Kouchibouguac National Park

Kouchibouguac protects barrier islands, lagoons, salt marsh and bog on the Northumberland Strait, where the shallow water behind the dunes warms to some of the highest sea temperatures north of Virginia. The park's creation in 1969 required expropriating about twelve hundred and fifty people, mostly Acadian and Mi'kmaq families, whose homes were demolished; resistance lasted years, led by Jackie Vautour who refused to leave and squatted on the land until his death in 2021. Parks Canada now presents that history openly on site. A tern colony on the dunes is among the larger ones in eastern Canada.

What you actually see

• The warm lagoons - shallow water behind barrier dunes at high temperatures.
• The Kelly's Beach boardwalk - a walkway over the lagoon to the dune beach.
• The expropriation history - the displaced communities, told on site.
• The tern colony - a large seabird nesting area on the dunes.

When to go

June to September for the beaches; water is warmest in August. Tern nesting closes dune sections in early summer. The park is open in winter for skiing with limited services.

Honest expectations

The expropriation remains a live grievance locally and the history is not comfortable. Mosquitoes and blackflies are heavy in early summer. Beach access is by boardwalk with a walk from parking.

Nearby

Bouctouche lies south; Miramichi is north.