Gagetown Island

Key Highlights

Directions

From Route 2 near Gagetown, take exit 330 and turn towards Gagetown.  Drive south for 10 kilometres on Route 102 and you will come to a sharp turn to the right.  Continuing straight will take you into the village of Gagetown.  There are two main access points to the river in Gagetown, the public boat launch and the public wharf.  The boat launch is closer to Mount Creek in Gagetown island and has car access to the water’s edge.  The wharf is a good option if you want to check out the town waterfront or the lower part of the channel, but it requires a 100-metre portage to get to the water’s edge.

To get to the public boat launch, continue into Gagetown until you come to the stop sign on Front Street.  Turn left onto Front Street and continue for 700 metres.  Here the road takes a sharp turn to the left.  The boat launch is off the end of the turn.  Once you drop your boats off at the water, return to the road and you will find parking just above the turn.

To get to the public wharf, continue into Gagetown until you come to the stop sign on Front Street.  Turn right.  Just after turning you will see parking along the road on the left.  The field in front of the parking area is where they have the Gagetown Farmer’s Market on Sundays.  To the left of the field is a crushed rock trail that takes you down to the wharf.   If you are visiting on a Sunday, I would recommend going to the market, but then going to the boat launch to access the river.

Description

The paddle up Mount Creek on Gagetown Island is a great introduction to paddling in the area.  Start at the boat launch and cross over the narrow channel of the Wolastoq (Saint John River).  There can be lots of boat traffic coming into Gagetown so use caution when crossing the channel.  

When you hit the grassy shores of Gagetown Island, turn left and make your way up along the shore to Mount Creek.  Make sure you look for osprey or black terns diving into the water for fish.  Black terns nest on the island and are rare in New Brunswick. 

When you enter Mount Creek you will usually come a couple of house boats that shelter in the creek.  Mount Creek is a dead end and gets choked off with weeds.  Boat traffic doesn’t usually come very far into the channel.  The channel is lined by beautiful hardwood so is protected from the wind.

The main attraction in Mount Creek is the Mount House Ruins.  The age of Mount House is an historical debate.  It could have been built as long ago as the 1600’s, but was more likely built in the late 1700’s or 1800’s.  You can find out more about its history in this Backyard History article.  The stone remains of this old house and barn are about halfway up Mount Creek.  They are not far from the shore.  The house and barn were built with rock from Mount Ararat, a small hill of rocks behind the structures that was left by the receding glaciers about 10,000 years ago.  Mount Ararat is a unique geological feature in the middle of an otherwise flat, sandy valley.

Just past the house boats in the start of the channel, the trees open into a small wetland on the right side.  Here you will find ducks swimming amongst the tall grass.  On our visit we saw a lot of female Common Goldeneye.  Continue in the channel and you will notice the weeds under the water become increasingly thick.  There is usually a narrow channel through the weeds.  After about 800 metres, and just before the channel starts to turn to the left, look for a white sign on the right.  The sign is for the nature preserve on the island and marks the best place to get out to access Mount House.  The shore here is thick, slippery mud so use caution.  The boggy water and mud are a great breeding ground for mosquitos so make sure you bring your bug spray.

Once you find a place to get out without getting too muddy, climb up the hill to the field.  It’s a good idea to wear long pants to walk through the tall grass.  In the field you will find lots of cow paths running parallel to the shore.   Be forewarned that a herd of cows spend their summers on the island.  They can be quite curious of visitors.  Take the cow paths to the right and you will soon come to the ruins of the old barn.  Continue past the barn ruins and through a patch of trees to get to Mount House.  If you have time, climb Mount Ararat behind the house.  It is a beautiful hardwood stand on a strange, ancient rock pile.

Vicki and I have visited this island twice and have yet to make it to Mount House.  On our first visit we saw the barn from a distance.  On our second visit we made it to the barn, only to find out when we got home that it wasn’t Mount House.  You can watch our failed attempt here.  Watch to the end of the video to see a map of location of Mount House.

If you are planning to explore the area for more than the day, we suggest staying in Gagetown.  Jane at the May Queen Bed and Breakfast will provide great hospitality and meals at Gulliver’s World Café are always amazing.  Juggler’s Cove pottery studio is across from the market grounds.  Peter (the owner) is a wealth of knowledge about paddling in the area.  Stop in and say hello and check out his amazing pottery.  Tell him Paddling NB sent you.  There are also several other B&B’s and restaurants to choose from in the village.

Nearby Amenities