Waterfall Detail: The brook forms on the southern side of Camel Back Mountain and Mount Jack and empties into the Nepisiguit River. The confluence of the brook is located 44 miles up from the paper mill in Bathurst. It was easier to give the brook a mileage distance as an identification point for lumbermen. Buck Falls itself is found 1.5 km up the Forty Four Mile Brook and is accessed by a trail that was cleared and once maintained by Natural Resources. At the confluence is a camping area and a location to launch a canoe if one wishes to. Look for the sign posted along side the road at the trailhead. Regardless the trail is well defined and leads up the eastern side of the brook through a mixed forest.

The brook squeezes through the rock formation dropping into a large clear pool. There are several large rock outcrops on which a person can sit, relax and enjoy nature at it’s finest. The brook above the waterfall presents a wonderful panorama of wilderness. Folklore says that a “mighty fine male deer (buck) was seen here at the falls and therefore was given the name Buck Falls.

This area is famous for it lumber camps and lumbermen who worked the resources. The following is an excerpt from the Virtual Museum dedicated to the Lumber Industry of the Nepisiguit River. “It was on the “44″, north of Three-Corner Lake, that the famed Lazare Roussel had a logging camp in 1920-21. Originally from Tracadie, NB, he came to work for the Bathurst Lumber Co. as a teenager and soon became a camp foreman. During the spring log drives on the Nepisiguit River watershed, he rendered a number of emergency rescues to men caught in log jams. During the influenza epidemic in the early 1900s, he dared to run the river by canoe to transport sick, dying or dead men to Bathurst, NB. Lazare Roussel was known as a legendary woodsman, a great hunter and expert canoe man. It was on October 10, 1917 that he shot a record moose in the Upper Nepisiguit River area. The spread of the antlers was an impressive 183 cm (72 inches). The set of antlers was purchased by Angus L. McLean and hung in his California Lake Camp. Lawrence Chamberlain who catered to the California Lake Camps over a period of 30 years remembers the large set of antlers in the Lodge but it is unknown where the set of antlers are presently. The California Camps no longer exist. In mid 1920s, Roussel became Chief of Police for Bathurst and was known for his ability to keep the peace as well as being an outstanding detective.”

Driving north on Route 11, take exit 304 to Bathurst. Drive away from the city on Route 430 west toward the community of Bathurst Mines. Continue past the mines turnoff. The road will change to gravel. This is the Nepisiguit River Road. Continue on until the sign on the right side of the road indicating Buck Falls Trail. Pull off into the road on the immediate left, N 47 23’ 35” / W 066 11’ 00.7” and drive down to the clearing and park. The trailhead is located across the road on the eastside of the brook. It meanders gently as it leads up along the brook to the waterfall.

Visit Detail: On this day there are many downfalls across the trail slowing our progress. Karl Branch, a friend of Rod O’Connell has decided to join us. Along the trail he uses a small saw to cut branches from some of the fallen trees, but plans to return to clear the path. We don’t understand why natural resources personnel cannot maintain the trail. It would take ½ day in late May to check the trail and perform maintenance. Instead the trail is now in disarray. Near the falls some idiot has spray painted initials on the rocks; things like this makes me wonder about our society. On the upside Karl says it could make for interesting discussion within the academic community in the future. When the trail was renewed there was a suspension bridge constructed across the top of the falls. This is now gone, most likely a casualty of a spring freshet. The anchors and cables still remain fastened to the bedrock.

Sitting on the rocks over looking the waterfall, enjoying the warm morning sun is so relaxing. Deciding that the waterfall could be best photographed from the other side Karl and I work as a team to cross the brook well above the falls to the west side. This side certainly provides the best vantage location to photograph the cataracts. While here we investigate a strange formation in the rocks that resemble the footprint of a dinosaur. Once back on the trailside we head back down to the Nepisiguit River and to our next destination.

