Road Trip Saint John to Deer Island – Fundy Isles & Old Sow Whirlpool
Saint John
Deer Island
75
km
2h
drive
Summer
season
The Itinerary
The Fundy Isles, an archipelago at the entrance to Passamaquoddy Bay, include three main Canadian islands: Grand Manan (already covered), Campobello and Deer Island. The latter, free via a 30-min provincial ferry from L'Etete, is the least touristy and most authentic — a village of 800 lobster and scallop fishermen.
From Saint John, Route 1 then Route 172 lead to L'Etete (1h15). The free government ferry runs year-round. On the island, Highway 772 makes a complete 25 km loop: Lord's Cove, Cummings Cove (old coastal-battery landscapes), Deer Island Point. At the southern tip, Deer Island Point Park offers the best view of "Old Sow" — the Western Hemisphere's largest tidal whirlpool (75 m diameter at spring tides), unique in the world for its size outside narrow Asian channels.
Two companies offer the boat trip into the heart of the whirlpool: 45 minutes of pure adrenaline with fin whales, porpoises and seals as bonus. To reach Campobello: seasonal Deer Island Point–Campobello ferry (summer only, 25 min). The 45th Parallel restaurant at Lord's Cove serves scallops and lobster at unbeatable prices.
From Saint John, Route 1 then Route 172 lead to L'Etete (1h15). The free government ferry runs year-round. On the island, Highway 772 makes a complete 25 km loop: Lord's Cove, Cummings Cove (old coastal-battery landscapes), Deer Island Point. At the southern tip, Deer Island Point Park offers the best view of "Old Sow" — the Western Hemisphere's largest tidal whirlpool (75 m diameter at spring tides), unique in the world for its size outside narrow Asian channels.
Two companies offer the boat trip into the heart of the whirlpool: 45 minutes of pure adrenaline with fin whales, porpoises and seals as bonus. To reach Campobello: seasonal Deer Island Point–Campobello ferry (summer only, 25 min). The 45th Parallel restaurant at Lord's Cove serves scallops and lobster at unbeatable prices.
Points of Interest
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Old Sow WhirlpoolWestern Hemisphere's largest tidal whirlpool.
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Free L'Etete FerryFree year-round government ferry, 30 min.
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25 km Island LoopHighway 772, authentic fishing villages.
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45th ParallelLocal scallops and lobster, Lord's Cove.
Protected areas along the route
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Hazen Marsh
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Crow & Partridge Island
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Flamingo Lake
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Southern Lakes
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Perch Lake
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McQuirks Mountain
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Moore Cove
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Lake Utopia
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Armstrong Brook
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Chamcook Valley
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Trout Lake
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Powers Beach
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Take this route offline
Cell coverage thins out fast once you leave Saint John. Export the map as a geo-referenced PDF before you go and open it in BorealMaps — your GPS position shows on the map with no signal at all.
Try PDF Export How geo-referenced PDF maps workPractical info
- Departure Saint John
- Destination Deer Island
- Distance 75 km
- Duration 2h
- Category Short (< 100 km)
- Best season Summer
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