History
The Dobson Trail, as it is known today, is the realized dream of Dr. Art Dobson who started scouting for a foot route to Fundy National Park in December 1959.
The trail was carefully conceived and planned from the outset following the standards set down by the Appalachian Trail conference publication, “The Guide to Blazing and Maintaining Trails”. A practical set of plans was outlined by him to scout and layout the trail by sections, to search landownership and obtain permission to cross private land where necessary, clear and blaze a path, erect signs and shelters, and plan for annual trail maintenance. A guide book and map has been published for hikers.
For a decade during basic trail building, interested volunteer groups worked under Dr. Dobson’s direction. Boy Scout troops of Moncton, Hillsborough, Riverview, and Alma eagerly joined the spare time project. It has been said that those trail blazing years put the “out” in Scouting. The Moncton Naturalist Club, Members of the New Brunswick Forestry Department, and the Moncton Travel Bureau helped in various aspects of the work, encouraged by the Albert County Council.
Since the final destination was Fundy National Park, the trail was referred to from the outset as “The Fundy Trail”. As time and work progressed, a Fundy Trail Conference was established for the purpose of monitoring progress. Delegates from each work area met periodically to discuss problems and solutions in the development and maintenance of the trail through the seasons.
In the late 1960′s the Province of New Brunswick, increasingly active in tourism, established motor routes to the Fundy National Park which became known as the Fundy trails. The National Park itself began making a system of fine walking trails through its area which was referred to as Fundy Hiking Trails.
By 1975 members of The Fundy Trail Conference in Albert County held a special meeting for the purpose of organizing a complete grooming of their 57.75 kilometer-foot-path. It was decided then, to obviate any confusion with Provincial or Park Trails, that the name of the trail through the wilderness of Albert County would be changed to The Dobson Trail after its founder. It was further decided that the Conference seek incorporation. A Charter was granted on February 12, 1975, under the name of Fundy Hiking Trail Association, Inc., whose purpose as outlined is to administer the existing Dobson Trail and to promote the building of future hiking trails within its area of jurisdiction.
Sections
There are nine sections of the Dobson Trail.
1. Pine Glen to Tower Road…………………………………14.69km
1a. Mill Creek Loop Trail ……………………………………….0.67km
2. Sand Hill side Trail…………………………………………….1.20km
3. Tower Road to East Turtle Creek culvert……………….2.01km
4. East Turtle Creek culvert to Berryton…………………..8.64km
5. Berryton to Prosser Ridge………………………………..7.18km
6. Prosser Ridge to Kent Road………………………………9.21km
7. Hayward Pinnacle Side Trail……………………………….2.30km
8. Kent Road to Elgin-Fundy Road………………………..10.10km
9. Elgin-Fundy road to Old Shepody Road………………..5.93km
Trail Maintenance
Trail Problems
Trail users may not be able to articulate what a “perfect” trail looks like, but almost everyone can list the characteristics of a “bad” trail:
- Deep Trenching - The trail is sunken such that hikers feel like they’re walking in the bottom half of a pipe and equestrians drag their spurs.
- Widening - The trail has widened from a single or double track to an unsightly wilderness “freeway” of multiple parallel tracks, all trenched to a different degree.
- Short Cuts - Knowing that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, users create a web of trails, most of which are steep and erosive.
- Tripping Hazards - Regular use and erosion ultimately expose tree roots and rocks.
- Steepness - If a trail is too steep over a long distance one of two things will happen: either people won’t use it, or users will not enjoy their excursion.
- Impact to Natural / Cultural Resources - Erosive trails and multiple trails compound the impact that trails have on rare plants and on archaeological sites.
Causes
All of these problems can be tied to one or more of the following three causes:
- Water is the foremost cause of trail problems. The movement of water causes erosion and deep trenches. It also exposes tripping hazards.
- Poor Initial Trail Design can rarely be overcome, even by regular maintenance.
- Inadequate or Inappropriate Maintenance wastes valuable crew time and can sometimes increase trail problems.
Pruning
Pruning vegetation is an essential and regular part of trail maintenance, multi-use trails should have 10′ vertical and 8′ horizontal clearance (though there will be exceptions for the sake of protecting a tree or skirting around a large boulder).Too often, trail pruning is accomplished in the most expeditious manner possible — a branch intrudes within the walking space of the trail and is quickly lopped-off so that it doesn’t intrude and the debris is indescriminantly tossed aside. However, our goal in trail maintenance is to maintain a trail in as natural appearance as possible. A quick pruning job deals only with the function of trail maintenance, not the aesthetics.
There are 6 elements of acceptable pruning. Each of these elements makes pruning a more tedious maintenance task, but results with a trail that is compatible with the natural environment.
- Do not toss debris! Branches that are randomly discarded usually end up hanging in adjacent shrubs or trees. These dead branches are both unsightly and create a fire hazard.
- Place debris out of view. This element requires the extra effort of dragging branches under and around shrubs.
- Place the butt (cut) end away from the trail. This will help disguise the debris.
