Kouchibouguac National Park in the province of New Brunswick

 

After visiting the national and provincial parks of Quebec, we headed east again. Our destination was Kouchibouguac National Park. It was the seventh national park in Canada, out of a total of 37, located in the Provinces and Territories of Canada.

 

The name Kouchibouguac comes from the Mi’gmaq language and means “river of long tides”. It is the Kouchibouguac River, which flows through the national park and then into the ocean.

We feel very comfortable in every national park in Canada. An elaborate system of trails, supplemented by visitor centers and national campgrounds, is simply amazing. We are not fans of camping, but camping within national park boundaries is an exception. For a very good price (20-35 CAD per night in June 2025), they provide us with everything we need, plus privacy, silence, and trails leading directly from the campsite or from parking lots where the trails start. That was the case in Kouchibouguac National Park.

Its territory is home to an ever-decreasing population of the protected Piping Plover bird. It is interesting because it builds its nests in the sand on the beach. It camouflages them with sticks and shells. But this threatens its population. Only 40% of the eggs survive. And so, here in the park, some beaches are fenced off, with entry prohibited from April 15 to August 15. We wanted to observe these birds, but instead we observed the evening hunting of kingfishers.

But other species of fauna are also represented here in large numbers. We did not expect bears in this park, as we did not find any warning signs on the trails. And so we were very surprised when, as we were leaving the park, a bear family showed itself to us in all its glory.

More photos of Kouchibouguac National Park.

June 2025