South Maitland
Fundy
Tidal Interpretive Park & Centre
Drop by the
Interpretive Centre to find pamphlets, maps and more to help plan
your tour on the 215; stroll out to the Observation Deck built right over the trestles
of the bridge that originally spanned the Shubenacadie River. See the
world famous Tidal Bore at your feet as it rushes up the river at the turn of the tide.
At the nearby South Maitland Village
Park you'll find nature trails, Ducks Unlimited ponds, bird watching sites
and picnic tables. Click
here
for South Maitland Tide Times...
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| entrance to park |
interpretive centre |
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| trestle interpretive board |
bridge over Shubenacadie River |
South
Maitland Village Interpretive Park & Nature Trail
The village of South Maitland (once known as Five
Mile River), was a favoured water side campground of the indigenous Mi'kmaq, and
later a bustling ship building & railway centre at the time of the Loyalists.
Today the river side is the focus of eco-tourism & heritage attractions
including self-interpretive Nature trails and a fascinating
Railroad Museum in the old
Caboose.
Park by the Caboose Railway Museum in the nearby
South Maitland Village Park and you'll find the entrance to a trail system
running along the tidal Shubanacadie River. Interpretive boards describe
features of the wetlands and its wildlife. Shady pavilions perched on the
waterside afford stunning views of flat river marsh hemmed in by steep wooded
hillsides.
Opposite the parking lot and just over Highway 215
you'll see a Ducks Unlimited pond, and this entire area is great spot for
watching eagles and other birds. The Village Park offers picnic tables &
outdoor toilet facilities, and is located opposite to a general store, cafe &
gas bar.
Maitland
Dawson Dowel Park
 Situated
just at the edge of the village core of Maitland, this day use Park provides
easy access to spectacular views of Cobequid Bay and the famous Tidal Bore.
The Park is also conveniently located for your visit to
Lawrence House Museum,
Oak Island Cemetery and the Maitland
Ducks Unlimited pond.
Pause for lunch in the gazebo; parents will enjoy the garden plantings while
the kids will love the playground facilities. An easy path over the
Acadian Dyke wall will lead you to a public wharf for an up close view of the
turning tide rushing towards the mouth of the Shubenacadie River. Watch at
the right time of day and you'll see daring rafters taking on the boiling rapids
as they fight their way seaward against the oncoming Tidal Bore!
- playground
- outdoor toilets
- interpretive boards
- gazebo & flower garden
- tennis & basketball courts
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 Ducks Unlimited Ponds
Wetland &
Wildlife Conservation in Nova Scotia
excerpted from Ducks Unlimited Canada web
site - Nova Scotia page
"Nova Scotia’s wetlands provide habitat for hundreds of species of
waterfowl and many other wildlife species. These species use wetlands
for food, water, breeding and nesting grounds, resting areas and
shelters. Beyond providing vital habitat, wetlands also provide numerous
other benefits such as acting as a water filter, reducing flooding and
providing a great place for recreational activities like hiking,
canoeing and wildlife watching.
Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) is working with government, industry,
private landowners and other conservation organizations to ensure
wetland habitats remain a part of Nova Scotia’s landscape, ensuring a
healthy future for waterfowl, wildlife and a fresh clean water supply
for people."
Ducks Unlimited maintains two ponds in the Maitland Heritage
Conservation District, one behind
Lawrence House Museum in
Maitland (above), and one near the Fundy Tidal Interpretive
Centre in South Maitland. Easy walking trails and interpretive
boards provide visitors with a pleasant and informative self-guided
nature experience.
visit Ducks Unlimited Canada to learn more about
Nova Scotia DUC ponds...
 Lower Selma
Anthony Park
A day use park, it's location looking directly over the waters Cobequid Bay
provides a stunning backdrop for your picnic by the wayside. Easy walking trails
wind through the woods and down to the old wharf on the shoreline.
Interpretive boards in the park and wharf side provide background on the area,
its natural features and wildlife.