Waterfall Detail: The Nepisiguit River (Winpegigewig) means troubled river, or rough flowing water in Mi’kmag and is a major white water river in the province. Located approximately 51 miles up the river from Bathurst, Indian Falls add excitement to this already beautiful New Brunswick River. It is one of the many waterfalls on the river and is known to many. The river gets progressively boisterous through the rapids that starts at the upper falls and culminates in a 2 metre drop at Indian Falls. To those who canoe the river each year it is one of the take out points. For those who continue further on the series of falls must be portaged. The encumbrance is such that attempting to run these rapids can be disastrous.

An ancient and worn path (Sentier Nepisiquit Mi’gmaq Trail) on the north side of the river is used to bypass the falls. There is a trail system, which follows the shoreline of the Nepisiquit River some 80 miles to Mt. Carleton and was used by the Mi’kmag people for a variety of purposes, including access to tribal hunting, fishing, trapping, and gathering sites, Spring and Fall migration, as well as a thoroughfare over which they traveled to interact and trade with other First Nation communities. This historic pathway into the New Brunswick wilderness is rich in cultural heritage sites dating back much earlier than historical records would indicate. Fragments of stone tools have been recovered from archeological sites along the. To this day, rock blinds used for hunting caribou can be found along various sections of the trail.

Driving north on Route 11, take exit 304 to Bathurst. Drive away from the city on Route 430 west toward the community of Bathurst Mines. Continue past the mines turnoff. The road will change to gravel. This is the Nepisiguit River Road. Continue on until the sign on the left side of the road indicating Indian Falls. Pull off onto an old road and park. The train head is located at N47 22’ 02.4” / W066 15’ 45.6”, and is rather steep to start but once in the valley it meanders gently towards the river. Near the river there is a junction. The left hand trail leads to the lower higher) falls and the other leads to the upper falls and the beginning of the portage.

Visit Detail: This late in August the sun is unseasonably warm. Sitting alongside the Nepisiguit River near Indian Falls it is understandable why Rod O’Connell is zealous about this beautiful river. Over the past several years he has organized a group known as the friends of the trail to provide maintenance and stewardship of the historical footpath. I stir the revere by moving to my camera to photograph the falls during a brief interlude of cloud cover. Rod and friend Karl Branch chat excitedly yet with tempered tones about the relocation of the trail to this side of the river. It movement will provide a higher level of access, improved trail maintenance and most importantly a greater level of safety.

We are here at just the right time. Flies are minimal, the water levels just right for photography and the weather comfortable. Over a cup a tea Rod explains the importance of this footpath through stories passed onto to him by timber men who walked from the Bathurst area to the lumber camps. Men who worked all summer fishing, in late November leave their families and head to the lumber camps located in the valleys of this beautiful region. As well for millennia, the Mi’kmag used this footpath to journey from the summer encampments along the Bay of Chaleur near Bathurst to camps at the foot of Mount Sagamook where they could hunt and fish. This area is important theirs and New Brunswick’s history.

After our lunch we walked along the trail to the upper falls where we reflected on the beauty of the river and the importance of the trail.

Waterfall Detail: The impressive Keyhole Falls is located 1.5 Km’s up from the Route 1 bridge spanning Lepreau River. The waterfall is actually a combination of two distinct falls in a unique geological formation.  The rock contains several strata of different colour rock. One band is quartz and forms a white ribbon across the river. This portion of the Fundy is a geological oasis; it is shaped by dividing continents, glacial deposits and volcanic flows from fissure dikes.

A fissure dike is an intrusion into an opening cross-cutting fissure, shouldering aside other pre-existing layers or bodies of rock; this implies that a dike is always younger than the rocks that contain it. Dikes are usually high angle to near vertical in orientation, but subsequent tectonic deformation may rotate the sequence of strata through which the dike propagates so that the latter becomes horizontal. Several large dikes of 4 to 30 meters in width are present in southernmost New Brunswick. These lavas are flood basalts, fed by fissure volcanoes. The Minister Island dike continues at least 50 km from Maine across Passamaquoddy Bay into New Brunswick, with widely offset segments exposed in Buckman’s Creek, the New River, and the Lepreau River.

The geology is unique at this site in that the formation is orientated both vertically and horizontally. The erosive power of the last ice age in combination with the incessant wear of the river exposed the bedrock and the dikes.

