Kouchibouguac National Park, New Brunswick

Kouchibouguac National Park lies on the eastern shore of the province of New Brunswick. At 239 sq/km (92 sq/mi) the park is a mix of barrier islands, forest, salt marshes, and beaches. It is much more of a recreational park than a nature reserve. I visited in August of 2015 and the park was very busy with what mostly seemed like visitors from New Brunswick, Quebec and Nova Scotia.

The park is easily accessible and is located 90 minutes from Moncton on Highway 11.

Camping is available in the park, but there are also hotels available in the nearby towns of Rexton and Miramichi. The park isn’t very big, especially when you compare it to the size of western parks. You can easily explore most of the park in a single day. There are hiking trails available through the park, but those too can be hiked in a day a do not require any serious backcountry hiking.

Kouchibouguac National Park

The image shown above was of two people who took some lawn chairs out on a sand spit at low tide.

Highlights of Kouchibouguac National Park

Kouchibouguac National Park is one of the places to go if you want to appreciate the natural beauty of New Brunswick in Canada. There are so many things to see and do during your time in this park. The highlights of your visit should include the following:

  • Check out the Acadian coast and woodland during winter. It is the perfect spot for exploring winter activities such as cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. You can also find crowd-free campsites so you can spot birds perched on one of many deciduous trees in the forest.
  • Experience a marine adventure and encounter some grey seals along the way. You can also re-trace history by following the historic footsteps of the early fur traders that explored this region centuries ago.
  • Go to Kellys Beach and enjoy amazing sea life while stumbling upon sand dune discoveries. There are shallow saltwater lagoons you could wade through. It is the ideal summertime activity for the entire family.
  • Join a Wigwam gathering and enjoy a cultural experience of a lifetime.
  • Explore the gentle trails and bask in the unique maritime environment of Kouchibouguac National Park. There are over 60 kilometers of bicycle paths to explore.

Know Before You Go

Kouchibouguac National Park

Before you travel to Kouchibouguac National Park, you need to pay a $7.80 fee for adults and $6.80 for seniors. If traveling with the family or group, the fee is $19.60. The youth are free in this park.

There are also several facilities available throughout the Kouchibouguac National Park for visitors to enjoy. The available facilities include accessible services, gift shop, parking, playground, wi-fi, restaurants and cafes, picnic area, information center, restrooms, and more. The park is also open all year round; hence, you can plan your visit according to what type of adventure you wish to enjoy.


View the complete list of Canadian National Parks I visited.