South Riverfront Route
Quick Facts
Features | bridges, city |
Access | boat launch |
Route Difficulty | easy |
Water Body Type | river |
Current Type | minimal |
Route Type | linear |
Route Distance | 5.7 km return |
Portage Distance | none |
Estimated Time | 2 hours |
Elevation Change | none |
Scenery Rating | beautiful |
Cell Reception | strong |
Fees | none |
Description
Note: Weather conditions can drastically vary the speed and difficulty of your trip. Please plan accordingly.
We got in the water and turned left towards the Bill Thorpe Walking Bridge. We paddled along the shore and enjoyed the shade from the large hardwoods. If we got out away from the shore we could just see the tops of the large, beautiful houses on Waterloo Row. When we got close to the walking bridge we looked across the river at the mouth of the Nashwaak River, remembering our adventures in Kaine Creek and around Barker's Island. We saw a few kayaks heading up the Nashwaak on their own adventure.

We looked up at the bridge and saw lots of people enjoying the beautiful day. We went under the bridge and were surprised to see what looked like the wheels from a train in the sand along the shore. The walking bridge was a train bridge in the past so that made sense. There is a lot of history along the river in Fredericton. We next saw the remnants of an old steamboat wharf. Most people don't know that steamboats were a main mode of transport between Fredericton and Saint John for 130 years (between 1816 and 1947). This was before the highways and the railways. There are thirteen wharves that are being maintained by the St. John River Society that make great boat launches. This wharf isn't one of them. To read more about the history, check out the write-up on the page for Colwell's Wharf near Cambridge Narrows.
Next we came to a string of boats at the Regent Street Wharf. We kept on the inside of them, between the wharf and the shore. We had to duck our heads under the gangplank but were able to continue to the other side. We headed towards the abutments from what used to be the Carleton Street Bridge. This was Fredericton's first Bridge. For an interesting history of the bridge check out this article on the My New Brunswick website. The bridge was dismantled in 1982, being replaced by the Westmorland Street Bridge. The abutments remain.
We began to see the Carleton Street walking bridge, and the clock tower at city hall rise above the trees. Fredericton is on a long bend in the river so as we approached the Westmorland Street bridge we began to get a headwind. It became quite prominent as we went under the bridge. I thought getting to the ramp at Second Nature Outdoors was a good goal. I wanted to see if anyone was out in front with rented kayaks or SUPs. We were paddling directly into the wind and fighting the choppy waters with every stroke, so we decided to turn around. Once we turned around we just let the wind take us. We just had to manoeuvre around the larger waves.

Since we were no longer trying to avoid the wind we stayed farther from shore. From here we could get better views of the city. We got close to one of the Carleton Bridge abutments for a closer look. A cormorant stood on it with outstretched wings, keeping an eye on us. As we passed by the wharf we looked across the river at Carleton Park. We could see a few kayakers paddling along the shore in front of the park. When we got back to the Bill Thorpe Walking Bridge we got a closer look at the lone abutment beside the bridge. When it was a train bridge a section of the bridge turned sideways to allow boats to pass. This abutment was for stopping the bridge from turning too far. We could see the large sprocket under the section of bridge that used to turn.
From here it was a quiet float back to the boat launch. We mostly let the wind push us along. Before we went ashore we watched the people learning how row in the long row boats. I think we will stick to our kayaks.
Map
Directions
From Route 8 in Fredericton, take exit 9 on the west side of the Westmorland Street Bridge and turn towards downtown. Drive down the hill on Forest Hill Road. At the bottom of the hill turn right at the intersection and then continue straight through the intersection to the stop sign. From the stop sign turn left onto Waterloo Row. Drive for 200 metres and then turn right into Morell Park. Drive past the baseball field. The boat launch is straight ahead. You can park on the left by the boat launch, or in the parking lot to the right at the top of the boat launch.

Trail Last Hiked: August 1, 2023.
Page Last Updated: November 27, 2023.