Driving west from Saint John along Route 1, pull off the highway just before reaching the bridge across the Lepreau River at N 45 10’ 39.5” / W 066 28’ 55.4” and from here walk up the embankment towards the deer gate and enter. The old logging road is obstructed by a large white birch. Continue walking towards the coordinates for the waterfalls along the logging road. The old road crosses through a couple of small clearings but carry on until the sound of the waterfall can be heard off to your left. Pick a route down the embankment to the river; this will place you below the bottom falls.

Visit Detail: This is my second attempt at visiting the waterfalls. On my first trip, I used GPS coordinates from NRCan Topographical Maps. On that particular trip I emerged out of the woods at the determined coordinates to find a calm flowing river. Two hours later I realized that the information was incorrect and was determined to find the falls and attain correct GPS coordinates. Since this awareness I have established that many waterfalls indicated on these maps are incorrectly placed. In fact, the maps indicate Big Falls on the Lepreau River as being located on a broad sweeping turn in the river where the water is indeed placid. The largest falls on the Lepreau is located at the mouth of the river at the Bay of Fundy and is commonly known as Lepreau Falls.

Armed with better information about the location of Keyhole Falls, we scampered up the embankment from Route 1 to the deer gate. Once through the deer gate my friend Gary LeClair and I followed an old logging road on the brow of the eastern ridge forming the Lepreau River Valley. The forest is soundless except for the resonance of traffic permeating up along the ridge from route 1. In what seemed like a few minutes the traffic was replaced by the harmonious sound of water cascading over bedrock. We both remarked about the naturalness of this sound in comparison to the traffic. Along the old logging road were telling signs of Moose and Bear as well as the chirping of a chipmunk. The escalating sound of the falls and white-water becoming increasingly visible through the trees, we decided to head down to the Lepreau River.

This time I was successful. The overcast skies lingered, providing perfect conditions to photography and explore the waterfall complex. After photographing the bottom falls we climbed up along the east side of the falls to find a large pool encapsulated by basalt rock walls. We remarked on the different colour of each strata and how the rock was orientated differently. The upper falls is concealed from view and required us to climb up to a vantage point to see it. The top falls is a sharp notch in the bedrock and it is no wonder the waterfall is called Keyhole. Formed by the power of the river the notch has sliced deeply into the rock. This must be a wild waterfall in the spring when this river is congested into the notch and forced out at the bottom into the large pool. We had to cross the river well above the falls and then walk back along the west side to a location providing an excellent vantage point from which to photograph the upper falls.

On this side there is a ravine that ran for some distance into the woods. It appeared that this may have been the original course of the river but was altered geologically. On the walk back the sound of the traffic began to overtake the waterfall, chasing us from our reflection. On the drive home we both agreed that Keyhole is a unique waterfall location.

Waterfall Detail: Fuelled by several lakes and large wetlands further north in the plateau that shape this rugged country, Falls Brook works through the craggy terrain to confluence with the Northwest Branch Big Salmon River and eventually the Bay of Fundy. The brook, like many others, was used to drive timber down to the mill located near the estuary of the Big Salmon River.

In the mid 1800’s settlers slowly filtered into the region via the Old Shepody Road, a road connecting Saint John with eastern parts of the province, as well as immigrants establishing a settlement at the mouth of the Big Salmon River. Enterprising settlers built saw mills to reap the benefits of this pristine wilderness and in doing so provided employment. Cutting operations extended up the river. During the winter, lumber teams piled logs on the streambeds or on the brows of the riverbank. When the spring floods arrived the logs were driven down the river to the holding pond above the mill. The scales of such log driving activities on major streams such as Falls Brook and the Big Salmon River are thought to have caused great environmental damage. Riverbeds were scoured, riverbanks were eroded and large woody debris was removed. The scouring action, brought about by the manipulation of river flows to create flood waters, probably destroyed fish spawning grounds, removed any established invertebrate communities and displaced resident fish species. Structures built to straighten rivers to increase flows resulted in rivers that were shallower, wider and warmer in summer and colder in the winter. Further negative impacts on the waters came from accumulations of organic debris such as sawdust and logs. The mill’s lumber crews operated throughout the watershed and the intensity of cutting was high in some areas. The community of Big Salmon River, is long gone, and is now the location of an Interpretation Centre for the Fundy Trail Parkway. The centre provides a retrospective of this once thriving community and its dependence on forestry.

