Things to Do in Nackawic in Spring | A Local's Guide
Spring in Nackawic isn't one season so much as three. March is still winter with the sun turned up: deep snow, spring skiing at Crabbe and sap running in the sugar bush. April is the honest in-between month, when the ice goes out, the river runs high and the back roads go to mud. May is when the valley turns back toward the water, with the docks going in, the Bass Open on the headpond and the Victoria Day weekend opening the summer season. If you like watching a place come back to life, there's no better time to be here. Here's the local take on spring, and where to find the detail for each month.
How Spring Unfolds Here
March is maple season and the best skiing of the year, with March Break the busy week. April is the quiet month: ice-out on the Mactaquac Headpond, the spring freshet on the river, eagles and geese coming back, and a Big Axe you'll have to yourself. May brings the marina back to life, the Destination Nackawic Bass Open, fiddleheads at the roadside stands, waterfalls at full flow and the May long weekend. We've written a full guide to each: March, April and May.
Maple Season
Sugar season runs on freezing nights and mild days, which means March into early April around here. Dumfries Maples on Route 102 is the local producer and the stop to make: fresh syrup, maple butter and the smell of the evaporator going. Call ahead to see what's happening the week you visit, since sap runs on its own schedule. A jug of this year's batch is the right souvenir from a spring trip.
The Last of Winter
Early spring is some of the best winter recreation of the year. Crabbe Mountain, about half an hour from town, often has its deepest base and sunniest days in March, and the softer snow suits families and first-timers. Snowmobile trails hold into March before the thaw, and ice fishing on the headpond carries on early in the month before the ice starts to go. By April all of that is finished, and whatever ice is left on the headpond is the most dangerous of the year. Stay off it.
Ice-Out and High Water
The spring event locals watch for doesn't have a date: sometime in April the ice on the headpond breaks up and goes out, and the waterfront in front of the Big Axe becomes a waterfront again. The same weeks bring the freshet, when snowmelt from upstream pushes the Saint John River up and the lookouts on the Loop show a river that's wide, fast and the colour of strong tea. It's worth seeing from a safe distance. Keep back from soft shorelines and check road conditions in a big melt year.
The Big Axe Through the Season
The World's Largest Axe has three looks in spring: snow and hard light in March, bare trees and a wide-open view of the headpond in April, and fresh green and leafing maples in May. April is the quietest month of the year at the axe and a gift for photographers. The waterfront building and washrooms reopen for the season in May.
The Marina Comes Back
Big Axe Marina reopens in May as the docks go in, starting with the launch, docking and fuel and adding kayak and water-bike rentals as the weather settles. The water is still cold through May, so paddling beats swimming until late June. Early in the season, call ahead to confirm what's running. Our first-time visitor's guide to Big Axe Marina covers everything it offers.
The Bass Open
The Destination Nackawic Bass Open is the biggest event of the spring, drawing serious anglers and their boats to the headpond for a weekend of competitive smallmouth fishing in late spring. Even if you don't fish, the weigh-in is worth watching and the town has a buzz to it. Check the Destination Nackawic events page for this year's dates, and book accommodation early because the tournament fills things up. For your own line in the water, you'll need a New Brunswick angling licence.
Trails: Wait, Then Go
April is the month to stay off the trails; mud and lingering ice make most routes a poor choice and walking soft ground does damage that lasts into summer. By May the ground firms up and the waterfall hikes are at their best, with the spring melt running Shogomoc Falls and Coac Falls at full flow. The walking-bridge trail to Shogomoc near Canterbury is the hike to do in May, and Big Pokiok Nature Park has trails for every level close to town. Black flies arrive by mid-May, so bring repellent.
Birds, Fiddleheads and Roadside Stands
April fills the river valley with returning geese and ducks, and bald eagles are easier to spot against bare trees as they work the open water; bring binoculars to the waterfront. May brings fiddleheads, and this stretch of the Saint John River valley is fiddlehead country, so look for them at roadside stands and in the local shops. Lil Oddies Snack Shack on Route 102 in Dumfries opens for the season in May, and that first order of the year is a local ritual.
The Loop in Spring
The Loop Scenic Drive, 75 minutes along both shores of the Saint John River with more than a dozen lookouts, changes week to week in spring: snow and long shadows in March, a high, fast river and the first green haze in April, and everything leafing out with apple blossom on the back roads by late May. Expect frost heaves and soft shoulders on the back-road sections as the frost comes out of the ground in April.
Golf and Kings Landing
The Nackawic Golf & Country Club on Trenholme Street opens when the ground firms up, sometimes the last week of April and usually by mid-May; call ahead early in the season. Kings Landing, the living-history village down the river, generally opens for the summer in June, so spring visitors should check their website for the opening date and any spring events.
Warming Up in Town
Spring days can still be raw, and the town's warm stops earn their keep. Big Axe Brewery on Otis Drive is the natural end to a day out in any month, with St. Patrick's Day worth checking their calendar for in March and the first warm patio evening a milestone in May. The Waterfront Pub on Route 105 is the spot for a proper meal with a view of the newly open water. Robin's Donuts covers the morning coffee. Hours stay on the winter schedule until May, so a quick call ahead helps.
The Spring Calendar
March Break and maple season anchor March, Easter falls in April most years, and May brings the Bass Open, Mother's Day, Victoria Day weekend and the first community suppers and markets of the season. Check the Destination Nackawic events page for this year's dates before you plan your weekend.
A Spring Weekend in Nackawic
Pick your month by what you want. March for a ski day and a maple stop. April for a quiet visit built around the waterfront, the Loop and a jug of syrup, with easy bookings and a town to yourself. May for the marina, the Bass Open, the waterfalls and the first patio nights; book early for the tournament and the long weekend. Cottages and B&Bs around the headpond are on the Places to Stay page on this site.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which spring month is best for a visit?
May if you want the water and the Bass Open, March if you want skiing and maple, April if you want quiet and don't mind mud. They're three different trips.
When is maple season?
March into early April, depending on the weather. Call Dumfries Maples to see what's happening the week you plan to visit.
When does the marina open?
May, starting with the launch, docking and fuel, with rentals following as the weather settles. Call ahead early in the season.
Can you hike in spring?
Snowshoe in early March, stay off the trails in April while they're soft, and go in May when the ground firms up and the waterfalls are at their best.
What should I pack for spring?
Waterproof boots above all, then layers for weather that can swing from frost to shorts in a day, a rain jacket, sunglasses for the snow glare in March and bug spray for the back half of May.
Why Spring Is Worth Watching
Spring asks for flexibility and rewards it. You might ski in the morning and eat maple taffy in the afternoon, watch the last ice drift past the Big Axe, or be on the dock the week the boats go back in. It's the season that shows you how this valley works, and the one most likely to make a visitor start wondering what it would be like to stay.
