Mactaquac Falls Trail
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Quick Facts
| Difficulty | moderate |
| Trail Type | linear |
| Distance | 4 km one way |
| Estimated Time | 3 hrs return |
| Surface Type | forestry road, forested |
| Elevation Change | 83 metres |
| Features | waterfall |
| Trail Markers | none, GPS skills required |
| Scenery Rating | beautiful |
| Maintenance Rating | well maintained |
| Cell Reception | low to none |
| Dog Friendly | yes |
| Fees | none |
Description
Mactaquac Falls is a long walk in the woods on forestry roads. It's easy enough to get to if you have some type of directional skills (GPS or map and compass) to make sure you are taking the right roads. From where you parked continue on the road to the right that loops around Greenhill Lake Mountain and the Vulture's Bluff Trail. This section of the road is quite shaded and gets rough, but it makes a nice walk through a hardwood forest. After 500 metres you will come to a junction with a wider, more open road. This wider road comes from Staples Settlement. Depending on your vehicle and the road conditions, you may be able use this road from Staples Settlement to drive closer to the falls, but then you would miss some of the walk in the woods.
At this junction turn left. After walking for 600 metres you will come to a split in the road. At this junction turn right and descend the long hill into a fairly recent cut. In the cut turn left and then continue straight. After 1 kilometre from the cut you should cross a powerline. Just past the powerline the old road (mostly an ATV Trail at this point) turns sharply to the right. Follow this road for another 550 metres and you should see signs of the trail on the left. Not far past the trail the old cut road ends so there isn't much risk in overshooting the trail and getting lost.
When you find the trail it first crosses a really wet section of ATV trail before entering the woods by the sign for the trail. The trail then drops through a mixed spruce forest and comes out next to a rocky outcrop next to the falls.
The 3.5 metre high waterfall tumbles over an angled, granite rock face. The cracks and outcrops in the rock face make the water quite turbulent as it flows down into the large pool below. The pool looks like it would be a great place to swim. It was quite foamy on my visit due to the high water levels. I didn't have time to try the swimming.
Map
Directions
On the way to Crabbe Mountain from Fredericton, find the turn off to Greenhill Lake Camp on route 104. Turn into the camp road and drive by the camp and lake. The road starts to climb a hill through some fields, and then enters the woods. At this point the road turns to gravel and becomes increasingly rough. Drive as far as you feel comfortable doing. At 350 metres after entering the woods you will find an old road on the left. You will also find a turnout on the right just before the road junction. I parked in this turn out.
Trail Last Hiked: July 11, 2021.
Page Last Updated: December 25, 2021.