Little Dam Falls “Hell’s Kitchen” is located at the convergence of two ridges that essentially forced the brook to slice though the weakest fissure. This produced such a unique waterfall site. Driving timber through this maze would have been hellish for the lumberjacks who toiled long days to free mangled timber.

See The Falls of Hemlock Brook for directions. On the way to the waterfall on the Shepody and Felix Brook roads, take your time; it could be damaging to your vehicle. There are boulders and large gravel on the road.

Visit Detail: In November 2008 I was driving out from Mary Pitcher Falls on the Felix Brook Road. Felix Brook Road meets the Old Shepody Road just east of Hammondvale in Kings County. I just finished hiking into the waterfalls with companions Bart Myers and Ed Pelger. As we drove over the bumpy road we could see the outline of two men walking along the road, wearing the distinctive orange of a hunting vest. They were out for a walk with little interest in hunting. As well, we could also tell their age by their gait. We decided to stop and chat with them. Just previous to this I was tell the guys about Little Dam Falls on Falls Brook, which is located a few kilometres to our west. I found a posting from the “Major Family” on a Geocache Site and their description and photographs of the waterfall stirred my interest.

During the conversation with the two elderly gentlemen I asked if there was a road leading from Felix Brook Road to Little Dam Falls. One of them knew of the falls, the other was unsure but mentioned the name Hell’s Kitchen. Immediately, they agreed it was the same place. They also said it was well known by the timber-men who worked this area during the early 1900’s as Hell’s Kitchen because of the difficultly of removing jammed logs from the steeped sided gorge. This was due to its twisting shape and sheer walls this short section with two waterfalls would jam with timber. It was a thorny job for young men of the time to work in the gorge undoing the log jam.

I was immediately fascinated in the area but time passed and I just never found time to visit. This all changed on New Brunswick Day when my friend Terry Gallant and I hiked up Falls Brook to visit the site. After parking the ATV’s in a clearing we hiked down along Hemlock Brook to Fall Brook. Along the way we stopped to photograph several waterfalls. See related post (Falls of Hemlock Brook). Once in the valley our hike was along the brook through a rich old growth forest to Little Dam Falls. On arrival, we understood immediately what the old timers were talking about almost two years earlier. This is an absolutely impressive waterfall site. It is an area that must be respected for its potential danger to those who visit. Due to the geological nature of the gorge the two waterfalls can only be viewed from a perch high above the eastern edge of the gorge, which requires an ascent up over large moss covered boulders and around trees holding precariously to the edge. Caution is essential.

After spending 30 minutes admiring the waterfalls, and legs already exhausted from the climb, we continued our ascent to the top of the ridge and within minutes the roar of the waterfall could no longer be heard. Near the top we began following a ridge line along the eastern side of the gorge. This route skirted along the edge of an old clear-cut and in several locations we crossed through large areas of wild raspberries. These bushes grow when trees are harvested; they produce a lot of food for wildlife in the area, especially bear. The scent of raspberries was astounding, but we continued on along the ridgeline towards our ATV’s.

Waterfall Detail: Hemlock Brook flows westerly down over the steep valley formed by Falls Brook in eastern Saint John County. This area is part of the Fundy Highlands where numerous brooks and streams connect to form the Big Salmon River tributary system. The ecosystems are greatly affected by the Bay of Fundy and the elevation of the highlands. It is a rich and botanically diverse region. Falls Brook is one of the larger tributaries. Hemlock Brook has its source in a number of wetlands located along the plateau formed by the Laurentian Ice shield some 10,000 years ago. The brook slashes through the abrupt hillside producing a series of fantastic waterfalls on it sprint down to the valley floor. There are two waterfalls of note. The first is a tiered falls separated by a deep and dark punchbowl. Thirty metres further on there is a second waterfall of distinction. It is a plunge falls sheltered by 30 metre vertical cliff ramparts.

