"Kouchibouguac - Coastal dunes & forest... " a Kouchibouguac National Park Travel Page by Bwana_Brown

It was time for my annual summer biking trip with my buddy Russell, so we decided it was high time that we visited the lesser known of the two National Parks in my home province of New Brunswick, that is - Kouchibouguac National Park. The park literature itself best describes the attractions that can be found in this very peaceful and enjoyable location:

"Welcome to this special Canadian Heritage protected area. One of two wilderness Canadian national parks in New Brunswick, Kouchibouguac is a fascinating mosaic of bogs, salt marshes, tidal rivers, sparkling freshwater systems, sheltered lagoons, abandoned fields and tall forests which characterizes the Maritime Plain Natural Region. Natural wonders abound in this Park that boasts the second largest tern colony in North America. As well, the 25 kilometres of shifting sand dunes are home to the endangered piping plover and witness to colonies of both harbour and grey seals that frolic in the sunshine on certain sections of the dunes. The name Kouchibouguac (Kou-she-boo-gwack) is of Mi’kmaq origin and means “river of the long tides”. Established in 1969, this 238 square kilometre national park provides a host of exciting family activities. The 60 kilometres of cycling paths are always popular with both hikers and cyclists. Canoeing/kayaking, swimming, camping, bird watching, as well as cross country skiing, snowshoeing and tobogganing in winter are also available in this natural land of enchantment located on New Brunswick’s eastern coast line."

After a slightly delayed start to our explorations, due to overnight rain, we spent a great weekend here in the sunshine with temperatures in the mid-20 C range. In fact, I had so much fun here that my wife and I made a return visit two weekends later on another couple of sunny and 27 C days! This second time around, I had a closer look at some of the Hiking trails that Russ and I had missed out on. Check out this Park's attractions in my tips below!