Small but mighty Moncton offers proximity to unique natural phenomena and epic camping.
With a population of just under 160,000, Moncton is New Brunswick’s biggest city. Visitors flock to Magnetic Hill in northern Moncton to experience its famous optical illusion where your car seems to move by magic, but also because the area has a waterpark, winery, and plenty of outdoor access. In the historic downtown, you'll find a historic theatre, a farmers market, a mural-filled art walk, and a French cultural centre. Meanwhile, camping near Moncton puts you close to long beaches, provincial parks, other-worldly geographical features, and even the World's Biggest Lobster.
The self-proclaimed lobster capital of the world, Shediac is a fun little town that’s close to the white sands of Parlee Beach Provincial Park and famous for its 90-ton lobster sculpture. Parlee Beach attracts a younger crowd and often has a party vibe as a place where you can chow down on great seafood, swim in some of the warmest ocean water in Canada, or take a tour on a lobster boat. A number of camping sites sit in and around Shediac, including within Parlee Beach Provincial Park.
Bestowed with the world’s highest tides, the entire Fundy Shore is an adventurer’s dream. At Hopewell Rocks, you can walk the ocean floor among towering red flowerpot rocks, or kayak around them at high tide. Hike the rugged coastlines that rise into the highlands at Fundy National Park, then set up camp at one of many private campgrounds in the area, or at one of the park's tent sites, RV spaces, yurts, or oTENTiks.
Fly-fishing mecca Miramichi is a quaint town offering a range of Acadian and Indigenous cultural experiences, tubing on the Miramichi River, learn-to-fish programs for adults and kids in nearby Doaktown, and some neat camping opportunities that include treehouse camping.
New Brunswick is best visited in summer and fall, as the weather can be unpredictable outside of those times and you’ll find it difficult to find operational camping spots. Even still, Moncton is a fully functional city year-round, and visitors can experience much of what it has to offer even in the dead of winter should you want to check it out in the cold and snow.