Trees in the ravine are primarily deciduous with a mixture of coniferous. There is little hemlock to be found, possibly because of logging activities in years past. Access to the area is via an old logging road that is no longer in use. Near the brook is a large clearing once used for loading the large trucks that hauled timber out to the saw mill, recently it is used as a campsite for ATV’ers.

Drive out Route 111 to the rural hamlet of Hammondvale, southwest of Sussex. In Hammondvale the road splits, with Route 111 leading past the convenience store, west towards Hillsdale and eventually St. Martins. The second road turns abruptly left away from the store. This road will also split off to the left, but disregard the split-off and continue driving east up the hill. This is the Old Shepody Road and in places the road can be rough. Follow this road for approximately 6.5 Km (N45 35’ 16.9” / W065 26’ 02.1”). Turn right at Felix Brook Road and drive approximately 10.5 Km (N45 30’ 48.1” / W065 24’ 03.2”) and turn right on this road. Continue along this road a further 3.0 Km and there will be a road on the right. This road starts off promising but will narrow towards the end, with little place to turn a vehicle. If using a truck, park here and walk in. If using an ATV continue on until the road turns sharply right and becomes an ATV trail at N45 30’ 03.0” / W065 25’ 11.5”. Follow this trail downward and it will lead to a large clearing. If walking, upon reaching this coordinate, continue straight down and you will emerge at the same clearing.

At the far left of the clearing there is trail into the woods. The trail leads to Hemlock Brook. Follow the brook down into the valley and you will discover several enchanting waterfalls. This not easy going, so caution and fitness is strongly advised.

Visit Detail: Stumbling upon the beautiful waterfalls of Hemlock Brook was like the surprise in a Cracker Jack Box. You always knew the caramel coated popcorn and peanuts would be good, but finding the various surprises always made the treat special. I guess this is how we felt on New Brunswick Day when my friend, Terry Gallant and I hiked down along Hemlock Brook heading for Little Dam Falls on the Falls Brook. There was no doubt that we both thoroughly enjoyed our discovery. Others have been here to enjoy the striking waterfalls or to fish the many little pools. Sparking clean water, bound and frolic with the ravine and yet you understand the erosive power of the brook, as it has carved such expansive ravine at the site of the highest waterfall.

Near the highest falls our movement were slow and deliberate. Along the edge of the brook we edged closer to the abyss. Peering over, there was little doubt we stumbled upon a special waterfall. The brook leaps over the edge plunging like water flowing from a hose, to the gorge floor some 12 metres below. On our left the cliff walls rise straight up another 15 metres, and on our right, a twisty route that leads up and around rock outcrops and provides access to basin some 30 metres further on. Once in the ravine our access to the falls is over large moss laden boulders which at sometime in the past have broken away from the cliff face, forced to do so by the erosive power of ice and water. From the basin the cliffs appear to reach heavenly.

I strongly recommend this site as a must see for waterfall enthusiast.

Waterfall Detail: In 1876, Daniel Gillmor built a watermill at Second Falls on the Magaguadavic River. Successive generations maintained mills on both sides of the river and as well other families established mills in the same area. The mighty river was used to drive timber to a common boom just above Second Falls Bridge, where the logs were separated according to individual markings. Over time the timber industry changed and the need for these mills diminished and all that remains is the beautiful waterfall.

The “Magaguadavic” or otherwise known as the “Mackadavy” is a native word meaning “River of Eels“. The river is the sixth largest river in the New Brunswick, measuring approximately 129 kilometres in length and has 103 named tributaries and 55 lakes in a large drainage area. The river begins as an outlet on the southeastern bank of Magaguadavic Lake and ultimately empties into the Bay of Fundy. The Mackadavy flows through numerous rural communities of which Bonny River and Second Falls are two. The river like many on the western side of the Saint John River empties into the bay through a waterfall. As well it is a very boney or rock laden waterway throughout its length except below Second Falls, a beautiful cascade that tumbles over a perpendicular rock, where the river is wider and deeper due to the dam located at First Falls.

