The Best Things to Do on Campobello Island, New Brunswick

Campobello is one of Canada’s most unusual islands. Located at the western end of the Bay of Fundy, it is part of New Brunswick but with strong ties to the United States as it was the site of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s summer home. This has made the island a popular attraction for both Canadians and Americans.

From the Canadian side, it can be quite a fun adventure to visit the island as you’ll need to take two ferries. However, the island is just one kilometre away from Lubec, Maine in the United States, and from there you can drive to the island over a bridge. 

Whichever way you enter, this is a really unique place to explore, which is why we’ve created this travel guide about the best things to do in Campobello Island, New Brunswick.

Campobello International Park

Close to a third of the island, about 2,800 acres, is home to Roosevelt Campobello International Park, which is jointly owned by Canada and the United States and operated by a commission with members from both countries. It is equally funded and staffed by both countries and reflects the cultural ties and historic links that both countries share. The park pays tribute to US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, or FDR, who for many years had a cottage on the island and spent summers here with his family.

The park was opened in 1964 by a special treaty signed by Prime Minister Lester Pearson and President Lyndon Johnson. In 2024, the park celebrated its 60^th anniversary with a series of special events such as live music and games, and talks about the history of the park and natural areas. 

Your first stop should be the visitor centre which sets the stage for the buildings in the park, and beyond in the natural areas. The park’s centrepiece is a 34-room “cottage” given by Franklin’s parents to Franklin and his wife Eleanor as a wedding gift when they married in 1908. The family summered in what Franklin called his “beloved island”, even during his long political career. Together they enjoyed hiking, biking, sailing, swimming, and all types of outdoor activities. 

Most of the furnishings are original to the cottage. You’ll even see FDR’s lucky hat and pipe in the living room. He would always have these along when he hit the campaign trail. The cottage had running water, 6 bathrooms, and a nifty system so that someone could call the butler and an arrow would point to the room where the call came from. Eleanor’s oversized megaphone is also there – she used it to call her children for meals and bedtime, and rumour has it that they could hear her calling as far away as Eastport, Maine. Despite all the conveniences, there was never a telephone in the home, which was the way FDR wanted to keep it even during his time as president.

It was in the cottage in 1921 that FDR began to show symptoms of polio, and where he recovered for several weeks before being able to leave the island. Tours of the cottage run every 15 minutes from late May to mid-October, and tours and admission to the site are free. On your own, you can also walk through the elegant Hubbard Cottage with its unusual massive oval window. The other nearby building is Prince Cottage where the Prince Café serves light lunch and refreshments. 

At the visitor centre, be sure to get your free ticket for Tea With Eleanor, held in the historic Wells-Shober Cottage and served twice daily. You can also reserve a free ticket online; reservations are necessary because of the tearoom’s limited capacity. King Cole tea that is blended in Sussex, New Brunswick, and freshly baked ginger snaps are served in the living room of the home. 

While you enjoy your tea, park staff relate the enormous impact that Eleanor Roosevelt had on political life, not only in her role as the president’s wife and First Lady but in so many other capacities such as Chair of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. 

The Park’s Natural Side

While the historic buildings comprise one part of the park and are open seasonally, the natural area, which encompasses close to a third of the island can be visited anytime. It features dense forests, coastal headlands, bogs, beaches, and unspoiled shoreline. You can explore along three narrow drives through the forest and along the coastline, as well as enjoy nine hiking trails. Observation decks help to get a good vantage point over the ever-changing scenery, with the most impressive being Liberty Point near the island’s southern tip. 

One trail we particularly enjoyed was the Eagle Hill Bog trail, a 1.1-kilometre easy trail on a boardwalk with plenty of signage on how the bog was formed and what you might see in this mossy environment. Carnivorous pitcher plants dotted the bog, as did bright pink blossoms of sheep laurel, a flowering toxic shrub. 

Exploring Other Parts of Campobello Island

Mulholland Point Lighthouse dating to 1885 and built in an octagonal shape looks over the narrow channel between the island and Lubec, Maine. Next to the lighthouse the park operates the Marine Life Interpretation Centre in partnership with the Canadian Whale Institute where you can learn about North Atlantic right whales, seals and other marine life in the Bay of Fundy. Displays also feature equipment used to rescue whales entrapped in fishing gear. 

Next to the lighthouse is the FDR International Bridge, which connects the island to the mainland at Lubec, Maine. Ironically, when FDR was alive he wasn’t at all in favour of a bridge, preferring Campobello to remain isolated and unspoiled. 