- Each cut branch should be touching the ground to promote decomposition. This means that brush piles are not appropriate.
- Pruning should be done sensitively so that the trail appears natural and not as if a chain saw just blasted through. Trail users should not be aware that any maintenance work has recently been done.
- Prune to the collar of any branch stem for the health of the shrub and a more natural looking result. At the base of any branch there is a wide section that contains a plant’s natural healing agents. Any pruning performed away from this collar will expose the plant to a greater risk of infection. A cut at the collar will naturally heal. For large branches over 2″ in diameter, cut from the bottom, then cut down from the top. This prevents tearing of the bark, reducing infection.
- Our “standard” blazing method is: Blue blazes for regular trail, White blazes for side trails to lookouts or access points, and yellow blazes for loop trails
- When available, use pre-cut and drilled vinyl 5 cm x 15 cm (2″ x 6″) blazes. Otherwise, use latex exterior paint. Carry paint in a sealed jar or small can, and scrape away loose bark before applying paint.
- Always use aluminum nails (aluminum nails will not hurt machinery operators if the tree is harvested at some future date)
- Always leave the nails protruding from the tree about one half inch (as the tree grows, it will use this space and if the blaze is nailed on tightly, the tree will actually pop it off very quickly)
- Try to pick large, healthy-looking trees for blazes
- Always make sure that the next blaze is within view when standing next to a blaze; do not over blaze
- It is best to blaze in one direction at a time, rather than both directions at once
- Avoid putting two blazes on opposite sides of the same tree–if the tree falls over, both blazes are lost
- Never nail blazes to power poles (if necessary to blaze a power pole, it should be painted on as aluminum blazes will interfere with people who climb poles for repairs if it is a pole which must be climbed to make repairs)
- If painting on a light-coloured surface such as a power pole, use a brown border around the blaze
Hello,
I have been visiting Doson Trail for years. It truly is one one the best features of the Greater Moncton area. It is an amazing project that was all done through the vision, dedication and the hard work of volunteers.
Cheers to them!
I would like to kike the Dobson trail in June 2012 departing from Pine Glen Rd. I’m considering bringing my well behaved mid size dog with me. I would put him on leash when I’d encounter other people or dogs on the trail. Any suggestions on where to camp and about taking the dog. Is it only close to Riverview that I am likely to run into other dogs?
You will run into dogs for the first few Km and after that it would be wild animals to watch out for. There are coyotes, lynx, and other large animals to keep an eye out for but would not too worried about it, just ready. As for the camping I would suggest picking up the trail guide at Reads in Riverview because it would depend on how far you hike each day or how long you plan to take.
I hiked the first 15km of the dobson trail this past saturday, we encounter a few other people in the first 3 km with their dogs and I found it was a beatiful hike, I picked up the guide prior to departure. My father and I planned on doing the first 25 km (pine glen rd. to Route 910) The guide seemed to be out dated but possible camping sites were still possibilities.
We found that where the guide said would be wet, was worked on and therefore dry, some sections were suposed to be dry and were VERY wet. I would still recommend picking this up, it is 17.99$ but well worth it, The topo map is useful as to find extraction points for the just in case situation.
In the end, it is all about enjoying your trip, and the outdoors.
as someone who has lived near a section of the trail for 20 years it’s a shame alot of people don’t know about this hidden treasure.have you guys ever thought of adding the trail to google maps to attract more hikers? it would be fairly easy to do,just record a trip through the trail with a gps then import the coordinates into google “map maker”
I have asked to add it here and on google but the main concern is the loss of income from the sale of the trail guides as it it the only major form of income for the association. I am sure it is out there and I know of a few GPS tracks around but it could be costly if people use it instead of the official guide.
well you could put google ads on this site to generate a small stream of money, you could also get hiking equipment retailers to sponsor a section of trail in exchange they could put a QRCode (1 inch square barcode readable by most smartphones that is essentially a link to a website) on a trail marker somewhere in their section of trail that will give hikers a coupon for the store when scanned. additionally you could sell a “i hiked the dobson trail” certificates to people that have scanned all the QRCodes along the trail, you could log the times that the first and last codes were scanned and print on the certificate the total time it took to traverse the trail. another avenue could be a dobson trail app for iphone/blackberry/android
Great ideas, this has been looked into and we don’t even come close to having enough traffic to have ads, google needs something like over 1000 a day to even make a few dollars. The QR code thing has come up but we don’t get the traffic the Appalacian Trail gets, the QR thing works well there. We really don’t have any hiking retailers around here, there are some in Halifax and Fredericton but this area (southeast NB) is not known for it’s great or challenging hikes. Not trying to shoot you down but this is all good stuff but the population and traffic is just not there. If you hike the trail and keep a log you get a certificate already, the app thing is cool but it cost $99 to register with Apple and $99 a year to keep it there, android is $80 one time fee, no idea about Blackberry I have never tried to make an app for them.
