Backroads Travel is an occasional series that focuses on out-of-the-way, lesser-known, or otherwise off-the-beaten-track travel destinations that are nevertheless well worth the time and energy it takes to get there. These are places that might not be highlighted in your travel guides or pop up in typical Google searches. They’re the hidden and unsung wonders of the world.

Where is the Bay of Fundy?

The Bay of Fundy is sandwiched between the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia (and a wee bit of Maine) roughly halfway between the Equator and North Pole. It’s a relatively small pocket of water that connects to the Atlantic Ocean, and except for one feature, it would likely be a forgotten corner of the country known only to the local residents.

But that one feature? Well, it’s a doozy.

The Bay of Fundy boasts the highest tidal range in the world. At the northern head of the bay, in Minas Basin, the tide can reach 53 feet (global average is only 3 feet). In other words, the difference between the water level at high and low tide is 53 feet. That’s a lot.

Twice a day, 160 billion metric tons of water (i.e., more water than all the world’s rivers combined) flows into and out of the bay, causing all kinds of superlatives in its wake.

This tidal phenomenon exists because the bay has a couple distinct features: a substantial amount of water and a shape and size that causes resonance.

Think of water in a bathtub or swimming pool. Once that water is set in motion, it will rhythmically slosh back and forth. The same thing happens in lakes and other confined (or mostly confined) bodies of water. The surface rises first at one end, then at the other. The speed at which it oscillates depends on the length and depth of the basin.

On a small scale (such a a bathtub), it takes just seconds to move back and forth. But in the Bay of Fundy, due to its size, depth, and unique funnel shape, its period of oscillation is somewhere between 12 and 13 hours… which also happens to be in sync with the naturally occurring tides. Weird, right?

That’s why, in places like Hopewell Rocks (New Brunswick), you can walk on the ocean floor and kayak the same spot in the same day.

What’s a tidal bore?

A tidal bore is a large wave caused by the funneling of a flood tide as it enters a long, narrow, shallow inlet. It’s a phenomenon in which the leading edge of the incoming tide forms a standing wave of water that travels upstream, against the current of a river or narrow bay.

They occur in just a few locations worldwide. And the Bay of Fundy is one of them. It’s most pronounced on the Shubenacadie River at the northeasternmost end of the bay, off the Minas Basin near the town of Maitland.

This wave can travel at speeds close to 10 mph and generate rapids in its wake that are between 10-12 feet high.

The effect this has on the Shubenacadie River is that it turns from a calm, peaceful river to raging rapids in a matter of minutes. Twice a day when the tide changes, the bore temporarily reverses the flow of the river, creating incredible roller coaster rapids.

There’s not much river before the tide comes in.

So it’s a cool natural wonder. So what?

So you can raft it! Several outfitters run Zodiacs up and down the Shubenacadie River each day during the summer and allow you to get “up close and personal” with the tidal bore and the rapids it produces.

If you’ve ever been whitewater rafting, you know that it typically involves rafting through the choppy sections of river, bouncing along the whitewater, and then continuing on. Well, forget all that. This is a slow-moving tide that can be ridden again and again.

Tours take you out to the tidal bore rapids and go in circles, riding the waves multiple times before moving downstream with the rapids and doing it all again. It’s basically an hour (or more) of splashing over the waves and getting soaked.

But here. Don’t just take my word for it…

I heard something about mud sliding?

You heard right. Every tour (with every outfitter) makes a muddy pit stop before the tide comes in. Since there’s such a dramatic difference between high and low tide, the Shubenacadie has a considerable amount of exposed muddy riverbottom.

And you get to take advantage of all that potential fun. In a nutshell, you can hop out of the boat, strip down to your skivvies, and get muddier than you’ve ever thought possible.

The mud will get everywhere. Everywhere.

Seriously, the day we went, the mud was so deep and thick, it felt like we were getting swallowed alive. Slop and slosh your way to the top of the embankment and then slide back down through the mud. Trust me, it’s WAY more fun than it sounds.

How can I go?

There are several outfitters to choose from. We went with Fundy Tidal Bore Adventures, which is located right on the river in Greek Oaks, Nova Scotia, and we have no regrets. All of the employees (from the office staff to the boat captains) were incredibly happy, welcoming, and keen to answer any and all questions you might have. They all seemed to genuinely love their job… and I honestly can’t blame them.

The season runs from June through August (May and September are weekends only), but departure times change with the tides, so it’s literally different every day. Check their schedule here (along with a helpful guide to anticipated wave height/strength) and plan accordingly.

Fundy Tidal Bore Adventures also offers three different tour options: two 2-hour trips and a longer 4-hour trip. All provide essentially the same experience, so go with the one that has the most convenient departure time for you. None require any sort of rafting or paddling experience. All you need to know how to do is hold on and not fall out of the boat.

The two short trips differ slightly. Short A (which we did) starts with the water at its lowest level. You head upstream to the mouth of the river, watch the first wave of the tidal bore come in, and then ride the waves back to the starting point. Short B heads in the other direction after the waves have already reached the starting point. You ride the waves downstream before making it back to the starting point with the water at its highest point. The long tour is basically the two short trips slapped together.

All tours include life jackets, mud sliding, and post-rafting snacks and refreshments. They also have showers on site. As of the 2019 season, the 2-hour tours cost $60/person (kids are $50), and the 4-hour tour is $85 (kids are $75). (All prices in Canadian dollars.)

It’s worth every penny.