Mount Carleton Provincial Park
11 Gagnon Street
Saint-Quentin, New Brunswick
 
Location: The park is located in the north of New Brunswick in the Appalachian Range Region. From Cambellton Road 17 west to just north of Saint-Quentin, where you can pick up the 180 heading east. Watch for the cut off to Road 385. From Edmunston follow the 2 south to the 218 passed Grand Falls, then connect to the 108, then the 385 heading northeast. From Bathurst follow the 180 west.  
 
From Fredericton follow the 2 north to the 218 and follow the directions above for Edmunston. The park is about 2-3 hours from Bathurst, Cambellton or Edmundston.

Nearest Towns: Plaster Rock 84km, St-Quentin 43km, Nictau 32km

|Season: May 15 to September 30

Map: Park Map
Topographical Map: 1:50,000 - 21 O/7 covers the whole park.

Articles: Getting High in the Maritimes

Weather: Saint Quentin Remember this is a mountainous area and summer nights can be really chilly. Bring a little extra in the way of clothing.

Season: All year-round

Associations: International Appalachian Trail Organization - Sentier New Brunswick - Trans Canada Trail Association - New Brunswick Parks
 
Nictau Lake from the Williams Brook campground
  Mount Carleton is the highest mountain in the Maritime Provinces. It is located in an accessible wilderness along good paved roads but with no nearby towns or villages. This accessible isolation is a large part of its appeal.

The park is located in the northern extension of the Appalachian Mountains. Aside from the 820m Mount Carleton, the park has several other significant peaks including Mount Bailey, Bald Mount Brook, Mount Head and the well know Sagamook, all of which have trails around or over them. There are several lakes and two major rivers along with many brooks and streams within the parks 17, 427hectares. The most familiar lake is Nictau, which is at the core of the parks camping area and has a designated area for swimming.

 
The park is famous for its hiking and backpacking. With the International Appalachian Trail cutting through the heart of park and with the highest peaks in the Maritimes, its easy to see why. The park has lots of other outdoor opportunities as well, in the form of canoeing, mountain biking, camping, Nordic skiing, snow shoeing, photography and nature observation.

Flora and Fauna
The park is heavily wooded. White Birch and Black Spruce predominate. You'll also find White Spruce, Balsam Fire, and White Pine. The parks peaks often have stunted White Birch, Ash and Cherry. There is small percentage of the park which is made up of marsh and meadow.

There are over 100 species of birds and perhaps as many as 30 mammals that have been observed in the park. In the avian category this includes Grouse, Goshawks, Grosbeaks and Woodpeckers. Mammals include Fisher, Martens, Porcupine, Moose, White Tails, Black Bear and the rarely sighted elusive Lynx.

Front Country Camping: The park has three campgrounds accessible by car but there are no hook-ups available. The main campground area is the Armstrong Brook Campground with 88 sites. The sites are designated as tent or car campsites with a number of them set up as pull-throughs for RVs. The campground has flush toilets and showers.  
A view from atop Mount Carlton
 
The other two areas are Williams Brook and Franquelin campgrounds. These sites are walk-ins but the walking distance is not significant. Each area has 8 sites with shared vault toilets. The walk-in sites offer far more privacy and some have access to Nictau Lake.

Backcountry Camping: The Headwaters back country sites are situated a short distance from the top of Mount Carleton. The only option is to backpack up Carleton, so you best be in shape. There are four sites, in two areas a short distance apart. There is a water source (be sure to check with the park) but it must be treated. You must register before setting out. Reservations are accepted and strongly advised.

Group Camping: The group area accommodates 20-25 campers and has vault toilets. Reservations are required.

Winter Camping - The park is now closed in the winter

Cabins and Huts: The park has cabins which may be rented. Contact the park for details.
 
Big Brook Hiking Trail
  Hiking:

Bald Mt. Brook Trail is a demanding 5.5 km hike one way. This is steep trail that heads down a ridge of lined with large hardwood trees, it is particularly spectacular in the fall. This is a good trail for spotting deer because of the shrubby undergrowth in the forest. The trail should take about 3 hours to complete.
Big Brook Trail is a relatively easy but long 11km hike one way. The hike affords beautiful views of Bathurst Lake and the mountains around it. It follows the lake for 2 km until it ends up on a logging road in a heavily forested area. The trail should take about 4 hours to complete.
 
Caribou Brook Trail is an easy 6kms one way. It is a connecting trail between Sagamook and Dry Brook Trail. It follows Caribou Brook, which meanders through the forest allowing for many picturesque viewpoints. The trail should take about 2 hours to complete
Dry Brook Trail is an intermediate hike of about 6km one way. This is a forested trail that heads to a gravely stream bed or "Dry Brook". About 4 km down the trail you come to numerous waterfalls, one of which is 10 meters tall. You'll see a lot of beaver activity on this part of the route. The trail should take about 3 hours to complete
Mount Bailey Trail a moderate hike, 7.5km return. This trail travels through a forest of Sugar Maple, Yellow Birch and Beech Trees to the mountains peak where the trees suddenly change to stunted White Birch, Pine, Cherry and Mountain Ash. Your climb to the the peak (563 meters) rewards you with a beautiful view of the surrounding mountains and perhaps a glimpse of a moose or deer, in the beaver ponds below. The trail should take about 2 1/2 hours to complete.
Mount Carleton Trail The Eastern Trail is a moderate hike of 4.4km one way. A fairly easy trail that takes you to the peak of Mount Carleton, which at 820 meters it is the highest point in the Maritime Provinces. From the top you have a spectacular view of a number of other peaks in the area and views into Maine and Quebec. The trail should take about 1 1/2 hours from the east, or 2 hours from the trail on the west side (the fire road). For more details have a look at Out-There's article "Getting High in the Maritimes"
Mount Head Trail Intermediate, 4.25km one way. This trail begins at the base of Mt. Sagamook's or Mt. Carleton's peak. It is a spectacular peak-to-peak trail that winds through hardwood forests and leads to fantastic viewpoints. The trail should take about 3 hours one way.
 
