Waterfalls Details: The Bathurst Harbour has several rivers that flow into it. The second largest behind the Nepisiguit is the Tetagouche River. The river has its head waters in the Tetagouche lake area which are nestled in the upland mountains in North New Brunswick.
Tetagouche Falls is several kilometers northwest of Bathurst, on route 180. Route 180 is the road out to the Bathurst Airport. It is an accessible area where the beauty and power of the falls excite visitors while continuing to attract local people from the greater Bathurst region. The falls can be viewed from a lookout area above the falls. The best vantage point is at the bottom of the gorge. To view the falls from the river simply follow the well marked trail heading down stream. The trail will begin to descend and it is very steep, but it leads to the area that offers a great view of the falls. There are remnants of an old dam where the water falls over the rocks but has since been washed away or taken down. The falls are not high but the high canyon walls surrounding the falls provide a natural backdrop.
Visit Details: I visited the Tetagouche Falls in the spring of 2007. The volume of water flowing through the notch in the gorge was tremendous. I was not impressed by the view of the falls from the lookout because I was limited to looking straight down at the falls. I decided to follow the trail to the base. The well marked trail was very easy to find and I had to climb over a few blow downs from winter storms. I was angrily greeted by a raccoon that scurried up a large spruce. The trail down to the river is very steep and I would dread the hike back to the lookout area. Because of the amount of water, I was limited to how close I could encroach on the falls. At 30 meters down river the mist from the falls could still be felt.
I stayed several minutes to enjoy the power of the falls and the beautiful day. The hike backup the trail was effortless due to my renewed energy level by this wonderful waterfall.