New Brunswick - Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island - page 237

Like many moneyed families, the Roosevelts bought property in this peaceful coastal
area at the end of the 1800s, and it is for this that the island is best known. The southern
half of Campobello is almost all park, and a golf course occupies still more.
Come to the island prepared. There's a single grocery store, two ATMs, a liquor store
and a pharmacy, but no gas station - the 1200 residents of the 16km-long Campobello
must cross the bridge to Lubec, Maine, to fill their tanks. They generally use the same
bridge to go elsewhere in New Brunswick, as the Deer Island ferry only operates in the
summer.
Sights & Activities
Roosevelt Campobello
International Park PARK
( www.fdr.net ; Hwy 774; sunrise-sunset year-round, cottage tours Jun-Sep) The southernmost
green area of Campobello Island is this 1200-hectare park. Its biggest visitor attraction is
the Roosevelt Cottage , the 34-room lodge where Franklin D Roosevelt grew up
(between 1905 and 1921) and visited periodically throughout his time as US president
(1933-45). The tomato-red Arts and Crafts-style structure is furnished with original
Roosevelt furniture and artifacts. Adjacent Hubbard House , built in 1898, is also open to
visitors. The grounds are open all the time, and you can peek through the windows when
the doors are closed.
The park is just 2.5km from the Lubec bridge, and from the Roosevelt mansion's front
porch you can look directly across to Eastport, Maine. You'd hardly know you were in
Canada.
Unlike the manicured museum area, most of the international park has been left in its
natural state to preserve the flora and fauna that Roosevelt appreciated so much. A
couple of gravel roads meander through it, leading to beaches and 7.5km of nature trails.
It's a surprisingly wild, little-visited part of Campobello Island. Deer, moose and coyote
call it home, and seals can sometimes be seen offshore on the ledges near Lower Duck
Pond, 6km from the visitors center. Look for eagles, ospreys and loons.
Herring Cove Provincial Park PARK
Along the northern boundary of Roosevelt Campobello International Park is Herring
Cove Provincial Park. This park has 10km of walking trails as well as a campground and
a picnic area on an arching 1.5km beach. It makes a fine, picturesque place for lunch.