Mactaquac Provincial Park and Mactaquac Dam are both integral parts of New Brunswick. Visitors to Mactaquac Provincial Park may not know that its campgrounds, hiking trails, golf course, and status as a park would not exist without the building of the Mactaquac Dam, which was constructed to provide New Brunswick energy. Both are fascinating places to visit in New Brunswick. Learn more about them here.
Less than a mile (1.5 km) from Mactaquac Dam and 4.5 miles (7 km) from Mactaquac Provincial Park, the Riverside Resort & Conference Centre is a superb retreat from the hustle and bustle of today's busy lifestyle. With friendly, genuine service from our staff and comfortable, charming hotel rooms, suites, and cottages, the Riverside Resort offers several top-notch amenities such as complimentary high-speed Internet access, premium cable TV channels, in-room refrigerator, microwave oven, and bathrobes. Take advantage of resort facilities such as the indoor swimming pool, basketball hoop, tennis courts, walking trails, and waterfront activities.
Open from May to October, Mactaquac Provincial Park is near Fredericton on the St. John River, and offers locals as well as tourists a wonderful outdoor recreation facility during the warm summer months. Mactaquac Park was created in the 1960s with the building of the Mactaquac Dam. The Park is over 1,300 acres (525 hectares), encompassing forests, campgrounds, hiking trails, a restaurant, a canteen a golf course, as well as St. John River beaches.
Camping is a popular pastime at Mactaquac Provincial Park, and there are facilities for campers such as laundry and bathrooms with showers. For day visitors, the hiking trails are a must, with a variety of levels for beginners as well as more seasoned hikers. Sign up for an interpretive guided walk. Handicap access is available and pets are welcome in parts of Mactaquac Park. On the beaches, canoeing, windsurfing, swimming, fishing, and sunbathing are all wonderful ways to spend a day under the sun. For golfers, the 18-hole championship Mactaquac Golf Course is a must.
Located 9 miles (15 km) from Fredericton, the Mactaquac Dam provides energy through hydroelectric in New Brunswick. Énergie NB Power operates the embankment dam, which is located on the St. John River. The Dam is made of concrete and cost $128 million to build in the 1960s. It is supposed to last at least 100 years. Cars are able to drive over Mactaquac Dam bridge. Downstream from the Dam is an Atlantic salmon fish hatchery.
In the mid-1960s, the reservoir or head pond filled on the St. John River. Several residents had to move, and historic buildings were transported as well from the flood plains. These buildings became part of Kings Landing Historical Settlement, a tourist attraction that entertains while educating about the origins of New Brunswick. Mactaquac Provincial Park was also opened as a result of the building of the Mactaquac Dam.