Compliments of:
William James Stoness

Many Canadians have seen the Hopewell Rocks in travel literature from New Brunswick. Pictures are good, but walking beneath the rocks is much better....

Ocean Sculptures

Many Canadians have seen the Hopewell Rocks in travel literature from New Brunswick. Pictures are good, but walking beneath the rocks is much better. Then you can see just how large the 'flower pots' are. Year by year the red cliffs yield to the ocean creating more of these picturesque buttes often with a cap of green trees.

When you are near the Hopewell Rocks you will notice that they consist of layers of sand and small stones. The sediment that formed them came from the erosion of nearby mountains. The sediment accumulated in layers of varying thickness and hardened into a rock called, conglomerate. Vertical faults allowed surface water to penetrate downward forming wide cracks. When the great glacier of the retreating ice-age about 12,000 years ago began to melt it caused the sea to rise and attack the cliffs.

When you visit the park wear sturdy shoes or boots if you visit the ocean floor. It's slippery and muddy, and not totally level. Here and there are stumps of flower pots worn away by the surf vividly showing the fate of those that are still standing. Ocean caves and tunnels are formed by the pounding waves and will eventually create new free standing flower pots from the cliff.


FLOWER POTS FROM CLIFF

The cliffs are unstable and those walking near them should be aware that pieces can collapse without warning. This is very important if you are inspecting any sea caves or tunnels. Times when you should be off the beach so as not to be trapped by the incoming tide are posted at the foot of the stairs. There is a safe period running three hours before low tide to three hours after low tide.


STAIRS TO CLIFF

Tides are high here, 20 feet and upward, and the narrower stems of the flower pots show the range of sea action. Some people like to take a kayak tour and paddle over the area that people walked only a few hours before.



BAY VIEW

Hopewell Rocks Park has had extensive renovations and is the recipient of several awards. At the Visitor Centre you can relax while you eat your lunch, sitting on the patio, overlooking the ocean. The Centre has several levels and the walls are filled with interpretive panels showing the bay and the development of the flower pots.

This is a small park, but the famous flower pots are known world wide. Head over and view them soon.
Happy RVing!
For more than four decades James Stoness has travelled the roads of North America, photographing and writing about what he has seen. His travel articles and beautiful pictures have been published in several magazines and newspapers. He is also the author of five western novels.

In the “Touring North America” scenic tour series, James brings a new concept in Scenic Travel Books. The premise that several Minitours can be created so they interlink, makes it possible for the potential traveller to chain several Minitours together to make a longer trip. The maps, coloured photographs, and descriptions help you plan your trip, and enjoy your progress along the route.

Visit James at www.stonesstravelguides.com.



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