Right on the shore, Burntcoat Head Park is
the place to go if one wishes to see the
World's Highest Tides. They have even been listed in the Guinness Book of World Records. Twice a day 160 billion tons of water flow in and out of the bay which just happens to have the correct size and shape to set up a resonance with the tidal flow, producing much higher than normal tides. At a recording station at Burntcoat Head the tides have been recorded since the 19th century, recording average tides of 55.8 feet. The absolute highest tide of 70.9 feet was set during the
1869 Saxby Gale.
While waiting for the tide one may take advantage of what the park has to offer, including large grassed picnic areas, several nature trails, this octagonal gazebo and a replica of the 1913 lighthouse which burned in 1972. The first lighthouse, built in 1858, was lost when the tides sufficiently eroded the land around it to first make it an island, then eroded the island away. The replica in the park was built by the community in 1995.
The gazebo is situated at the edge of a grassed picnic area surrounded by trees, a bit south of the lighthouse. As well as a table in the gazebo, there are more picnic tables in the open. Not very large, the gazebo is just big enough for one picnic table and not much else.
Through the summer guides are available to lead ocean floor tours from the park. During low tide one may descend the 50 or so feet from the park and walk well out on the ocean floor, finding tidal pools with crabs, piddocks and mussels waiting for the ocean to return. The cost per person for the 2 to 2.5 hour is $15. Occasionally, tours of the cliffs of Burntcoat Head are available, led by a scientist from Dalhousie University. Check with
The Park for future times and dates.
World’s Highest Recorded Tides
Twice each day the Bay of Fundy fills and empties its 160 billion tons of water creating the highest tides in the world. In 1975 The Guinness Book of World Records listed Burntcoat Head in the Minas Basin, Nova Scotia as the site of the greatest average tide of 47.5 feet with an extreme range of 53.6 feet.
Click here for
tide schedule at Burntcoat Head Park.
Perfect for a Picnic
While the shoreline may be the chief attraction, visitors also appreciate the green space and wooded areas of the Park. Picnic tables and benches are located with care to provide rest and an opportunity to enjoy the natural ambience.
Keep your eyes open for ground hogs, chipmunks and rabbits. Occasionally one can see white-tailed deer resting in the undergrowth along the trails. Robins and grackles are attracted to the mountain ash berries while pileated woodpeckers and yellow-bellied sapsuckers carve out holes in spruce and other trees searching for insects. A real treat is to catch sight of one or both of our resident pair of bald eagles.
The Acadian Forest
The naturally occurring eco-zone of this part of Nova Scotia is known as the Acadian Forest. This zone includes a portion of Southern Quebec, most of New Brunswick, Vermont, Maine and New Hampshire, plus smaller portions of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York State.
The more southern part of this range has a wide mixture of hard woods and softwoods. Today our particular coastal part of the Acadian Forest has a minority of hardwoods and a domination of softwoods, chiefly Spruces and Balsam Fir.
Burntcoat Head Park has a good representation of most of the Acadian Forest tree species. Watch for labelled trees throughout the walking trails in the park.
From Burntcoat Head Park