"Hopewell Rocks" is definitely a four star attraction, far exceeding the hype. There are sections for Rvers in the parking lot. The entrance fee is good for two consecutive days. There is an interpretation center, restaurant, gift shop, and playground for children. Go to the beach while it is still low tide. The high tide was expected about 4:30 PM and it was already past noon. Walk the paved trail and follow the signs to the flower pots, the main attraction. It has numerous benches for resting and two KYBOS, (outdoor toilets) and leads to the overlook and stairs to the beach. A shuttle is also available for those too tired or physically challenged to take the hike for one dollar each way, a nice convenience for those who need it.
A sign to the beach entrance warns people about the time to return to safety, without being caught by the tides. The tides at the Bay of Fundy are some of the highest in the world. At Hopewell Rocks, they were expecting a high tide of 36 feet. That means that the tide rises and ebbs at six feet per hour. The highest tide expected this year is at the new moon in October, which is 49 feet: 7 feet rise per hour. A person unaware of his or her surroundings can find him/herself surrounded by water in very short order.
The flowerpots are pillars sculpted by the winds, tides, freezing and thawing of water. They originally start out as sea caves. As the erosion increases, the cave deepens and a pillar is formed. The ceiling caves in and you have a free-standing pillar with trees and grass on top of it: ergo, a flowerpot. A walk along the beach reveals not just a few pillars, but many. There are caution signs and cables up warning people to stay out of the caves and between the pillars, because of falling rocks. Low tide was at 10:30 that morning. So the tide was coming in at a rapid pace. Parts of the beach were inaccessible already. At the appointed time I left the beach (white hair and wisdom sometimes do walk hand in hand) and started to record the movement of the tide up the beach on film. Met people from around the world: a gentleman from Germany, many people on tour from Canada and the USA. Staff personnel are around to answer questions and to do beach sweeps. They are very personable, truly enjoying the privilege of seeing the constant wonders of Mother Nature at work.
The reason why the admission fee is for two days is because a person may not have the time to be there for both high and low tide. Another reason is that the park might be closed when the tide reaches its zenith or its nadir.
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