Fifteen years after his death, Eleanor Roosevelt was still a respected political force. So when John Kennedy ran for president in 1960 he asked Eleanor for her endorsement. She agreed but had conditions, including that Kennedy add more human rights promises to his platform and that he look into building a bridge to Campobello Island to recognize Franklin’s achievements. This got the ball rolling for talks between the US and Canadian governments, which eventually led to building the bridge and establishing the park.

The tiny community of Welshpool is home to the second-oldest library in Canada. Established in 1887, it houses both a museum that preserves the early history of the island and a library. Franklin Roosevelt even served on the library board in 1916. Plus, the library has some of the Roosevelt children’s books with their names written inside. 

East Quoddy Lighthouse

The northern end of the island narrows into a point that juts into the sea. Just off the point on a tiny islet sits the Head Harbour Lighthouse, though more commonly referred to as the East Quoddy Lighthouse. Because of the Bay of Fundy’s high tides, the look of the lighthouse changes dramatically. During high tide, it is clearly on a separate island, but during low tide, the ocean floor is exposed and you can walk to the lighthouse. Be careful that you don’t get caught at the lighthouse when the tide comes in – the water rises five feet per hour. 

Built in 1829, the lighthouse is unique with a huge red cross covering much of the gleaming white exterior. It is thought to be the second most photographed lighthouse in the Maritimes after Peggy’s Cove. This is also a whale-watching hotspot. You can take organized whale-watching boat excursions but it is quite possible to spot whales, porpoises or seals right from shore. There’s a clearing with a great view of the sea next to the parking area at the end of the road.

Beachcombing for Seaglass

Beachcombing fans will want to check out the Campobello Island Seaglass Festival held in late August. As the name suggests, seaglass is glass found in the sea. Not just any old chunk of a broken bottle, but pieces of glass that have been tumbled, polished and worked by the waves for years resulting in some intriguing shapes and colours. They are used in a variety of artworks and jewellery.

For an introduction to this unusual hobby, we took a walk on the beach with festival organizer Stephanie Anthony who is also the librarian at the Campobello Library. It has to be the right kind of beach to find seaglass, she explained. Sandy beaches or ones with huge boulders don’t yield the same findings. Something in-between with smaller pebbles is usually the best bet.  

Stephanie knew exactly what to look for. Her trained eye spotted a broken piece from a china cup, small chunks of blue and white glass, and even black glass that she referred to as black pirate glass from the rumrunning days of Prohibition. We found several stones that were originally ballast used by ships years ago when they sailed from England to eastern Canada to pick up a load of fish.            

Where to Stay and Eat on Campobello Island

Chalets, motels, and cottages dot the small island, and there is also camping at Herring Cove. Accommodation isn’t plentiful so it’s important to book ahead during busy times. We stayed at the Friar’s Bay Inn & Cottages overlooking the beach on Friar’s Bay. Its central location proved to be an ideal spot, close to Roosevelt Park but within easy reach of the other side of the island as well. Plus, we could easily see the iconic Friar’s Head formation that looks like a friar standing next to the cliff. 

Restaurants aren’t plentiful either but enough to provide ample choice. A popular spot is The Porch, which is part of Friar’s Bay Inn. Prince Café at the historic site is another nice option, especially for lunch when you’re touring the site. It’s located in the historic Prince Cottage where you can sit inside surrounded by period décor or choose the outdoor verandah overlooking the sea. On a hot summer day, the Scoop Shack ice cream stand on Herring Cove Road is a must. 

Getting to Campobello Island 

There are two main options. From the New Brunswick mainland, you have to take two ferries. First is the free ferry service that runs from L’Etete (a bit east of St. Andrews) to Deer Island, a pleasant island in its own right and worth a stop. From the south end of Deer Island another ferry runs to Campobello Island (cost is $25 for car and driver and $5 for additional passengers).

The other option is the overland route through Maine, then crossing to the island on the FDR International Bridge. The best is to combine both into an enjoyable circle trip. When we visited, we took the ferries to Campobello Island and then on the return crossed the FDR bridge into Lubec, Maine. From there it was about an hour and a half drive to the border crossing into St. Stephen, New Brunswick which is northwest of St. Andrews.

All in all, it makes for a wonderful trip and a unique experience in North America.

For more things to do in New Brunswick, check out our travel guides below:

• Fundy Parkway Road Trip
• Things to Do in Fredericton
• New Brunswick Facts
• Things to Do in Saint John