Saint John River, River system in New Brunswick and Maine, Canada and United States.
The Saint John River is a waterway that stretches about 673 kilometers from the Notre Dame Mountains through western New Brunswick to the Bay of Fundy. The river flows through mountainous terrain and forested regions before reaching the Atlantic.
French explorer Samuel de Champlain named the river in 1604 after encountering it on the feast day of Saint John the Baptist. The name remained in use through centuries of European settlement and development in the region.
The Wolastoqiyik people call this river Wolastoq, a name that speaks to the river's abundance and its importance as a source of life for their communities.
The river provides visitors with walking trails and access points along its banks, especially in areas with less developed surroundings. The best time to explore is during summer and early fall when weather is mild and roads are accessible.
At the mouth near Saint John, powerful tides from the Bay of Fundy create reversing rapids that reverse the river's flow twice daily. This rare phenomenon happens when Atlantic tidal forces overcome and reverse the normal downstream current.
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