Reversing Falls Saint John

About this spectacle

At Reversing Falls in Saint John, New Brunswick, visitors witness one of nature's most counterintuitive water spectacles: a river that appears to flow backwards. The Saint John River meets the powerful Bay of Fundy tides here, and as the tide rises, the sea's force overpowers the river current, pushing water upstream through a narrow gorge. At slack tide — the brief, eerie pause between flows — the water stills almost completely before reversing again. From the viewing bridges and platforms above, you hear the roar of churning rapids and watch whirlpools spin and surge below. The gorge amplifies both sound and drama. At peak tidal exchange, the river boils with turbulence, white water crashing through the canyon. The experience repeats roughly four times daily as tides ebb and flood, each reversal offering a fresh chance to witness the phenomenon. Cold salt air mingles with fresh river mist, and the scale of the tidal force is viscerally felt.

When to go

Jan — Dec, peak Jun — Aug

Getting there

Nearest airport: YSJ. Nearest city: Saint John.

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