The area is famous for Old Ned. The nearby Lake Utopia is connected to the Magaguadavic River and, from there, to the Bay of Fundy by one of the deepest natural canals in the world. Local legend has it that the lake is inhabited by a sea monster known as the Lake Utopia Monster. Sightings of an enormous eel-like creature approximately 12 to 15 metres in length, pre-date the arrival of Europeans. The story goes that long ago two Maliseet Natives were canoeing on the lake when suddenly the monster appeared and chased them from one end to the other. Since the arrival of Europeans to the area in the late 1700’s, the story has continued. Most recently, in 1996, Roger and Lois Wilcox were canoeing on the lake when they saw ripples break the placid surface 100 metres away from them. It was heading toward Cannonball Island, a common monster sighting spot. Wilcox reports the monster as being 40 to 50 feet long, undulating upward, not sideways.

Starting at the intersection of Main Street and the Bonny River Road (Route 770) in St. George, drive approximately 14.5 Km to the junction of Route 770 and the Red Rock Road.

Visit Detail: I was on my way home from a speaking engagement on Campobello Island and decided to take a known short cut by driving up the Bonny River Road. I was told that I could cross the Magaguadavic River at Red Rock Bridge and cut cross-country to Route 785.

The late afternoon sun spread long shadows across the hillside to the east in hues of orange and gold. The warm colours contrasted sharply with the cooler blues of the river. While enjoying the drive I was reminded several times that the Second Falls Bridge was closed for repairs. Not familiar with the area I was unaware that the Red Rock Bridge and the Second Falls Bridge are indeed one and the same.

The benefit of my mistake was a chance visit to Second Falls. Located just below the bridge is this wonderful waterfall and equally significant pool. On this particularly sultry day a group of teens were enjoying the cool water. Further down along the shore a lone angler was trying his luck. From the roadway I made my way along the granite outcrop to a location near the falls. It was a superb finish to a memorable road-trip.

Waterfall Detail: New Brunswick has its own Glen Falls located in the City of Saint John. Not as dramatic as those located in upstate New York. Cold Brook flows down a long rocky decline to join other creeks and streams to form Marsh Creek which eventually flows into Courtenay Bay. The brook runs parallel to Golden Grove Road in east Saint John. The brook is energized by a large wetland and small lakes with name such as Quinn, Shaw, Kelly and Mystery. The area is encapsulated by a residential area, and the once appealing waterfall has been tarnished. Portions are still charming, but it shows the signs of misuse and lacks the luster of the natural world.

From Rothsay Avenue, take McAllister Drive and then turn left onto Golden Grove Road. Drive out Golden Grove as it ascends up through Glen Falls. The brook is on the left and runs parallel to the road. At approximately 1.5 km, look for Glenview Drive on the left. Turn, and drive a short distance and then turn in behind the Glen View United Church and park. The brook is at the back of the parking lot.

Visit Detail: I was in Saint John for a book signing and had 60 minutes to spare, so I decided to drive out past McCallister Place Mall to Glen Falls. Unsure of the exact location I drove through the adjacent subdivisions until I located a portion of the falls. I did not stray up or down the length of the cascade but focused on one particular portion that looked promising. The entire length is surrounded by apartment buildings and sprawling subdivisions. I parked in behind Glen View United Church that is on Glenview Drive.

I suspect long ago before the city began to sprawl the area was considered a beautiful forested waterfall. Unfortunately, on this day I removed a large bag of trash in just one short section. I suspect if the residence of Glen Falls decided to take action this beautiful cascade could return to it once former charm. Nearby homes are certainly entertained by the rhyme of the brook, crashing and careening down over the rocky hillside.

Waterfall Detail: There is a series of slight cascades alongside the Charlie Lake Road. Driving up the Charlie Lake Road, the unnamed brook is on the left side and is well hidden by thick brush. Never the less approximately 10 metres into the woods is this small brook with its many waterfalls. The brook like many others on the gentle sloping hills along the Saint John River has cut a channel that exposes granite outcrops and thus produces several waterfalls all in a cluster.

