I received an e-mail from a Hiking NB user a few weeks ago asking for ideas for a campsite that would require a 2-4 hour hike to access that is maybe near a lake. The following is my response with all of the backcountry campsites I could think of that fit the requirements. I thought I would share it for anyone who might be interested in getting out of the campgrounds and deeper into nature. I know this is not all of the backcountry campsites in the province so I would be interested in hearing about any that I missed. Either post them in the comments for this post or on my facebook page.

Thanks for your interest in Hiking NB. The following is the list of locations I can think of that might satisfy your needs:

Mount Carleton
Headwaters Campsite – Mount Carleton
There are 10 backcountry campsites at Fundy Park. They are located at Tracy Lake, Myron Lake, Chambers Lake, and the outlet of Goose River at the start of the Fundy Footpath. A map of the sites can be found at Fundy Park Facilities Map for more information go to Fundy Park – Backcountry Camping.

There are 3 backcountry campsites at Kouchibouguac Park. Petit-Large is only 2.5 km from the parking and surrounded by fields and forest. The Sipu Canoe Campground at Middle Kouchibouguac can be reached by crossing the walking bridge for about a 1 km hike but if you left from Pijeboogwek and did the whole Kouchibouguac River Trail you could make it about a 5 km hike. These short hikes are probably not what you are looking for unless you also wanted to go to the beach when you were done. A map of the campsites can be found at Park Map and for more information on backcountry campsites see Kouchibouguac – Backcountry Campign

Dobson Trail
Dobson Trail
There is the Headwaters Campground near the peak of Mount Carleton. No lake but close to the peak of the tallest point in eastern Canada. You can see it on a map on the following page: Mount Carleton Peak Trail.

From the St. Martins (Fundy Trail Parkway) side of the Fundy Footpath there is the Big Salmon River Campsite that is about 2 km from the visitor center. There is also another campsite at Long Beach Brook another 3 km past that. If you want to hike even more the Seely Beach Brook Campground is another 5 km past that. (Note: These are very rough distances that I measured with my finger on a map). These would all be sites near the coast of the Bay of Fundy.

Eel River Beach - Grand Manan
Eel River Beach – Grand Manan
The Dobson Trail from Riverview to Fundy Park also has several campsites. There is one at km 35 shown on the trail guide map but there must be others that are unofficial campsites along the way. It looks like it’s on a stream. You could shorten up the distance to the site by starting from the Prosser Brook Road but that would mean only about 2 km of hiking. From there you could go check Hayward Pinnacle and add on another 5 km (10 km return) or you could start from where the trail crosses Route 910 which would make it about 9 km.

If you are looking for more information about the Dobson Trail or the Fundy Footpath you should join the Dobson Trail Fundy Footpath Catamount Trail on Facebook and post the question. There are many people in this group that have an in depth knowledge of the trails.

Mactaquac
Alex Creek – Mactaquac
The Lighthouse Trail around the perimeter of Grand Manan Island also has many backcountry campsites. For more information you can join the Grand Manan Hikers Facebook page and ask questions.

The only other place I can think of that has backcountry campsites is Mactaquac Provincial Park. They would only be about a 1 km hike and are along a small stream.

Hope this helps.

James Donald
Hiking NB

17 thoughts on “Backcountry Camp Sites in New Brunswick

  1. I am a New Brunswick native and an avid hiker/outdoor enthusiast. Your blog is phenomenal and I will share it on social media to my NB friends & family. It will also provide my husband and I a great resource when we return each year for our NB visit. Thanks!

    1. Thanks for the feedback. I enjoy exploring the trails and sharing our explorations. I hope to create downloadable hiking guides over the winter. Stay tuned.

  2. Hi James!
    I am planning on getting out for my first back country camping this weekend in Fundy Park. In the past, I know there were fire pits and firewood on the backcountry sites (even though technically the park didn’t support campfires). They say there are no pits at the sites anymore. Have you seen/heard what the current status is? I def have my little stove but was really hoping for a camp fire=:(

    1. Sorry for not getting back to you sooner. I didn’t know the answer to your question until Sunday when I was out with a park employee helping cut a new access trail to the Fundy Footpath. She said that they did away with the fire pits in the past due to the difficulty of keeping them stocked with firewood but have brought them back in this year. Hopefully you found this out for yourself on the weekend.

      1. I stayed overnight at Goose River last weekend, and did Tracey Lake the weekend before… neither had fire pits, or at least not yet.

        1. an update to say that I corresponded with a supervisor at Fundy who wrote to me:

          “During the winter, a decision was made to re-allow fires at our backcountry campsites. We are currently working at having all the fire pits re-installed and providing fire wood to these sites.”

  3. Love the website, thanks for all the info

    Another backcountry option in NB is to hike and camp overnight on Crown Land or some Natural Protected Areas. There’s some information about this on the SNB website. I don’t know anyone who has actually done this, but some recreational use of Crown Land appears to be legal from what I have read.

    1. Fire Pits were at the Goose River site earlier this summer and being well used. There was a lot of wood stocked at the site before the beach.

  4. Do you have a post about back country campsites that are available in NB during the winter season? And to be even more specific, if there are any
    spots with back country shelters? Which ones are best for hiking when there is no snow vs ones that are best to ski/snowshoe in?

    1. I don’t have a blog post specific to winter backcountry camping yet but I can try to answer any questions you may have. Kouchibouguac and Fundy are probably your best options. Mactaquac also has a couple of shelters. Is there a specific part of the province you are interested in?

  5. Stumbled upon this site. We just moved to
    fredericton from the netherlands and
    want to do some backcountry camping. In
    mactaquac I only know the big
    campground. Have bwen there a couple of
    times. Where would you go for
    backcountry. Are you alowed to set up a
    tent along the trails? Unsure what nb law
    is

    1. There are rules about where you can camp in parks. The best location for back country camping in New Brunswick is either Fundy Park, Kouchibouguac Park, Mount Carleton Park, the Fundy Footpath, or the Dobson Trail between Riverview and Fundy Park. There are usually no issues with camping on trails that are on Crown Land but it is specific to the trails. If you have questions about a specific trail let us know.

  6. We are looking to pitch a tent along a
    stream or beach to escape technology.
    Any suggestions on crown land between
    port elgin and petitcodiac

  7. Great information! Do you know if there is a hiking circuit in Mount Carleton Provincial Park like there is in Fundy? Thank you!!

  8. Hello! Just stumbled upon your blog as I was researching crown land to camp on. We bought a used pop up trailer and would like to go off grid for a
    week this summer. Any suggestions? We would appreciate your input.
    Thank you!

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