New Brunswick With Kids: Where a Local Would Actually Take You

Destinations

Sep 11

New Brunswick is one of those places that can be surprisingly easy to overlook when you're planning a trip across Canada.

We might be a little biased, though. Christopher grew up near Saint John and lived in New Brunswick until he was 18. Now we've had the chance to come back together - this time travelling with Parker - and experience some of the places he grew up around as a family.

So rather than making another giant list of every attraction in New Brunswick, we asked Christopher a simpler question: If friends were visiting New Brunswick for the first time, where would you actually tell them to go?

His answer was pretty clear: head for the coast.

If You Only Visit Two Places: St. Martins and Fundy National Park

If Christopher were planning someone's first trip to New Brunswick, two places would be at the top of the list: St. Martins and Fundy National Park. And having now travelled around New Brunswick with Parker, that recommendation hasn't changed because we're travelling with a baby.

St. Martins

St. Martins is exactly the kind of small coastal community we'd recommend building a New Brunswick trip around. The biggest attraction is the Bay of Fundy itself.

The difference between high and low tide here is something that's much easier to appreciate when you actually see it happen. Christopher's recommendation is simple: take a picture somewhere at low tide, then come back later and take another picture from the same spot at high tide. It's such an easy way to really see how dramatically the landscape changes.

The sea caves are another obvious stop. At low tide, you can walk out onto the ocean floor toward the caves; later, that same area is underwater. And then there's lunch.

Where We'd Eat in St. Martins

Christopher's pick is The Caves Restaurant, right beside the St. Martins Sea Caves. It's been a local fixture since the early 1980s and specializes in seafood, including its seafood chowder. For us, this is exactly the kind of stop that belongs in a New Brunswick road trip: seafood, views of the Bay of Fundy and an attraction you were probably already going to visit right outside.

Drive the Fundy Trail

If Christopher had to choose the best place for nature in New Brunswick, it would be Fundy Trail Provincial Park. And the nice thing when you're travelling with a baby or young child is that you don't have to tackle a huge hike to appreciate it.

The park follows the Bay of Fundy coastline and includes a roughly 30-kilometre scenic drive with more than 20 coastal lookouts, along with beaches, waterfalls and kilometres of hiking trails. That makes it particularly good for the stage of family travel where you don't know whether you're getting a two-hour nap in the car or a child who wants out immediately. You can drive. Stop at a lookout. Go for a walk. Get back in the car. Repeat as everyone allows.

It's one of Christopher's five favourite places in the province and, if you're visiting St. Martins anyway, we'd absolutely include it.

Fundy National Park

Fundy National Park is Christopher's other must-do. The park combines the Bay of Fundy coastline with forest, waterfalls, beaches and hiking trails, so you can make it as outdoorsy as you want. It's also somewhere we'd be comfortable recommending to families. There are picnic areas, beaches, a playground, campgrounds and washrooms alongside the trails and more adventurous activities. You could easily spend more than a day here, particularly if your family likes camping or hiking.

Saint Andrews: Our Pick for Families

If you're visiting New Brunswick with a baby or young child, Saint Andrews deserves a spot on the itinerary. Christopher considers it the best small town in New Brunswick - and it's also home to what has been our favourite family attraction in the province.

Huntsman Marine Science Centre

Of everything we've done in New Brunswick with Parker, the aquarium at the Huntsman Marine Science Centre in Saint Andrews was probably the easiest win. Aquariums are already one of our favourite activities with a baby: you're indoors, you can move at your own pace, and there is constantly something for little eyes to watch.

Saint Andrews itself is worth leaving time to explore, too. If friends with a one-year-old asked Christopher where they should go in New Brunswick, Saint Andrews and St. Martins would be his two recommendations.

That's probably as good an endorsement as either needs.

Deer Island: The Place More People Should Know About

When I asked Christopher which New Brunswick destination doesn't get enough attention, his answer was Deer Island. After spending two nights there with Parker, I agree. Deer Island isn't packed with attractions. It's a quiet little fishing-island getaway where you can drive around, see lighthouses, walk along the coast and go whale watching. We specifically chose it because we found affordable, family-friendly whale watching there - and ended up seeing three minke whales.

If you're considering it, we've written a whole separate guide to visiting Deer Island with a baby, including the ferry, whale watching, where we stayed and how long we'd recommend spending there.

What About Moncton?

Moncton still makes Christopher's top five places in New Brunswick. It's a useful addition to a longer trip and gives you a very different experience from the tiny fishing communities and parks along the coast. But if your time in New Brunswick is limited? We'd prioritize the coast. And there's one famous Moncton-area attraction Christopher says you shouldn't feel guilty about skipping.

Is Magnetic Hill Worth It?

Christopher's answer? It's overrated.

Magnetic Hill is one of those classic New Brunswick roadside attractions that almost everyone has heard about. If you've always wanted to experience it, by all means add it to your trip. But if we're choosing between spending more time exploring the Bay of Fundy coast and making a special trip for Magnetic Hill, we're choosing the coast.

Go Lighthouse Hopping

One of Christopher's favourite ways to experience New Brunswick is also incredibly simple: Follow the Bay of Fundy and stop at lighthouses along the way. You don't necessarily need a complicated itinerary. Part of the appeal is the drive itself - coastal communities, ocean views and little stops you might not otherwise have planned.

There is one caveat if you're travelling with a baby. Trying to hike out to lighthouses specifically because you want the perfect picture has been one of our less convenient New Brunswick activities with Parker. This is where we'd definitely choose the carrier over the stroller. And occasionally accept that perhaps we don't need that lighthouse photo.

The New Brunswick Experience We'd Recommend

If we were trying to give someone a quintessential first experience of New Brunswick, we'd keep it pretty simple. Spend most of your time along the Bay of Fundy.

Visit St. Martins. See the sea caves at low tide and return to see how different everything looks at high tide. Eat seafood overlooking the water. Drive the Fundy Trail. Spend time in Fundy National Park. Wander around Saint Andrews. Stop when you see a lighthouse. And don't try to turn the entire province into a checklist.

Christopher thinks a little over a week is enough for a really good first trip through New Brunswick, and we'd spend the majority of that time near the coast.

What People Get Wrong About New Brunswick

If there's one thing Christopher thinks visitors overlook, it's just how beautiful New Brunswick is. The province isn't necessarily known for one huge bucket-list attraction. Its appeal is the coastline, forests, tides, fishing communities, lighthouses and drives between them. And maybe that's exactly why we've enjoyed travelling here with Parker. You don't always need a reservation or a full-day attraction. Some days can simply be driving the coast, stopping somewhere beautiful and seeing where you end up.