Hopewell Rocks

Ponderosa Pines Campground has wifi, but the signal isn’t very strong so most people go to the office/store/game room with their laptops to access the internet. The office was closed this morning and I tried to use the campground’s wifi in the RV. The only place in the RV I could pick up the signal was back in the bedroom (which is closest to the office), but the signal is still weak. It wasn’t too much later that the owner came back and opened the office. We took the laptop over to the office to get our e-mail and get a brochure on Hopewell Rocks with the timetable for the tides.

The campground is 1 mile from Hopewell Rocks and we got to Hopewell Rocks around 3 p.m. (low tide today was at 5:50 p.m.) At the Interpretive Center we purchased 2 tickets ($6.75 each for seniors) and learned about the formation of the Hopewell Rocks. The gradual tapering and shallowness of the Bay of Fundy causes the high tides here to be 52’ instead of the worldwide average high tide of 3’. People can walk on the ocean floor at Hopewell Rocks for 3 hours before and after low tide.

From the Interpretive Center we walked down a path to the stairs to go down to the Rocks; it was a 15-20 minute walk. There is also a shuttle service that will take you from the Interpretive Center to the stairs down to the Rocks.

At the top of the stairs are a couple of signs -  one that has safety guidelines and the other with a clock and a notice when to be back up the stairs before high tide. Our favorite is the one with the safety guidelines - the last paragraph has instructions on what to do if you get caught on the ocean floor when the tide comes in.

From New Brunswick

We descended the stairs to the ocean floor. The first rock formation we saw was Lovers Arch. We waited our turn to take our photos under Lovers Arch. Mike took our tripod and both of us were in the photo.

From New Brunswick

From New Brunswick

We walked around and viewed the different rock formations until 4:45. It was cloudy and cool while we were there – definitely light jacket weather. We then walked back toward the Interpretive Center stopping to view Daniels Flats first. These are mud flats that are exposed during low tide. The mud is a milk chocolate color.

From New Brunswick

We had decided to not take Tinker to Hopewell Rocks and we’re glad we didn’t. Pets are allowed there and can go down on the ocean floor. They have to be on leashes and the “stoop and scoop” rule is to be observed and they can’t go in the buildings. But if we had taken Tinker we would have come back with a “chocolate” Bichon.

Hopewell Rocks is definitely on the list of one of the high points on our visit to the Maritimes. We missed visiting them at high tide, maybe on another trip.