There are few places more Canadian … more “the Maritimes” than Hopewell Rocks (a.k.a. the Flowerpots, “the rocks” but officially The Rocks Provincial Park). It’s almost in every single video featuring Canada. You will know the moment you see it!
Why do people get so excited about rock formations in New Brunswick? Well, take a look. Pretty stunning right?
They stand 40–70 feet tall. So it’s no small thing to see when the tide is at its lowest and you walk the bed. And yes – as you can see pets are welcome to this Provincial Park. What a treat!
They are located on the shores of the upper reaches of the Bay of Fundy at Hopewell Cape near the end of a series of Fundy coastal tourism hubs including Fundy National Park and the Fundy Trail. Due to the extreme tidal range of the Bay of Fundy, the base of the formations are covered in water twice a day. However, it is possible to view the formations from the ground level at low tide. This is when we went – googling it the day before to make sure we would be there at the right time!
The large volume of water flowing in to and out of the Bay of Fundy has had some startling effects on the landscape. The advancing and retreating tides and the associated waves have eroded the base of the rocks at a faster rate than the tops, resulting in their unusual shapes.
The basin in Fundy supports a HUGE amount of marine life that has adapted to the extreme conditions. Various shorebirds thrive here and can be seen flocking to nest and feed in the area. Visitors are advised to stay for a full tidal cycle to get a full appreciation of the tides and formations. Although the tides vary from day to day, the high tide can be as high as 16 meters (52 ft.) giving the Hopewell Rocks one of the highest average tides in the world.
Sadly, THE most famous of all formations collapsed on March 14, 2016. Elephant Rock. People, use to come from very far away to see this rock shaped like an elephant. Park officials said approximately 100 to 200 tons of rock fell to the ground. Sometime after the tide went out that morning, a significant piece of Elephant Rock calved off, closing off a whole section where people used to walk.
I had an absolute blast on our visit. I met tons of dogs (it seemed that even off-leash was permitted!) and enjoyed a remarkable day in the park. There are some food options, and trails to hike in the woods as well. You can easily spend a full day and still only just scratch the surface. A MUST see if in NB, Canada.