It would be neat to make an app with the trail guide on it and make it so that you can geotag your pictures along the way and type in your log entries and they all show up on a track of your hike which all can be uploaded to a site like http://www.gobreadcrumbs.com, food for thought. Times are changing and this type of thing is the future and worth considering. The hard part is convincing the older guys to go with it…lol
Can we also bike this trail? Are there any facilities or camp sites, maybe a motel not far afterwards. Can the 51k be done on a bicycle?
No it cannot be done on a bike and no there are not really any dedicated campsites, sort of find your own little spot to set up. there is a shelter near the 32km mark.The trail finishes kind of in the middle of nowhere, the closest Motel at the Fundy area would be in Alma and in Moncton at the other end.
I keep seeing posts in regard to a patch after completing the Dobson trail. How does someone go about getting one of those? My boyfriend and I completed the trail at the end of April in exactly 48 hours and we were just curious about the patches.
Thank you!
Daniella Lisa
It is being looked into, there isn’t one right now. There will be info here and on the Facebook page when we know more.
just would like to know how long does it take to reach fundy national park and is there a place to set up tent?
Tina, it would take however long it would take you to hike 58 kms. Some people have done it in a day but most people do it in 3 days, 2 nights, that would be about 20km a day which is plenty. There are a few places to set up camp, most just walk until they are tired and find a good spot near water. There is a small shelter and spring just north of Hayward Pinnacle around the 33 km mark. Most people hike it From Fundy Park to Riverview, much easier and you are close to Home (for most) when done.
Hey
a friend and myself are going to be doing the 3 day hike to fundy, and I was wondering if you could tell me where all the springs are along the way, we bought water purifying tablets. Also I was wondering if you could tell me of any waterfalls along the way as well. Thank you.
The availability of water depends on how dry it is when you go. Some springs/brooks last longer than others. My suggestion is to pick up a guide to get all the details about the trail and where water may be available along the trail and never pass up a chance to fill up your water bottles.
I’m going to be doing the entire trail this fall and I see someone asked you about badges for those who complete the whole thing. Once upon a time, there was a certificate given out for the same accomplishment. Are you still handing these out?
Yes this was just discussed at our meeting last week and we are going to be ordering some patch/crest/badge and some stickers as well. The certificates are being re-vamped and there should be some information about what is required to get a certificate, patch and sticker. The certificate and sticker will most likely be free to those who complete the trail and submit a report/story and the badge/patch/crest will be made available for a small fee yet to be determined, probably around $5 to cover cost and provide a small income for the trail. I would like to see an electronic form to have hikers submit their story on here but will get the information up on here and the Facebook page as soon as we have it.
why cant this trail be done by bike.. is it that its physically impossible?! or just for some other reason?!
It is a single lane hiking trails, bike are not permitted and it would be impossible to bike it, terrain is too muddy or rugged at many places.
Hi there I am going to be hiking the dobson sometime in October I am just curious to know, what is the fastest time someone has ever hiked the trail in?
I heard that it was done in 9 hours by one guy but most people who do it in a day take 12-14 hours to complete.
As mentioned above, I tackled the trail and did it from Fundy to Riverview. I did it over two days, Oct. 1 & 2, and though I managed it I think that three days would’ve been better. It was a very, very wet walk and I only had one encounter with wildlife: a big bull moose that was walking right towards me through the brush (right around the 41km point). I was quite nervous and once he spotted me I thought I might have a serious problem but instead of charging me he turned and ran (thankfully!!). I saw no other hikers the entire distance. If you’re keen on some pics I have a few. Once you’re on board with a certificate I’d be keen on having one and would also purchase one of the other items you mentioned. Cheers!!
I am wondering what the plastic tubes with pink liquid are for? Curious
I have no idea. It sounds like glow sticks, people have use them before to light the way out and they must have forgotten to remove them.
Hi there im going to be hiking the dobson the first weekend of november. i was just wanting to know if there are any factors i should be concerned with while hiking the trail at this time of year, are there any in particular points along the trail that will be made very difficult or even dangerous dude to the amount or rainfall in that last month ie, rivers being in high water or marshes being flooded?
I wouldn’t worry about water too much and there are no real river crossings just small streams. The bog around km 6 to 10 is always wet and muddy. It will be hunting season so I would recommend wearing hunter orange.
I hiked the Fundy Footpath a few years ago. How does the Dobson trail compare in terms of difficulty. I’m considering this trail for my girlfriend and I but she hasn’t done much hiking.
It is much easier, mostly level with a few wet spots but nothing bad. There are many cross roads where you could stop if need be and it has fairly good cell phone coverage for most of the trail. IF you can hike 20 kms per day it should not be a problem.
Native sell an electronic version…or maybe an app? It’d be great to have all of the guide in your iPhone
No plans for either an app or an electronic version of the trail, map or guide. Since we are a volunteer run trail our main source of income is the paper maps and trail guides. It might be something we visit in the future but for now there are no plans.
Was wondering is there always wood to burn at the firepits or is it good to bring your own..
Thinking of doing the whole trail from riverview to fundy in a couple of weeks. !
No there is not always wood at the fire pits. We try to keep some there but it gets used up quicker than we can replace sometimes. I would bring a bit of my own to make sure.