Our Canadian adventure continues this week in New Brunswick, the largest of the Maritime Provinces.
General Info:Mactaquac Provincial Park spreads out over 525 hectares just 24 km (15 mi.) west of the provincial capital city of Fredericton.
Hours and Fees: The park is open year-round from 8 a.m. to dusk daily. Entrance costs CAN$7 per vehicle per day, or you can get a season pass for CAN$70. For more specific information call the park office at 506-363-4747. Don’t be surprised if they answer the phone in French—NB is the only constitutionally-bilingual province in Canada (in contrast to Quebec, whose sole official language is French).
Activities: There’s an 18-hole golf course and driving range at the park (and mini-golf for the light-hearted). The Mactaquac Lodge has a licensed bar and dining room for relaxing evenings without having to go to town.
Mactaquac Lake and the St. John River invite swimmers, boaters and anglers to enjoy the waters. There are two beaches and a supervised swimming area, as well as a boat ramp, dock and marina. The park also allows windsurfing and canoeing. Enjoy a lovely picnic after hiking/walking along the many nature trails (one of which is wheelchair accessible). There’s a playground for the kids and a recreation field for soccer and other sports. See the park activities page for more things to do during your visit.
Pets: Your pets are welcome to camp with you at Mactaquac Park, and you’ll find the entire province of New Brunswick quite hospitable to your four-legged travel companions. Again, call the park office for details at 506-363-4747.
Camping Info: The park campground has 303 open and wooded gravel sites with handicap access. There are 75 pull-thrus (both back-ins and pull-thrus measure 30×50’) and 235 sites have electrical hookups (30 amp). There are restrooms with showers and wheelchair accessible flush toilets. A dump station is available for RVs, and the park store sells firewood, LP bottles, groceries and snacks. The park also features a public phone and onsite laundry facilities for your convenience. The campground is open from mid-May to mid-October. Nightly rates are $22 (no hookups) and $24 (electrical only). Download the campground map PDF
If you’re from New Brunswick or have visited Mactaquac Provincial Park in the past, please chime in with your stories and travel tips!
