Forum Discussion

campigloo's avatar
campigloo
Explorer
Oct 04, 2019

East Canada

Well the family is insisting on a trip to the eastern side. I’m sure there will plenty of things to see but I’m wondering about crowds in NS, NB and Edward island. To
those that have been in that area in the summer, how is it? Will reservations be critical? I’m looking at a couple of apps but not seeing much, are there boondocking places available?
Thanks!
  • Fundy National Park is beautiful-hopefully it's in better repair than than it was about 10 years ago. They have a number of campgrounds in the park-big rigs can fit at Headquarters CG. If you go there be sure to visit the bakery in the town of Alma, located at one of the park entrances. Go to Hopewell Rocks for formations but watch the tides. See the tidal bore in St. John or somewhere near there. There are also some amusement type parks in that area. On PEI head to Charlottetown, the capital. It's just a pretty place with shopping and dining. Head to the College of Piping in Summerside for a performance by the students or a guest performer. Nova Scotia has beautiful scenery and the Alexander Graham Bell museum in Baddock. How much time you have and what you like to do will help decide where to go.

    I'm a planner so I always make reservations. I don't think the crowds there are any worse or better than most tourist areas. Keep in mind that Canada Day on July 1 is similar to our July 4th-locals come out of the woodwork to celebrate.
  • I have been to the east coast four times. We have never made advance reservations, but if you are planning on staying in one place for several weeks, you might want to. As far as boondocking, there are some places, but they are few and far between. It depends on how big a rig you have. The iOverlander app shows some boondocking spots. We have a 38 ft rig with tow car, and many of the places listed on the app are for smaller rvs. We did stay at a few places listed in the app, as well as some Walmarts. Places like Peggys Cove have a very narrow road going to them, and little to no parking for rvs. I recommend a tow car for visiting places like Peggys Cove, Lunenburg, Halifax etc. Also the tow car is a must to go around The Cabot Trail in Cape Breton. Very scenic highway, but not recommended to take your rv around it. It has very steep hills. I myself really enjoy the high tides of the Bay of Fundy. That is what keeps me going back over and over. Hopewell Rocks, NB, are a must see, as well as try to catch the tidal bore at South Maitland, NS. You can also see it at Truro NS, but South Maitland is probably the best at the tidal bore interpretation centre. Burntcoat Head is the highest tides in the world. Digby Harbour, Halls Harbour are two in Nova Scotia that you can see the high tides changing. Alma in New Brunswick is a cute harbour, and is close to the Fundy NP. PEI has lots of beaches, as well as the Confederation Bridge. It is free to get on the island, but cost $45.50 for a car, and $8.75 per extra axle to cross the bridge. You can also take the ferry over for free, but it is more expensive than the bridge to return to the mainland.
  • If you're looking for a great base camp to tour Prince Edward Island from, check out Twin Shores Camping Area. One of the best full serve RV parks on PEI. Fantastic beaches. Reservations a must!
    https://www.twinshores.com
  • June 1 to Labor Day, reservations will get you closer to where you want to be, wherever that might be.
    Many of the typical (Walmart, etc.) free overnight stops have been eliminated due to regular abuse over time.
    There are few roadside rest areas, or truck stops along our freeways, like on your Eisenhower Interstate system.
    We have some National Parks that can be explored online at the Parks Canada website, and there will also be Provincial Parks in some areas, that can be explored online at the various provincial websites under tourism.
    You can also use google to find "public private commercial RV Parks and Campgrounds near ?????????" and that usually pulls up a list of more than a few, if you're just looking for accommodations.