Moncton sits on the Petitcodiac, where a tidal bore rolls up the river twice a day, with a large nature park in town and the Fundy shore about an hour south.
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Photo: Autumn colour on the lake at Irishtown Nature Park, Moncton, James Mann, CC BY 2.0
Moncton grew on a bend of the Petitcodiac River, a chocolate-coloured tidal river that empties and fills with the Bay of Fundy. Twice a day a wave (the tidal bore) rolls upstream. Official city pages say the best view is from Bore Park, and that you should arrive about 30 minutes early because times can shift.
North of downtown, Irishtown Nature Park is one of the largest urban parks in Canada, with forest, marsh and a lake, open dawn to dusk. The Riverfront Trail links downtown to Dieppe and Riverview. Magnetic Hill, a gravity-hill illusion, is seasonal; when official pages were read on 12 November 2026, it was closed for the fall and winter.
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Free No charge to enter · Cheap A small entry, permit or parking fee · Paid Tickets, tours or rentals
Outdoors and nature
Trails, lookouts, waterfalls, beaches and time on the water come first.
Free
Irishtown Nature Park
An 890-hectare park of Acadian forest, marsh and a lake in the city's north end, with surfaced trails and footpaths. Official pages say it is open dawn to dusk. Recreational boating was closed because of cyanobacteria when those pages were read on 12 November 2026; check current notices.
Season Official pages say the park is open dawn to dusk. Recreational boating was closed because of cyanobacteria when those pages were read on 12 November 2026 (check current notices).
Accessible trails along the Petitcodiac, about five kilometres of paved and gravel path linking downtown Moncton with Dieppe and Riverview. Official pages say it is open dawn to dusk, year-round, with some winter sections cleared for walking.
Season Official pages say the park is open dawn to dusk year-round, with some winter trail sections cleared for walking.
A wave that rolls up the Petitcodiac twice a day, driven by Fundy tides. Official pages say the best view is from Bore Park at 10 Bendview Court, and that the river can go from almost empty to nearly full within two hours.
Season The bore arrives twice daily. Official pages say posted times can differ by about 20 minutes; arrive early and confirm the timetable on the city site.
Trails through 122 hectares of forest and open space along Hall's Creek, with a wetland and lagoon. Official pages say it is open dawn to dusk, and that some winter trails are groomed for walking while others are left for snowshoeing.
Season Official pages say the park is open dawn to dusk. Some winter trails are groomed for walking; others are left for snowshoeing.
A 94-hectare city-centre park of forest, trails and open space, used year-round. Official pages say it is open dawn to dusk. The park pond was closed to recreational use because of cyanobacteria when those pages were read on 12 November 2026; check current notices.
Season Official pages say the park is open dawn to dusk. The pond was closed to recreational use because of cyanobacteria when those pages were read on 12 November 2026 (check current notices).
A gravity-hill where a car in neutral appears to roll uphill. Official city pages said it was closed for the fall and winter season when they were read on 12 November 2026, and that it is prohibited to use the hill in winter. Confirm the current seasonal calendar before you go.
Season Official city pages said the hill was closed for the fall and winter season when they were read on 12 November 2026, and that winter use is prohibited. Confirm the current seasonal calendar (check before you go).
Cruises, tours and experiences people book here. Each one goes to the operator's official page, and you can still add it to your trip.
Tickets
Magnetic Hill Zoo
A city zoo at Magnetic Hill Park. Official pages listed it as open five days a week, closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays; confirm the current calendar before you go.
Season Official pages say the zoo is open five days a week, closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays, with hours that change through the 2026 calendar (check before you go).
Tidal bore: Official city pages say the bore arrives twice daily, that posted times can differ by about 20 minutes, and that you should arrive 30 minutes early and plan to stay up to an hour after it passes. Check the timetable on the city tidal bore page.
Water quality: When official pages were read on 12 November 2026, Irishtown Nature Park was closed to recreational boating because of cyanobacteria, and the pond at Centennial Park was closed to recreational use for the same reason. Check current notices before you go on the water.
We list only places we can check against an official source. Hours, seasons and prices change, so confirm before you go.
Photos on this page
Photo: Autumn colour on the lake at Irishtown Nature Park, Moncton, James Mann, CC BY 2.0
