My experience of living in New Brunswick has been a bit different than I expected. I’ll blame it on the tourism ads of beautiful beaches and paddleboarding at sunset!
I live not far from the coast, but it’s hard to access without a car. There is Maritime Bus, the intercity bus service, but it doesn’t run frequently enough to go on spontaneous day trips. That means my main coastal experiences have been when people have been visiting and we’ve rented a car.
Even within Moncton, people have said to me, “Such and such a place is nice, but you probably can’t get there by bus.”
Being both stubborn and optimistic about public transit, I’ve tried anyways to visit various parks by bus—setting out to prove them wrong.
Here are parks and trails that you can reach by bus in Greater Moncton (Moncton, Dieppe and Riverview)!
Be sure to check the Codiac Transpo website for the latest transit information. You can also consult the route map for a visual representation of routes.
View a map of the parks and trails here (click the image):
Riverfront Trail
Location and transit information: The Riverfront Trail follows the Petitcodiac River on both the Moncton/Dieppe and Riverview sides. Depending on which section of the trail you’re following, you can take the 51 (Green Line) or 68 along Main Street, the 95 along Acadie and Amirault, or any of the Riverview routes. There are several access points for the trail.
The Riverfront Trail is one of the most accessible trails in Greater Moncton and connects the communities of Moncton, Dieppe and Riverview. The trail follows the Petitcodiac River, a unique river complete with mud flats and the twice-daily tidal bore. The path also takes you through marshland.
The trail is easy to follow, made of crushed rock with sections of boardwalk. It’s popular for walking, jogging and biking. There are picnic tables, benches and other amenities.
Centennial Park
Location and transit information: Centennial Park is located at 801 St. George Blvd. in the west end of Moncton. The 60 and the 67 both pass by Centennial Park on St. George.
Centennial Park is a popular park for recreation and events. At 94 hectares, the park features a pond, a playground, a pool, picnic areas with barbecues and more!
There are also numerous trails, including through the forest. The park is popular in the winter as well for activities like skating, snowshoeing, tobogganing and skiing.
Mapleton Park
Location and transit information: Mapleton Park is located in Moncton’s north end at 600 Mapleton Rd. There are entrances off both Mapleton Road and Gorge Road. The 50 (Red Line) stops by both entrances.
This forested park in north Moncton sits at 122 hectares and follows the north branch of Hall’s Creek. There is a main accessible trail and various smaller side trails.
The paths take you past a wetland and duck pond, with lots of opportunities for spotting ducks and other birds. Mapleton Park is an excellent location for walking and snowshoeing!
Jones Lake
Location and transit information: Jones Lake is located at 1625 Main St. in west Moncton. The 60 and 68 both pass by the lake on Main Street. Alternatively, the 60 and 67 pass by the north part of the lake on St. George Boulevard.
This human-made lake makes for a nice loop for walking and running. The lake is located in a residential area in Moncton’s west end. The easy trail measures 2.74 km and connects with Centennial Park.
You can go canoeing in Jones Lake in the summer if there are no algae blooms.
Rotary St-Anselme Park
Location and transit information: Rotary St-Anselme Park is located at 505 Melanson Rd. in southern Dieppe. Both the 94 and the 95 take you near the park (indeed, the 95 circles the park).
Rotary St-Anselme Park is similar to Centennial Park but a bit quieter. It features a duck pond, playground, picnic areas and more.
There are easy-to-follow forested trails and BMX bike trails. In the winter, you can do activities like tobogganing, skiing, skating, snowshoeing and even sleigh rides. The variety of activities makes this park a great choice for families!
Irishtown Nature Park
Location and transit information: Irishtown is located at 1155 Elmwood Dr. north of Moncton. The 66 lets you off right outside the park (though it doesn’t run very often, particularly on weekends).
At 890 hectares, Irishtown Nature Park is one of the largest urban parks in Canada! Learn more about the creation of the park in this article from the Petitcodiac Watershed Alliance. As a nature park, the City prioritizes the conservation of biodiversity. However, there are lots of opportunities for recreation!
There are numerous trails, including 4.7 km of surfaced trails for walking, running and biking and 6.9 km of trails for hiking. The trails take you through the forest and marshes, with lots of opportunities to spot birds and other wildlife. You can also go boating in the reservoir if there are no cyanobacteria blooms.
Humphreys Brook Trail
Location and transit information: Humphreys Brook trail runs between Lewisville Road and Harrisville Boulevard, with another entrance off Shediac Road (see this map). To access the trail from the Lewisville end, take the 50 (Red Line), 61 or 16 along Lewisville. Alternatively, the 63 goes down Shediac Road and lets you off near Harrisville.
Humphreys Brook Trail connects different parts of Moncton, following Humphreys Brook. It takes you through the forest and past subdivisions. The trail is 5.6 km long and quite accessible for walking, running and biking.
A large section of the trail is closed in summer and fall 2026.
Rabbit Brook Trail
Location and transit information: This trail in north Moncton starts near Mapleton Road and Carson Drive and finishes near Connaught Avenue and Wheeler Boulevard. The north trailhead is near North Plaza/South Plaza, so you can take the 50 (Green Line) or 51 (Red Line). The 64 takes you to the south trailhead, which is near the Université de Moncton.
This 5.6 km trail connects north Moncton and central Moncton, including the university. Rabbit Brook Trail is quite accessible for walking and biking. Rabbit Brook is a tributary of Hall’s Creek.
Wilson’s Marsh (Bell Street Marsh)
Location and transit information: Wilson’s Marsh is located off Salisbury Road near Bond Park. The 68 lets you off on Salisbury Road near Bell Street (note that the schedule is limited, especially on the weekend).
Wilson’s Marsh (AKA Bell Street Marsh) is located west of central Moncton off Salisbury Road. The restored wetlands along the Petitcodiac River are owned by the City. You can walk along the paths or raised dikes.
As this is a marsh, there is a great diversity of birds, as well as common species like ducks and Canada geese! Read about one nature lover’s finds in this blog post by The Pathless Wood.
Mill Creek Nature Park
Location and transit directions: Mill Creek Nature Park is located in Riverview (E1B 5J5). There are three entrances on Robertson Street, Bridgedale Boulevard and Runneymeade Road (that one is temporarily closed). The 86 lets you off on Gunningsville at Robertson Road. Alternatively, the 85 lets you off on Runneymeade about a 12-minute walk from the Bridgedale parking lot.
Mill Creek Nature Park offers 330 acres of community recreation and nature protection in Riverview. The Town of Riverview and community volunteers are doing lots of work to maintain existing and add new trails. Currently, there are 15 km of multi-use trails and 3 km of snowshoeing and fat bike trails.
The park features a large reservoir with a lookout, a stormwater retention pond and a pollinator garden. A new recreation complex is being built on the edge of the park. In 2025, Mill Creek Nature Park was recognized as an Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECM) space.
Parks that are accessible by bus in Greater Moncton
Moncton is known for its parks and green spaces, but it’s not known for being easy to navigate without a car. Nonetheless, there are quite a few parks and trails you can reach by bus with persistence and planning!
I want to know: What’s your favourite park or trail in Moncton?
For more on this topic, read my posts on my impressions of Codiac Transpo and why I take public transit. Plus, if you’re living in or visiting Toronto, find out parks that are accessible by transit in Toronto.
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Great post-after-the-penultimate post. If there is a tourist office in Moncton, betcha they would like to see this. Heck, even Codiac Transpo might be interested.
Thank you! And that’s a great point, it might interest them.