The Loop Scenic Drive: A Fall Colours Road Trip Guide

The Loop Scenic Drive is a 75-minute route along the Saint John River between Fredericton and Nackawic, New Brunswick, following Highway Routes 102 and 105 past more than a dozen scenic lookouts. In fall, when the upper Saint John River Valley turns some of the earliest and brightest colour in the province, it's one of the best short road trips in New Brunswick.



Quick answer

The Loop Scenic Drive is a 75-minute loop along Routes 102 and 105, tracing both shores of the Saint John River between Fredericton and Nackawic. Fall colours in this stretch of the valley typically start showing in mid-September and peak around the last week of September into the first weekend of October, making it one of the earliest places in southern New Brunswick to catch a full display.

What is the Loop Scenic Drive?

The Loop Scenic Drive follows Route 102 along one shore of the Saint John River and Route 105 along the other, forming a loop that starts and ends at the same point. That layout is what makes it easy to plan around: there's no need to double back the way you came, and you can join or leave the loop at several points along the way if you're short on time. Along the route, Route 105 alone passes through Upper Queensbury, Bear Island, Lower Queensbury, and Mactaquac, giving a sense of just how much small-town New Brunswick sits along this stretch of river.

The full loop takes about 75 minutes to drive without stopping, but that number is really a floor, not a target. The route has more than a dozen scenic lookouts, and the whole point of driving it is to actually use them.

The river itself is worth a mention too. The Saint John River, also known by its Wolastoqey name Wolastoq, is the longest river in Eastern Canada, and the Loop traces both of its shores rather than just one side of it. That's part of why the drive works so well as a loop instead of an out-and-back: the view genuinely changes depending on which bank you're driving along, so doing the full circuit rather than a straight there-and-back gets you two different perspectives on the same river for roughly the same amount of driving.

How long does the loop take, and which direction should I go?

Plan on 75 minutes of driving time, plus however long you want to spend at the stops along the way, which for most people turns a 75-minute drive into a half-day outing. The Loop can be driven clockwise or counter-clockwise, and both directions are genuinely worth doing since you see different shoreline depending on which way you're facing. If you're starting from Fredericton, one common starting point is the Downtown Fredericton Visitor Information Centre, crossing the Westmorland Street Bridge and heading north on Route 105 from there.

When do the fall colours peak along this stretch of the Saint John River?

This is the part worth planning around. According to Tourism New Brunswick, the upper Saint John River Valley, which is the stretch the Loop Scenic Drive runs through, turns colour not long after New Brunswick's earliest-changing region, the Appalachian highlands, and its peak colour typically lands around the last week of September into the first weekend of October. That's noticeably earlier than the lower Saint John River Valley and the Bay of Fundy coast, which tend to peak roughly a week or more later.

In practice, that means color starts showing up in mid-September, builds through the following weeks, and is usually at its fullest by the time Thanksgiving weekend rolls around in mid-October, though the exact week shifts a little every year depending on weather. If foliage is the priority, the last week of September through Thanksgiving weekend is the safest window to plan a visit around Nackawic specifically, ahead of a lot of the rest of southern New Brunswick.

What's along the route?

A few stops make the Loop worth the extra time beyond just the drive itself:

• Currie Mountain, near Douglas, is an ancient volcanic formation with a short but steep 0.8-kilometre trail leading to a lookout over the river. It's a quick stop, not a full hike, but the view is worth the climb.
• Mactaquac Golf Course offers an 18-hole championship course with river views, and has hosted a PGA of America Tour event since 2024, continuing through 2028. The on-site Big Axe Alehouse & Grill is a good stop for a bite between holes or just off the road.
• The Mactaquac Dam generates hydroelectric power representing about 20% of New Brunswick's power demand, and there's a lookoff where you can watch the water move through the sluice gates.
• Sunset View Campground, on Hawkshaw Road, is a boutique, Rainbow Registered Accredited campground that's been named one of the top campgrounds in Canada, with a dockside river view worth a stop even if you're not staying overnight.
• Big Pokiok Nature Park has trails leading along the rocky Pokiok Stream to Pokiok Falls, one of the better short hikes directly off the route.
• The Shogomoc Suspension Bridge, at the western-most tip of the Loop, offers a standout vantage point over the surrounding forest, especially once the colour turns.
• Nackawic Golf & Country Club, a nine-hole, tree-lined course with an on-site restaurant, sits right on the Loop and makes a natural detour if you want to stretch a round of golf into the drive.
• Big Axe Brewery, in the Town of Nackawic, has a patio overlooking the Saint John River, which is about as good a place as any to end the drive with a beer and the last of the daylight. They also run shuttles back to Fredericton if you'd rather not drive after.

