be there the 3 hours before or after low tide.
Check the tide schedule HERE.
For a completely different experience, go at high tide and sign up for a kayaking tour.
Your entrance fee for the Hopewell Rocks is valid for two consecutive days. This means you can return at any time during that period in order to see both the high and low tides.
Wear shoes that will clean easily.
Bring a sweater. It can be chilly once you get to the shore.
Hours and Admission
Hours of operations for the 2016 season are:
May 20 – June 24 09h00 – 17h00
June 25 – August 19 08h00 – 20h00
August 20 – September 05 09h00 – 19h00
September 06 – October 10 09h00 – 17h00
Adults 19+ $10.00
Seniors 65+ $ 8.00
Students (19+ with valid student card) $ 8.00
Children age 5 – 18 $ 7.25
Children 4 and under Free
Families (2 parents + children 18 and under) $ 25.50
How to Get There
The Hopewell Rocks are about 30 minutes outside Moncton, so about 3.5 hours from the Valley. Although not realistic to do as a day trip, it makes a great pace to visit when you are going through New Brunswick.
There are several accommodations and camping places nearby, but we opted to go on Priceline and get a hotel in the Moncton area.
We lucked out with the Holiday Inn Express in Moncton near the Moncton airport. It was another great night in a IHG hotel!
The Hopewell Rocks are an amazing feat of nature that you should try to visit.
Although we also live on the Bay of Fundy, the geology is completely different, and you will easily see why the Hopewell Rocks are one of the most amazing places in Canada!
