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The Natural Wonder
of Grand Falls Gorge
Vive la difference! If you begin
your Saint John River odyssey in its placid,
pastoral lower reaches, near Saint John
or the provincial capital of Fredericton,
the contrast of its wilder upstream character
will seem even more pronounced. The river
that drops a full 23 metres through a rugged,
rocky gorge at Grand Falls, southeast of
Edmunston, is full of speed
and turbulence, especially in spring, when
swirling, swelling currents grind riverstones
deep into the limestone riverbed below the
falls. The resulting "wells" in
the floor of the gorge - up to 5 metres
across 9 metres deep - can be seen later
in the summer, as river flows ease.
Start your visit to the 1.6 kilometre-long
Grand Falls Gorge, one of the Saint John
River's greatest natural wonders, by viewing
its 70 metre-high rock walls from above.
At the Malabeam Information Centre, you
can learn the melancholy legend of Mailobiannah,
a young Maliseet girl who sacrificed her
life to lead enemy Mohawk warriors over
the falls and down into the gorge.
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Horticultural
Heaven at New Brunswick Botanical
Garden
Like a jewel within a jewel,
the New Brunswick Botanical
Garden (Le Jardin Botanique
du Nouveau-Brunswick), in Saint-Jacques,
just north of Edmunston, is
a bouquet of colour and scent
amidst the scenic backdrop of
the upper Saint John River's
Madawaska-Victoria region. The
finely-landscaped horticultural
site features over 50,000 plants,
divided into 8 floral themes,
including annuals, wildflowers,
roses and rhododendrons. It
also contains 2 arboreta, and
a special presentation of herbs
and edible plants. Classical
music adds to the peace and
tranquility of the garden; it
is open to the public from June
to mid-October. |
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Follow a series of walking trails along
the gorge, and descend the 250 steps that
lead to a close-up view of the "wells
in the rocks." A private touring company
offers a pontoon boat ride through the cataract's
towering cliffs. When darkness comes, the
Falls are illuminated, giving them a fanciful,
fairy-like appearance.
The centre of downtown Grand Falls is Broadway
Boulevard, the widest street east of Winnipeg,
Manitoba. The town's craft shops, galleries,
cafés and Grand Falls Museum
reflect its lively, multi-lingual mix of
Acadian, French Canadian, Irish, Scottish
and English cultures.
Steal a Kiss on
the World's Longest Covered Bridge
It is 385 metres (1,282 feet) long, and
it was built in 1901. Its first crossing
was by a medical doctor, responding to an
emergency, 12 hours before it was fully
completed. In the day of horse-drawn sleighs,
snow had to be spread on its bare floor
to allow the passage of wintertime traffic.
In 1980, it was declared a National Historic
Site, and in 1987, the torch of the Calgary
Winter Olympics was carried across its span.
In 1993, it hosted its first wedding. In
1995, it was commemorated by a Canadian
postage stamp, and in 1999, it was declared
a New Brunswick Provincial Heritage Site.
The longest covered bridge in the world,
spanning the Saint John River at Hartland,
New Brunswick, north of the town of Woodstock,
now has lights and a pedestrian walkway,
but in most other respects, it looks much
as it did when it was built over a century
ago. It has both roof and wooden sides,
making it completely enclosed and weather-proof.
Keep in mind, as you cross the Saint John
River landmark, that it is both a "wishing"
and a "kissing" bridge. Remember
to close your eyes and cross your fingers
for good luck - or follow the romantic lead
of the young men from the horse-and-buggy
days, who trained their teams to stop half
way across, far from the prying eyes of
disapproving elders.
Be aware of vehicle restrictions on the
Hartland Covered Bridge. The maximum height
clearance is 4.12 metres (13 feet, 9 inches),
and the maximum vehicle weight is 10 tonnes.
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Hike
or Bike the Sentier New Brunswick
Trail
The shifting landscapes of the
Saint John River are the backdrop
for one of the longest continuous
links in the Sentier New Brunswick
Trail, a network of community-based
trails now being developed throughout
New Brunswick. The 120 kilometre
section of the Trail, which
doubles as part of the Trans
Canada Trail, connects the communities
of Woodstock and Grand Falls.
It is built on an abandoned
Canadian Pacific rail line,
and is suitable for hikers and
hybrid or mountain bikers. From
the south, the trail begins
on the flat floodplain of the
lower river, passes through
the potato-growing fields of
the Florenceville area, and
enters the hardwood hills of
the Appalachian Mountains. At
Perth-Andover, the route crosses
to the west side of the Saint
John, and continues through
the forests of the Upper Saint
John to the spectacular gorge
at Grand Falls. Along the way,
the trail connects with the
International Appalachian Trail,
from Aroostook to Campbellton,
and the Sentier NB Trail from
Perth-Andover to Plaster Rock. |
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An Outdoor Vacation
in the Saint John River Valley
Get outside! A well-developed network of
New Brunswick Provincial Parks stretches
along the Saint John River Valley, offering
camping, hiking, fishing, power boating,
sailing, windsurfing and golfing activities
throughout the watershed. Keep these sites
in mind as you plan your Saint John River
route:
• Woolastock Provincial Park,
near Fredericton, offers some of the best
mountain biking trails in New Brunswick.
• Mactaquac Provincial Park,
located on the headpond of the giant Mactaquac
Dam, offers 300 campsites, 2 supervised
beaches, a 40-slip power boat marina, a
sailboat marina, a championship 18-hole
golf course, and several kilometres of hiking
and nature trails. Skating, snowshoeing,
toboganning, cross country skiing and snowmobiling
are available in winter; sleigh rides can
be arranged by advance reservation.
• Muniac Provincial Park, near
Perth-Andover, and Les Jardins de la
République, in Saint-Jacques,
just north of Edmunston, offer recreational
facilities in the upper Saint John region. |
