Kayaking at Hopewell Rocks

The day we visited Hopewell Rocks was a bit overcast but the rain held off. We wore raincoats and rubber boots to be prepared, especially since we were going to be going kayaking as well. If the day had been nicer I might have been able to take swimming shoes for the kayaking but I would recommend wearing something sturdy on the ocean floor as it is rocky and can be quite muddy, depending on the day. Remember that the air is cooler near the water and unless it is a hot summer day you may need a light sweater. Also, before you go, check the tide and sailing schedules as well as the weather. This way you can plan your day better.

This isn’t the sort of place where you can take in a cooler and a change of clothes. You have to park before walking to the main entrance and there are no lockers so whatever you want with you, you are going to be carrying for the entire length of your stay. There is a restaurant and the food here is tasty and reasonably priced. This is in the building just past the entrance and there is also an interpretive centre, clean bathroom facilities and a gift shop as well.

The entrance fee is for a two day span and you can add the shuttle to your entrance fee for $2.00 a trip, per person (the shuttle is a golf type cart). The walk to the flowerpots from the entrance is a bit long and may be too much for older people or small children. We added it for one way as we thought we might be wet and tired after kayaking and we were glad we did. There is an automated machine at the shuttle stop where you can get a token if you don’t buy it and change your mind. We wanted to walk down so we could see the trail and any scenery. There is a short, steep path that leads to a look off that you can’t check out if you take the shuttle. The trail is wide, well maintained and there is a set of outhouse type bathrooms along the way.

This was along the pathway.

There are wide metal steps leading down to the flower pots. Much nicer than previous years I have been there, of course those were the days when you got in for free – how things change. There are feet and shoe cleaning stations at the top of the stairs which are quite convenient.

Shoe washing station

We had planned our day so we could walk on the ocean floor, check out the rock formations – eat lunch and then go kayaking, but because the restaurant was so far from the rocks we opted to get a snack at the Low Tide Café so we wouldn’t miss the kayaking check in time. The Low Tide Café offers a few snack type selections and drinks such as water, pop and coffee. It is takeout style and you can eat under cover at one of their many picnic tables. This location also has real washrooms.

From there we headed further down towards the beach area to check into Baymount Outdoor Adventures. They had asked us to be there an hour ahead of time but that really wasn’t necessary as we were sitting around waiting during that time – I think they tell you that so they don’t have 20 people signing waivers at the same time. When I called to make reservations I asked if I needed any experience and the friendly girl on the phone told me that 85% of the people who went had never kayaked before. We were in a fairly large group and when asked about experience almost everyone raised their hand that they had done it before, which made us very nervous!

We were outfitted with PDF’s,  skirts for the kayaks and given a paddle. Then we walked to the beach where they taught us how to paddle with our partner, how to steer and what to do if we flipped over (which they assured us wasn’t going to happen). We chose a kayak at the water’s edge and the guides adjusted our equipment and pushed us off into the water. There was a guide in the front of the group, a couple in the middle and one at the back. The tide was rising quite quickly at this point and we were able to kayak amongst the rocks we had been walking around an hour earlier. The guides told us the names of the rocks and interesting information about the area.

Everyone made it look like it was so easy but my husband was finding it very difficult. He isn’t a huge man but he is solid and he couldn’t move in the kayak and he was cramping up and I was scared that he was going to tip us. On the way back a guide asked how he was doing and let us know that they could let him out at the steps so he could walk back. One of the guides got in the back of the kayak I was using and the trip back up the coast was more enjoyable. I will say that I enjoyed the kayaking adventure and I would like to try it again sometime. The scenery is amazing, not something you can experience anywhere. I thought it was well worth the money. Here is a picture of how much the tide had risen in the time we were out in the kayaks.

It was raining when we finished kayaking and were very grateful that we had tokens to take the shuttle back up the hill. I’m sure walking up that slope in the rain would not have been fun. We had a late lunch at the restaurant there. You order at a counter,  they assign you a table and bring you your food. We had a table overlooking the patio and water which would have been amazing on a nice day.

After our late lunch we checked out the interpretive centre and the gift shop. I enjoyed the gift shop a lot. There were so many very Canadian things there like maple syrup, plaid, everything moose related, inuksuk jewelry, postcards of the area and many other things.

Restaurant

Interpretive Centre

I should mention that there was a path in the opposite direction to a look off that I’m sure I would have been eager to check out if the weather had held but it didn’t seem appealing in the rain and for those with children there is a small playground area. 

We decided to head into Moncton for the rest of the day and there are many things to check out on the way, museums, antique shops and roadside stands selling strawberries, local vegetables and plants. I thoroughly enjoyed this drive and look forward to doing this again soon.