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- walking trails
- waterside look-off
- picnic tables, some covered
- outdoor toilets, some accessible
- interpretive boards in fields & at the wharf-side
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Burntcoat Head
Burncoat Head Lighthouse & Park
- site of world's highest tides
In the mid 1800's, the coastal shipping and fishing industry was the
lifeblood of the area, and lighthouses were essential to safe navigation.
Burntcoat Head juts well out into the Minas Basin and in 1859 was an ideal spot
to site a lighthouse, combined with keeper's residence. Eventually,
however, the inexorable & famous 50 foot tides of the Bay of Fundy actually wore
away the narrow neck connecting the site to the mainland. Another tower
was built in 1913, but by 1972 times had changed; the lighthouse service was
discontinued and the building was burned.
The East Hants Tourism Association, in an effort to revive this historic
light, obtained the plans for the second building and constructed a replica in
1994. Today you'll find a pleasant park with interesting plantings, picnic
tables and toilet facilities, and an interpretive centre discussing the history
and geology of the area.
The lighthouse itself offers a stunning panoramic
view of the Minas Basin. The shoreline is an easy descent away,
 where
you can stroll on the ocean floor when the tides are out, but caution is advised
because...the tide always turns! Click
here to view Tide Tables.
- parking
- outdoor toilets
- free admission
- 3 acre Heritage park
- gazebo & picnic tables
- interpretive displays inside
- lighthouse is wheelchair accessible
- stairway to ocean floor (low tide only)
- fossil hunting, rock hounding, bird watching
Cautions: the incoming tides can
move as fast as a running horse - please be careful on the Bay floor! Also
please note fossils still attached to the bedrock may not be disturbed or
collected.
Walton
Walton Lighthouse
- last original lighthouse in Hants County
Walton was once a busy port and naturally had it's
lighthouse. Built in 1873, the light was first powered by kerosene,
and it's revolutions were produced by a clockwork mechanism which had to be
wound by hand each night by the keeper, about 60 turns in all.
Yet in it's time it was once the brightest light in the upper Bay of Fundy.
Loads of pulpwood, barite and gypsum were once shipped from this area to our
U.S. neighbours to the south, and the lighthouse was vital for navigation.
In the late 1970's shipping from the port of Walton declined as trucking and
rail transport came to the fore and the lighthouse was eventually
decommissioned. The Municipality of East Hants bought the lighthouse in
1991 for its heritage property and the building was designated as heritage
status on August 12, 1992.
 Today, the lighthouse is maintained by the East-Hants Tourism Association,
and has become an important tourist attraction along the Hants Shore, as the
only remaining lighthouse in Hants County.
Climb the tower and enjoy spectacular views of Cape Blomidon to the west, and
stunning sunsets over the Minas Basin.
- parking
- look-off
- outdoor toilets
- flower garden
- free admission
- cliff side walking trails
- interpretive displays inside
- gazebo & picnic tables
- kiosk with crafts, souvenirs & snacks
- fossil hunting, rock hounding, bird watching
An easy stroll from the lighthouse you'll find the remains of the Walton
Wharf, once so important in the shipping of barite & gypsum during the area's
heyday as a busy port. Time your visit right and you'll see famous
'reversing rapids' as the Tidal Bore in the Minas Basin pushes the fresh water
of the Walton River far upstream!
 
Along our picturesque shoreline, you'll find many great places to stay,
whether you're looking for family fun & adventure or a romantic getaway.
Choice of accommodations includes campgrounds, cottages and Bed & Breakfasts
ranging from the elegant to the homey. See the list of links
at the top left of the page
or browse our Business Directory to investigate the many possibilities for your stay on the
Fundy Shore...
MDDA - The
Maitland and District Development Association is a non-profit group operated by
volunteers from our area. Supported by the Hants Regional Development
Authority, the Municipality of East Hants and their own fundraising efforts,
the group has undertaken many local projects to date. Restoration of the
Old Selmah Schoolhouse, it's conversion to an Art Gallery, improvement of
Dawson Dowell Park in Maitland and sponsorship of this web site are some of
the group's most visible projects. |
