The best camping in Kouchibouguac National Park, NB

Located in eastern Canada on the Acadian Coast, Kouchibouguac National Park highlights both Acadian and Indigenous cultures for visitors who come to explore its beaches, sand dunes, and boardwalks and to spot grey seals just offshore. Located four hours by car from the Maine border and an hour north of the city of Moncton, the park has two frontcountry campgrounds with spacious campsites and three small backcountry camping areas, including two that are accessible only by canoe or kayak. For bicyclists, Kouchibouguac has more than 56 kilometres (35 miles) of gentle bike trails. The park is also a designated Dark Sky Preserve with stargazing activities June through September.

• Best for families: South Kouchibouguac Campground
• Best for a water view: Côte-à-Fabien Campground
• Best to reach by canoe: Pointe-à-Maxime Canoe Campground

1. Parks Canada reservations for Kouchibouguac National Park normally open for the season in early- to mid-January. Reserve your sites, especially for July and August, as soon as possible. You can book the 315 sites in the South Kouchibouguac Campground or the 32 sites in the Côte-à-Fabien Campground.
2. The park’s backcountry camping areas are first-come, first-served, including the eight-site Petit-Large Primitive Camping, which you can reach on foot or by bike; the four-site Pointe-à-Maxime Canoe Campground, with canoe or kayak access only; and Sipu Canoe Campground with four sites accessible by canoe or on foot. Register with the visitor centre before heading to the backcountry campgrounds.

Kouchibouguac is busiest in July and August when summer visitors swim and sun at the park’s beaches. The long weekends in May (Victoria Day), July (Canada Day), August (New Brunswick Day), and September (Labour Day) are always the most crowded. Autumn is popular for hiking or cycling as the forests take on their fall colors. When the snow falls, you can go cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing. The Petit-Large Primitive Camping area stays open year-round.

• Kouchibouguac has a small convenience store, but plan to bring what you need. You can get supplies in the cities of Moncton or Miramichi.
• During the summer, the park rents kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, pedal boats, and bicycles. In winter, you can rent cross-country skis, snowshoes, and fat-tire bikes.
• There’s wifi in some sections of the South Kouchibouguac Campground but not in other park camping areas.
• Check the park website for cultural activities that highlight the region’s Acadian and Mi’gmaq cultures, including voyageur canoe excursions and storytelling programs.