This is very much a seasonal waterfall with no lake our large wetland to fuel the brook. It should be visited during the spring freshet or after a few days of vigorous summer or autumn rain.

Take the exit for Meductic off of the Transcanada Highway and drive down to where the exit road meets the Old Transcanada Highway. Turn right and drive back toward Fredericton approximately 9.5 Km’s. Look for the Charlie Lake Road. Drive up the hill approximately 400 metres and park.

Visit Detail: Dancing spritely over the gentle sloping ledges the brook gathers in small shallow pools before cascading over the next outcrop. This small brook has formed numerous waterfalls. We are here at just the right time having rained the day previous, thus bringing life to the brook.

When my friend Jason Bennett told me about the beautiful area I did not doubt him for a minute. Jason has a nose for finding waterfalls and has taken wonderful pictures of numerous falls on his travels around the province. On this waterfall excursion, Jason stopped alongside the road and calmly stated that the series of falls was just a few metres into the woods.

As we walk into the woods clouds begin to gather, producing the right time for photographing waterfalls. This is definitely a nice location as we move down alongside the brook photographing several of the cascades. It was a real nice way to finish off this wonderful day. Thanks Jason.

Waterfall Detail: The drive out from Dieppe along Route 925 is through ancestral Acadian countryside. Meandering along the eastside of the Petitcodiac River through small communities named after many of our Acadian families is wonderful. Away from the hustle of the Trans Canada the road leads through villages such as Gautreau, Belliveau and Boudreau. They are nestled in rich farm land that quietly rises from the mud flats of the river to rich emerald forest. Much of the pasture along the river was reclaimed by Acadian settlers. The area is in stark contrast to the lofty mountains of Albert counity across the river to the west. The river was the natural division between Acadian communities on the east and the Scottish, Irish and English communities such as Hillsborough on the west.

The road to Beaumont leads away from the Village of Gautreau down through Belliveau and Boudreau towards Shepody Bay. Beaumont is rich farm land quietly nestled along the river. Small streams etch their way down from the low lying hills to the east through the low lying fields to the mud flats of the river. Eventually the ridge of hills begins to turn west and unite with the river. It is at this convergence that a small stream cuts through the escarpment forming a series of small waterfalls before slicing through the reclaimed farmland.

Visit Detail: My book signing schedule had me in Sackville for a 6:30 PM engagement. With this in mind I decided to take a day off work and drive down through back country roads trying my best to stay away from populated areas. Unfortunately, I had to drive through the cities of Moncton and Dieppe to locate this small roadside waterfall in the rural community of Beaumont.

I was completely taken by the natural beauty of the countryside and was captivated as I drove slowly along the quite road. The Acadian flag proudly displayed by every household guiding me to my destination. This proud history made me think of my Acadian roots on my mother’s side of the family.

I stopped to speak with a lady and her elderly parents parked alongside enjoying the beauty of the area. Unsure of the location of the falls I asked if she knew of them. After asking her elderly parents she quietly said that they were not aware of any waterfalls. With the windows down I drove further on and several hundred metres beyond I was awaken from my reverie by the sound of a waterfall. Hidden by the trees, the small brook reached out inviting me to explore. I was pleasantly surprised. This is a wonderful alcove of thick brush and a sparkling waterfall. After 30 minutes I returned to my car and drove further down along the Petitcodiac until the road conditions forced me to turn around.

This past Sunday, Gary LeClair of Sundury Ontario and I ventured off to Fundy National Park to photography waterfalls. It was Gary’s first trip into the park and by all accounts he had a wonderful time. To say the least it was a long day with many kilometres of enjoyable hiking. Above are a sample of my day. For those unfamiliar with the park it is worth a visit.

In the morning we photographed Dickson Falls and Forty Five River Falls and in the afternoon we hiked into Laverty Falls and finished the day at Third Vault. We counted 83 people enjoying the various waterfalls.

Hope you enjoy the pictures.