Where to stop for fall-specific activities

A few things along or near the Loop are worth timing specifically around fall:

• Apple picking at River View Orchards in Keswick (which also has a farm, duck pond, and corn maze), Sandow Farm in Keswick Ridge (known for its spray-free Sandow apples), or Johnny Appleseed U-Pick Orchards in Keswick Ridge, which has a view of the Mactaquac Dam while you pick and a farmstand selling jams, jellies, cider, and pumpkins.
• The Festival of Colours at Crabbe Mountain, held on Thanksgiving weekend, lets you hike down the hill and ride the chairlift back up while the mountain is at its most colourful, before the ski season even starts.
• Kings Landing, the 19th-century themed historic village, runs an annual Apple Fest and serves an authentic Thanksgiving dinner at the Kings Head Inn throughout October, all set against the site's own fall colour.
• TreeGo Mactaquac runs ziplining through the forest at Mactaquac Park, which is a genuinely different way to take in the same colour you're seeing from the road.
• Hiking and ATVing: beyond Big Pokiok and the Shogomoc Bridge already mentioned, Coac Falls is a forested trail leading to a waterfall that's especially striking in fall, and Mactaquac Park and Woolastook Park both offer more extensive trail systems if you want to turn the drive into a full day outdoors. The M&H Mudrunners, a local ATV club, run the area's scenic ATV trail system for anyone bringing a machine instead of a car.

What people are saying about the drive

"You don't see our backyard's true beauty until you drive the Loop. The St. John River unfolds with every turn: golden meadows, mirror waters, and sunsets dipped in fire. Pure magic!"

Andrew K.

That's the honest pitch for the Loop in one line. It's a drive locals still make for fun, not just something built for visitors, and fall is when it's at its best.

Tips for planning your Loop Scenic Drive this fall

A few practical notes to make the most of it:

• Budget more than 75 minutes. The driving time alone is 75 minutes, but with even a few stops for photos, a hike, or a meal, this comfortably fills a half-day.
• Go on a weekday if you can. Thanksgiving weekend is peak colour and peak crowds at spots like Crabbe Mountain and Kings Landing, so a weekday visit in late September gets you similar colour with a lot more room to yourself.
• Check orchard hours before you go. Apple picking availability depends on the season's harvest, so it's worth a quick call ahead to River View Orchards, Sandow Farm, or Johnny Appleseed U-Pick before building a stop around them.
• Fuel up in Nackawic or Fredericton. Stretches of the route run through smaller communities without services, so it's worth starting with a full tank either way you go.
• Bring a camera, not just a phone, if you're serious about the photos. With over a dozen lookouts and the river changing character at almost every bend, this is one of the rare drives where the scenery does most of the work, but low fall light means an actual camera will noticeably outperform a phone once the sun starts to drop.
• Pair it with an overnight if you can. Between Sunset View Campground, the accommodations around Mactaquac, and places to stay in Nackawic itself, the Loop works just as well as the anchor for a weekend as it does for a single afternoon.

Frequently asked questions

• How long is the Loop Scenic Drive?
• The Loop Scenic Drive takes about 75 minutes to drive without stopping, running along Routes 102 and 105 between Fredericton and Nackawic, New Brunswick.
• When is the best time to see fall colours on the Loop Scenic Drive?
• Colour typically starts showing in mid-September in this part of the Saint John River Valley, with peak colour usually landing around the last week of September into the first weekend of October.
• Can you drive the Loop Scenic Drive in either direction?
• Yes. The Loop can be driven clockwise or counter-clockwise, and it starts and ends at the same point either way.
• What towns does the Loop Scenic Drive pass through?
• The route passes through Upper Queensbury, Bear Island, Lower Queensbury, Mactaquac, and Nackawic along the Saint John River.
• Is the Loop Scenic Drive good for a day trip from Fredericton?
• Yes. Nackawic is about 40 minutes from Fredericton, and the full Loop with stops comfortably fills a half-day, making it an easy day trip.

Plan your visit

For more on things to do, places to eat, and where to stay around the Loop, visit destinationnackawic.ca, or reach the Destination Nackawic team directly at info@dnedc.ca or (506) 575-2241.