Pine Point Trail Easy, 2km return. This trail is an easy walk around the point through stands of Red Pine. You'll will have an opportunity to see loons and other water fowl, upland birds and animals
Sagamook Trail Demanding, 3.7 or 2.5 km one way. This is a challenging trail with a 1 1/4 hour climb that rewards you at the summit with a spectacular view of Nictau Lake 777 metres below. You have a choice between the 3.7km east route or the steeper 2.5 km west route for your ascent. To descend the trail you should use the east route.
William's Falls Trail Easy, 0.3km. This trail meanders through the forest until it reaches William's Brook just above the falls. There are some great viewpoints from here, from the bridge and from below the falls. The trail should take less than 1/2 hour to complete.		  
William's Falls Trail
     
Flora near Nictau Lake
  Backpacking: The Headwaters back country sites are situated a short hike from the top of Mount Carleton. You can backpack into the sites by climbing the trail up Carleton.There are four sites, in two areas a short distance apart. You are not allowed open fires so be sure to carry a backpacking stove. There is a food storage cache for storing your food near the sites and a water source (be sure to check with the park) but the water must be treated. You must register before setting out. Given the parks excellent trails and its connection to the IAT, it would seem there is a need for the development of several more wilderness camping areas. Reservations are accepted and strongly advised.
 
The hiking trail up Carleton connects to several of the parks other trails. You can take advantage of this to build a longer trip, but be advised there is only one backcountry camping area in the park.

The International Appalachian Trail cuts through the park and allows a long distance backpacker to head northwest into Quebec or southwest into Maine and on to Georgia (if you really can't get enough) on the "American" Appalachian Trial. You can download guides for the New Brunswick section of the Trail (PDF) and a Map for the Carleton Section. The trail links the highest peaks in Maine, New Brunswick and southern Quebec. Given the parks excellent trails and its connection to the IAT, it would seem there is a need for the development of several more wilderness camping areas.

 
Canoeing: If you're just looking to get out on the water, you can take a leisurely paddle on Nictua Lake or the Nepisiguit Lakes. There are two river routes which start in the park as well the Nepisiguit and Tobique River routes. Be advised these rivers wind through wilderness areas with very limited access. Contact the park for more information if you would like to paddle either route.  
Nictau Lake
 
Lakes
Nictau Lake
Little Nictau Lake
Bathurst Lake
Camp Lake
Nepisiguit Lake
Teneriffe Lake		   Rivers
Tobique River - From Canoe New Brunswick
Nepisiguit River - From Canoe New Brunswick
 

Mountain Biking: The cross country ski trails are open to mountain biking in the summer. The trails consist of three interconnected loops of 1.0, 5.0 and 7.5kms. The trial system is easy to intermediate. Mountain bikers can take advantage of the parks unpaved roads as well, which take you into some of the more interesting areas of the park. If you love to climb you can also take the fire road part way up the slopes of Mount Carleton itself. There is a turn around point about 400m from the summit which must be respected, bring your locks and hiking boots and then hoof the last bit to take in the view.

Cross County Skiing - The park is now closed in the winter.

Snowshoeing: Snowshoeing is permitted almost anywhere in the park but stay off the cross country ski trails of course. If you use the fire roads be aware they may be shared by snowmobiles.

Backcountry Skiing: The park is now closed in the winter.

     
Literature: The park has a free brochure, which provides general information, a map and trail descriptions. There is also a campground guide. Contact the park or pick them up at the park office when you arrive.  
 
Books: There is a section on Mount Carleton in the excellent book "Explore Canada" by Marion Harrison and Peter Thompson. It covers the best of Canada's outdoors for adventurers, including several other parks and areas in New Brunswick and many more throughout the country.

Maps:
Topographical Map: 1:50,000 - 21 O/7 covers the whole park.

 
 
Nictau Lake
  Photography: If the skies clear after a heavy rain (the rain clears the air of dust particles) and the mist has settled, you can get spectacular shots from the park's peaks. There are a lot of wildlife photo opportunities if you're patient and quiet, the best time is early in the morning and just before sunset. Speaking of sunset, the late summer sun sets just across from the campground on Nictau Lake and the reflections of the multi-coloured sky are often phenomenal.

Links:

 
 
Note: The park is remote but easily accessed, the nearest town is over 30km away. Make sure you have the essentials, food, water and of course a full tank of gas.

Articles: Getting High in the Maritimes

Friends of Mount Carleton Provincial Park

Towns - Nearby

New Brunswick Cities and Towns

Map: New Brunswick Map

Driving: Road Conditions - New Brunswick

Accomodations - A fair distance from the park

Restaurants - A fair distance from the park

Events and Attrations - Regional

Official Site: Mount Carleton Provincial Park - From New Brunswick Parks

Tourism:

Note: Our listings try to incorporate sites which are in the immediiate vicinity but we also include more distant regional listings. Check each listing's web page for their location and consult a map of the region. If your still not sure make an e-mail or phone inquiry regarding distance, access and transportation.

 
 

 

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