Waterside Beach
Imagine a beach of almost level sand that stretches almost forever. Now add the impressive flow of rising waters from the Bay of Fundy. What if you could have the feeling that beach was almost just for you? While not nearly as well known as most of the other attractions on this list, on your way from Fundy National Park to Cape Enrage on Highway 915 be sure to stop at Waterside Beach. While the water is cold, the beach is spectacular and usually almost empty.
One of the rather unknown treasures of the Bay of Fundy, and one of my personal favourites, is Waterside Beach, located between Alma and Cape Enrage in New Brunswick. The water here is too cold for swimming, but this is a great place to enjoy the tidal range of the bay in a beautiful setting. The sand here seems to stretch forever in an almost flat beach, and best of all, the beach seldom has more than a handful of visitors, so you have the sense of a private beach.
While the beach itself is very flat, it is defined by rocky outcroppings on both edges. The outcropping nearer to Alma is a very interesting set of tide etched red rocks that can be explored at low tide. As always with rock outcroppings, avoid getting too near any vertical cliff because of danger of falling rocks.
Waterside Beach is easy to find: from the village of Alma (at the east entrance to Fundy National Park) take highway 915 which veers off to the right up the hill just after the Alma Baptist Church on your right. After about 10 minutes driving from Alma you will see the beach. There is a small parking area on the right of the road, and then a short and easy walk gets you to the beach.
If you plan on wading, the best time to visit the beach is just after low tide, when the incoming tide begins to cover the warmer sand. You truly get the sense of the tidal range if you stay in a spot and watch and feel the water as it comes in further each minute (the maximum rate of water height change will be half way between low and high tides. This is a great location for photographers, fun for kids, and a romantic location for couples.
Locals know Waterside Beach well and for good reason. Don't miss it during your Bay of Fundy vacation!
This page last updated July 15, 2017. The original material is ©2017 R. Hawkes. Contact us for permission to reprint. You may freely link to this page and site without explicit permission. Material in linked pages is owned and managed by the operators of those pages. Always check to make sure you have accurate and current information before making plans. We have no association with the businesses and organizations mentioned in this post.