What to See in Hopewell Cape - Top Sights and Attractions

Tourist attraction in Hopewell Cape, New Brunswick. The Hopewell Rocks, also called the Flowerpots Rocks or simply The Rocks, are rock formations known as sea stacks caused by tidal erosion in the Hopewell Rocks Ocean Tidal Exploration Site at the Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park in New Brunswick, Canada. They stand 40–70 feet tall.

They are located on the shores of the upper reaches of the Bay of Fundy at Hopewell Cape near the end of a series of Fundy coastal tourism hubs including Fundy National Park and the Fundy Trail. Due to the extreme tidal range of the Bay of Fundy, the base of the formations are covered in water twice a day. It is possible to view the formations from ground level at low tide.

The formations consist of red-brown sedimentary conglomerate, sandstone, and minor mudstone rock from the Carboniferous Hopewell Cape Formation, part of the Mabou Group. The large volume of water flowing in to and out of the Bay of Fundy modifies the landscape surrounding it. After the retreat of the glaciers in the region following the last ice age, surface water filtering through cracks in the cliff has eroded and separated the formations from the rest of the cliff face. Meanwhile, advancing and retreating tides and the associated waves have eroded the base of the rocks at a faster rate than the tops, resulting in their unusual shapes.

The vast sediment planes in the basin in Fundy supports a variety of biological productivity. Various shorebirds are often seen flocking to nest and feed in the area. Visitors are advised to stay for a full tidal cycle to get a full appreciation of the tides and formations. Although the tides vary from day to day, the high tide can be as high as 16 metres giving the Hopewell Rocks one of the highest average tides in the world.

On March 14, 2016, a part of one of the Hopewell Rocks, Elephant Rock, collapsed. Park officials said approximately 100 to 200 tonnes of rock fell to the ground. "Sometime after the tide went out this morning, a significant piece of Elephant Rock calved off, closing off a whole section or a whole passageway where we used to walk," said Kevin Snair, supervisor of interpretive services at the Hopewell Rocks. A similar formation collapsed at the nearby Fundy Trail Parkway on February 24, 2022.^[1]

Museum in Hopewell Cape, New Brunswick. The Albert County Museum is located in Hopewell Cape, New Brunswick. The Museum consists of eight buildings on a six-acre site and features twenty-two themed galleries. All of the buildings are original to the site and are part of the overall history presented. The County Tax Office, County Records Office and County Gaol are from the time of the creation of Albert County in 1845. The County Court House on the site was built in 1904 to replace the original that had been lost in a fire earlier. The complex encompasses what was known as the Shiretown of Albert County. The Albert County Museum is owned and operated by the Albert County Historical Society Incorporated, a Registered Canadian Charity.

The museum houses the Prime Minister R.B. Bennett Commemorative Centre which opened in 2010 to commemorate the life of the Canadian Prime Minister, R. B. Bennett, who grew up in the community. It also contains artifacts and displays related to the convicted murderer, Tom Collins.^[2]

Reserve with eroded rock formations. The Hopewell Rocks, also called the Flowerpots Rocks or simply The Rocks, are rock formations known as sea stacks caused by tidal erosion in the Hopewell Rocks Ocean Tidal Exploration Site at the Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park in New Brunswick, Canada. They stand 40–70 feet tall.

They are located on the shores of the upper reaches of the Bay of Fundy at Hopewell Cape near the end of a series of Fundy coastal tourism hubs including Fundy National Park and the Fundy Trail. Due to the extreme tidal range of the Bay of Fundy, the base of the formations are covered in water twice a day. It is possible to view the formations from ground level at low tide.

The formations consist of red-brown sedimentary conglomerate, sandstone, and minor mudstone rock from the Carboniferous Hopewell Cape Formation, part of the Mabou Group. The large volume of water flowing in to and out of the Bay of Fundy modifies the landscape surrounding it. After the retreat of the glaciers in the region following the last ice age, surface water filtering through cracks in the cliff has eroded and separated the formations from the rest of the cliff face. Meanwhile, advancing and retreating tides and the associated waves have eroded the base of the rocks at a faster rate than the tops, resulting in their unusual shapes.

The vast sediment planes in the basin in Fundy supports a variety of biological productivity. Various shorebirds are often seen flocking to nest and feed in the area. Visitors are advised to stay for a full tidal cycle to get a full appreciation of the tides and formations. Although the tides vary from day to day, the high tide can be as high as 16 metres giving the Hopewell Rocks one of the highest average tides in the world.

On March 14, 2016, a part of one of the Hopewell Rocks, Elephant Rock, collapsed. Park officials said approximately 100 to 200 tonnes of rock fell to the ground. "Sometime after the tide went out this morning, a significant piece of Elephant Rock calved off, closing off a whole section or a whole passageway where we used to walk," said Kevin Snair, supervisor of interpretive services at the Hopewell Rocks. A similar formation collapsed at the nearby Fundy Trail Parkway on February 24, 2022.^[3]