Hopewell Rocks: walk on the ocean floor, then watch it vanish

Why it is worth the drive

NB Parks describes over twenty free-standing sea stacks along two kilometres of shoreline at Hopewell Cape, carved by the Bay of Fundy's tides. At low tide you walk among them on the ocean floor. About six hours later the water has risen around the same rocks. The stacks have nicknames you will want to find: Elephant, Bear, Dinosaur, ET and Mother-in-Law, says the park.

Address

131 Discovery Rd, Hopewell Cape

Phone

(877) 734-3429

From the hotel

About 48 km by road; our OpenStreetMap estimate is just under an hour of driving

Ticket

Valid two consecutive days, to see both tides

2027 season

May 14 – October 24

Closed season

Entry outside operating days and times is strictly prohibited

When to go: the 2027 season

If your weekend falls between late October and mid-May, skip it. The park is closed, and NB Parks is blunt about why: with no staff, removed safety barriers, fast tides, extreme winter weather and a higher risk of rockfalls, access outside operating times is strictly prohibited.

What it costs

NB Parks says there is no advantage to buying tickets in advance at present, since it does not cap the number of guests on site. The Parks NB season pass now includes the Hopewell Rocks, covering up to two adults and three children at this park.

Planning around the tide

Check the park's tide table before you leave the hotel. The park suggests three ways to do it: see high tide first and come back later for the ocean floor; walk the ocean floor first and return to see the rocks surrounded by water; or stay the whole day and watch the change. With a two-day ticket, a weekend from Moncton allows a Saturday low-tide walk and a Sunday high-tide look on the way home.

Getting down to the ocean floor

• 99 down, 101 up

  Main Deck stairs

  A large metal staircase with a viewing platform. The park jokes you get bragging rights for the climb back.

• No stairs

  North Beach ramp

  A ramp with benches along the incline. Suitable for wheelchairs, though many find the ocean floor itself hard on wheels.

• Gentle trail

  Demoiselle Beach

  A trail south from behind the Interpretive Centre, about 0.7 km, down to sea level with views of Shepody Mountain.

• $1.74

  Shuttle

  From the Interpretive Centre to the top of the stairway, for a small fee.

Trails listed by the park include the Ocean Floor Access Trail (0.8 km, about 15 minutes, accessible gravel) and the low-tide Ocean Floor walk itself (1.9 km, about 30 minutes). The rocks on the beach are slippery; the park recommends shoes with good ankle support that are non-slip and easy to clean.

Good to know

Swimming is not permitted, although you may dip your feet. Pets are welcome on a leash no longer than 3 metres, but not inside buildings unless they are guide or service animals. There are two Type 2 EV charging stations in parking lot B. There is no camping; everyone must leave before dark. The water is brown not because it is dirty but because the tides keep fine sediment stirred up, which is a fact children enjoy repeating.

The drive

Let Google Maps choose the route on the day. We measured about 48 km by road from the hotel to the park entrance using OpenStreetMap routing; actual driving time depends on traffic, season and stops.

Hotel to Hopewell Rocks, by car·Hopewell Rocks back to the hotel