Looking to hike the Fundy Footpath this summer? Here are some key tips

The Fundy Footpath spans dozens of kilometres in New Brunswick. (Source: Gary Hyslop)

During one of his many hikes on a section of the Fundy Footpath in New Brunswick, Gary Hyslop ran into a fellow hiker from the other side of the world.

“I was talking with someone from Australia who was (in New Brunswick) for the trail,” Hyslop said.

Hyslop, a trail master for the Fundy Hiking Trail Association, knows how popular the Footpath can be.

“It’s a signature trail, which means it’s of notable tourism and cultural significance,” he said. “It’s been featured in magazine. Probably 1,000 to 2,000 hikers do the whole trail per year.”

The trail, which spans dozens of kilometres along the New Brunswick coast of the Bay of Fundy, is often enjoyed by day hikers who only travel small portions of the overall path. But anyone who wants to do the full thing should book some time off from work.

“People plan for three nights and four days,” Hyslop said. “That would be the minimum. I know someone who’s done it straight through without stopping. It’s approximately 11, 12, or 13 kilometres per day.

“A lot of people are surprised by how difficult it is, especially those who haven’t backpacked a lot. There’s a hiking part of it and there’s the whole staying overnight with the backpack.”

Hyslop, who first hiked the entire Fundy Footpath in 2002, said the full hike requires a thorough plan and appropriate equipment, which includes:

• a backpack
• a water filter
• a portable camping stove
• food
• a first aid kit
• a flashlight or headlamp
• sleeping bags
• hiking poles

Hyslop notes the Footpath requires several river crossings, so he recommends people check out the multi-day weather forecast before heading out.

“Sometimes people have hiked in and there was a rainstorm and that resulted in high river levels,” he said. “It can become uncrossable after a large rain.

“There’s one tidal crossing and it needs to be timed when there’s low tide. You need to consider that.”

Hyslop said there are a lot of ups and downs in the trail, which can tire out hikers if they’re not careful.

“People should pace themselves on the hills,” he said. “It’s easy to burn yourself out on the hills and you’re effectively slowing yourself down.”

Hyslop, who has hiked the entire Fundy Footpath four times, says the trail remains popular because of the different things it can offer hikers.

“Some people love the challenge, some people love the wilderness experience,” he said. “The whole trail is beautiful.”

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