Rockhounding in New Brunswick

If you’re looking for geodes, crystals, and unique samples to add to your rockhounding collection here in New Brunswick, then this post is for you.

There are a number of places across New Brunswick that you can go fossil hunting, rockhounding, and looking for geodes and crystals.

This is a great activity to combine with hiking or camping, giving you an even better opportunity to explore this beautiful Province. Let’s take a look at the best places to go rockhounding in New Brunswick.

  • Please note: We need to mention that it’s imperative for those of you looking for crystals or geodes to follow the Heritage Conservation Act of New Brunswick. This act states that you can’t remove or destroy any fossils without a permit and that you must report any of your finds to the New Brunswick museum. You can take geodes and crystals home but definitely don’t mess around with any fossils. With that out of the way, let’s jump into the best rockhounding sites in New Brunswick.

Grand Manan Island

grand manan island

Our top recommendation would have to be Grand Manan Island because it’s not as easily accessible as our other recommendations but it has the best opportunities for finding crystals, geodes, and other interesting rocks.

Not only is it a great place for rockhounding but the scenery here is incredible as well.

The best place on the island to look for gems and other interesting rocks is Whale Cove.

This location has produced some of the best finds over the years and is a great place to find your own smoky quartz, amethyst, malachite, Jasper, chalcedony, and basalt samples.

There’s also an abundance of Wildlife on the island and you’ll have a good chance to see puffins in New Brunswick, migrating birds, and even whales if you’re lucky.

Those of you that are seriously interested in exploring Grand Manan Island will have some options for places to stay and it’s a great destination for fun tourism as well.

Keep in mind that there is a high tide here so you don’t want to get stuck on the beach or at the bottom of any Cliffs too late in the day.

While there is an airport on Grand Manan Island, you can also grab the ferry from Blacks Harbour if you’re traveling by car.

Cape Enrage (Bay of Fundy)

bay of fundy view

Cape Enrage is the best place to visit for rockhounding on the Bay of Fundy.

It’s one of the most well-known places in New Brunswick where you can find fossils, geodes, and even crystals depending on how lucky you are.

Thousands of fossils have been revealed by the tides and waves and you never know what you’re going to find when you are rockhounding here.

Along with looking for crystals and rocks, there’s other interesting things to do in the Bay of Fundy including the Cape Enrage Lighthouse (see our lighthouses in New Brunswick post) and the Hopewell Rocks.

If you’re planning on a bigger trip, there’s an abundance of places to stay nearby so you’ll be able to easily spend a few days exploring the area.

This is a recommendation if you’re looking for the best place to find fossils in New Brunswick but keep in mind that you can’t bring these fossils home.

The tides are also very high so make sure to get off the beach to avoid getting stuck

Tin Can Beach in Saint John

You don’t need to venture too far from Saint John if you’re hoping to go rockhounding in New Brunswick. In Saint John’s harbour it’s possible to find semi-precious stones and other unique samples at Tin Can Beach.

You can even walk here if you’re staying in Saint John as a tourist.

The most popular stone here is flint, which was used as the ballast for the ships that were coming over from Europe in the past.

You can also find quartz, fluorite, and calcite on the beaches in this area and some of the easily accessible cliffs.

Everything here is accessible by foot and you can definitely spend the day exploring the coastline going rockhounding.

Check out our post on the best things to do in Saint John.

Pointe Wolfe

Another area for rockhounding near the Bay of Fundy is Pointe Wolfe, which is actually located in the Fundy National Park.

This is one of the hardest to reach destinations but can definitely make for a great adventure, especially if you’re a big fan of rockhounding.

There’s a campground here that you can use as your base for exploring and from here you can easily access all of the nearby beaches and seaside Bluffs.

Since you’re in the area, you might as well check out the Pointe Wolfe Covered Bridge as well – one of New Brunswick’s most famous.

Some of the samples you’ll find here include amethyst, jasper, agate, and other semi-precious stones. 

Where Can You Find Geodes in New Brunswick?

geode

Most of the locations we’ve listed so far will give you an opportunity to find geodes.

For your best chances, we would recommend visiting the Stonehammer Geopark.

This is the first UNESCO recognized geopark in all of North America and contains rocks from almost every geologic era apart from the tertiary and Jurassic periods.

This is a great place to visit if you’re looking for geodes or you want a deep dive into the geological history of New Brunswick.

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Author: newbrunswick

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