Experience Moncton's
Tidal Bore

Where nature creates a giant wave in the city’s downtown

Arrival 1
07:25
Arrival 2
19:48

Plan Your Visit

The tidal bore coming in.

When 

The Tidal Bore arrives twice daily. Check the timetable above to plan your viewing.  

IMPORTANT: Arrival times are estimates, and can differ by 20 minutes before or after the scheduled time. Be sure to arrive 30 minutes before the scheduled arrival so you don’t miss it.  

Where 

The best views are from Bore Park, 10 Bendview Ct. next to the Treitz House in downtown Moncton.

Have a seat at the amphitheatre in front of the Petitcodiac River to watch the bore roll in.  

While there, enjoy a stroll along the Riverfront Trail, grab a bite at one of the many nearby restaurants, browse the shops along Main Street, and on Saturdays, visit the Moncton Market on Westmorland Street.  

Visitors viewing the Petitcodiac River from Bore Park
a view of Bore Park from across the Petitcodiac River

What to Expect 

The Tidal Bore is a strong, single wave of water that rolls up the Petitcodiac River against the current.  

It can reach heights ranging from 0.5 to one metre.

Within two hours, the river changes from being almost empty to nearly overflowing.

This phenomenon is caused by powerful Bay of Fundy tides as they push more than 100 billion tons of water in and out of the bay and up the river.  

FAQs

  • The visible wave front — the bore itself — moves upstream at about 8–13 km/h. This means the leading edge passes a single vantage point in a few minutes.
  • However, the period of rising water and dramatic change lasts longer — anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes around the bore’s arrival time.
  • This is why it’s best to arrive early and plan to stay for up to an hour afterward to experience the full effect.  

  • Paid public parking is available through HotSpot at select city-owned parking lots and on-street parking spaces in the downtown area. You do not need an app to pay for parking via HotSpot. Simply open your camera app, scan the QR code, and follow the prompts.  
  • The City-owned parking lot closest to Bore Park is Moncton Place (entrances on Botsford Street and Orange Lane).
  • On-street metered parking is available near Bore Park, including Bendview Court, Steadman Street, and Assomption Boulevard.
  • For details on parking rates, hours, locations, and to see an interactive parking map, visit our parking guide.

  • Yes, the amphitheatre and park space are accessible for most mobility needs, with level paths and trails leading to and through Bore Park.  
  • If you have specific needs, please contact the City at 1-800-363-4558 or email info [at] moncton.ca to inquire.  

Several factors influence its size. For example: 

  • The Bay of Fundy has some of the highest tides in the world. The larger the incoming tide at the river’s mouth, the more water is forced inland and the bigger the bore can be.
  • The bore is amplified by the shape of the Petitcodiac River Estuary — a shallow, narrowing channel that funnels tidal flow and boosts the wave.
  • Low river depth can heighten the bore and high river discharge can dampen it. This will vary depending on environmental conditions like rain, drought, and snowmelt.   

  • Around full moons and “supermoons,” the gravitational forces of the moon near the Earth can cause high, dramatic tidal bores.  
  • Spring offers some of the most impressive tidal bore events due to the frequency of full and new moons coinciding with times when the moon is closer to the Earth.  
  • Spring is also when snowmelt typically decreases, reducing the river flow, which enables the bore to build up more clearly as it moves upstream. 

 

Related Attraction: Hopewell Rocks

Hopewell Rocks Tide Times 

IMPORTANT: Hopewell Rocks tide times and Moncton Tidal Bore times are different from one another.

An image of the Hopewell Rocks at high tide

What are the Hopewell Rocks?

Also known as the “Flowerpot Rocks,” they’re giant rock formations located on the shores of the upper edge of the Bay of Fundy at Hopewell Cape, N.B.

They’re found about 35 minutes by car southeast of Moncton via Rte. 114.

They’ve been carved by the Bay of Fundy tides — the world’s highest — over thousands of years. 

There are over twenty free-standing rocks along two kilometers of shoreline.

The water that has carved the Hopewell Rocks over thousands of years is the same water that forms the Bay of Fundy tides, which flow up the Petitcodiac River and cause the Tidal Bore twice a day.

A formation of giant rocks on a beach with trees growing atop them, resembling flowerpots.

Things to Do

You can kayak around the giant rock formations at high tide.

Just a few hours later at low tide, you can walk on the ocean floor, in the exact same spot!