Campobello Island, New Brunswick

Campobello Island is a quiet 14-kilometre-long island at the mouth of Passamaquoddy Bay in southern New Brunswick. It is unusual among Canadian destinations in that its primary overland access is from the United States — the FDR Memorial Bridge from Lubec, Maine, is open year-round, while the Canadian ferry from Deer Island in New Brunswick runs only seasonally (late June through September). The island’s fame comes from a single historical connection: it was the summer home of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the 32nd President of the United States, from his infancy in 1883 through the summer of 1921 when he was stricken with polio here. The cottage and the surrounding estate have been preserved since 1964 as the Roosevelt Campobello International Park — the only park in the world jointly administered by two national governments.

This guide covers the Roosevelt site, the rest of the island’s Bay of Fundy landscape, and the practical logistics of a Campobello visit including the border crossing question.

Roosevelt Campobello International Park

The park occupies 1,130 hectares on the southern half of the island — the Roosevelt family summer estate, the cottages of neighbouring families, surrounding woodland and shoreline, and the interpretive facilities. It was created in 1964 by treaty between the United States and Canada, four years after Eleanor Roosevelt donated the property, and is run by a six-person commission with three members appointed by each country.

The Roosevelt Cottage is the centrepiece — a 34-room summer house in the shingle style of the New England Atlantic coast, built in 1897 and occupied by Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt and their five children through the summers of the early 20th century. The cottage is preserved largely as the family left it: FDR’s bedroom with the single bed, Eleanor’s writing desk, the children’s rooms, the dining room set for the family meal, the kitchen with the woodstove and icebox. Guided tours are included with admission and are the standard way to see the interior.

The 1921 polio story is the defining historical event of the cottage. In August 1921, at age 39, Roosevelt returned to Campobello after a long day of sailing, swimming and fighting a small brush fire on the island. That evening he complained of chills; by morning he could not stand. Within days he was paralysed from the waist down. The cottage’s role in that summer is interpreted carefully at the site — this is where the man who would become the four-term President of the United States first confronted the paralysis that shaped the rest of his life, and it is one of the few places where that personal story is told without political framing.

The Hubbard Cottage, Johnston Cottage, and Wells-Shober Cottage on the estate house additional interpretive content and a special exhibits gallery. Several of the cottages host “Tea with Eleanor,” a daily afternoon programme in season where staff in period costume present Eleanor Roosevelt’s life and her long post-Franklin public career (First Lady, UN delegate, author, civil rights advocate) over tea and cookies. This is one of the more genuinely affecting small-park programmes in Atlantic Canada.

The Visitor Centre has a short introductory film and standing exhibits. All park admission is free — a legacy of the 1964 treaty.

Park operating season is Memorial Day weekend (late May) through Canadian Thanksgiving (mid-October). Outside this season, the grounds are open but buildings are closed.

The rest of Campobello

Beyond the Roosevelt park, Campobello is a working Atlantic island of approximately 850 permanent residents. The economy is primarily salmon aquaculture, inshore lobster, and the seasonal tourism generated by the park.

Herring Cove Provincial Park covers the north-central section of the island — a New Brunswick provincial park with a long pebble beach, a campground, a small golf course, and access to the Friar’s Head Lighthouse. The beach itself is a classic Fundy beach: cold water, extreme tidal range, and dramatic coastal geology. The provincial park operates from late May through early October.

East Quoddy Head Lighthouse (also called Head Harbour Lighthouse) at the northern tip of the island is one of the most-photographed lighthouses in New Brunswick — painted with a distinctive Saint Andrew’s cross red pattern and accessible only at low tide across a cobble beach between islands. The lighthouse is privately managed but open to walk around. Important: The tides on the cobble walkway come in fast and are genuinely dangerous. Published tide tables and warnings at the site should be taken seriously.

Raccoon Beach and Liberty Point at the south end offer coastal hiking trails within the international park — several short trails (2-5 km) lead to headlands and small beaches with excellent whale-watching potential in July and August.

Wilson’s Beach is a working wharf community on the eastern coast — salmon aquaculture cages are visible offshore, and the village retains the character of a small New Brunswick fishing community.

Browse New Brunswick and Bay of Fundy tour experiences

Whale watching from Campobello

The waters off Campobello are on the northwest edge of the productive Bay of Fundy whale feeding grounds. Whale watching tours operate from the island from mid-June through September, with peak humpback and finback activity in July and August. The North Atlantic right whale — a critically endangered species with fewer than 400 individuals remaining — is occasionally encountered on these tours. Minke whales and harbour porpoise are frequent sightings.

Tour operators based on Campobello include small-boat charter operations that offer a less-crowded alternative to the larger tours departing from Grand Manan and St. Andrews. See our whale watching Bay of Fundy guide for detailed comparisons.

The border crossing question

The confusing fact about Campobello: for most of the year, the only overland access is from Lubec, Maine, USA, across the FDR Memorial Bridge. This means that Canadian visitors arriving by road must enter the United States (passport required), drive 2 kilometres through Maine, then cross back into Canada at the Campobello bridge border post.

The Canadian East Coast Ferries service from Deer Island to Campobello operates only from late June through mid-September, and connects to Deer Island by a second short ferry from L’Etete on the New Brunswick mainland. This is the all-Canadian route, but it is slow (two ferry crossings, each ~25 minutes, with variable waits) and only seasonal.

Passport requirements: US and Canadian passports (or equivalent accepted documents — NEXUS, Enhanced Driver’s Licenses) are required for all border crossings including the FDR Memorial Bridge. The US-Canada border is not waived here despite the park’s international status.

Planning implications: For visitors coming from the Canadian Maritimes in winter, spring or late fall, Campobello is accessible only through the US. For summer visitors, the Canadian ferry route is scenic but adds 2-3 hours compared to the Maine bridge. Build ferry wait times into summer itineraries.

Where to stay

Campobello has limited accommodation — approximately 4-6 B&Bs and small inns, a small number of cottage rentals, and the Herring Cove Provincial Park campground. Advance booking is essential in summer.

Pollack Cove Cottages, An Island Chalet and similar small operators provide the typical Campobello accommodation style — simple, clean, independently operated, with Atlantic views.

Lubec, Maine, 2 kilometres across the bridge, has additional lodging options and several restaurants. Many travellers combine Campobello with a Lubec base.

St. Andrews, New Brunswick, 45 minutes by road (via the bridge through Maine), offers the highest-quality accommodation in the region — see our St. Andrews-by-the-Sea guide.

Where to eat

Dining on Campobello is limited — 2-3 seasonal restaurants, a couple of takeout operations, and a general store. Family Fisheries Restaurant and Retail in Wilson’s Beach serves fresh-from-the-wharf seafood. Fireside Restaurant at the lighthouse end has reliable pub fare.

Many visitors cross to Lubec for dinner — Lubec has a disproportionately good restaurant scene for its size, with several options using local seafood.

Getting to Campobello

From anywhere year-round: Drive to Lubec, Maine, and cross the FDR Memorial Bridge. From the Canadian side, this means entering the US at the Calais/St. Stephen border, driving through Maine for approximately 45 minutes to Lubec, and crossing the international bridge.

From Canada in summer: Drive to L’Etete (New Brunswick), take the ferry to Deer Island (free, ~25 minutes), cross Deer Island by road (~15 minutes), take the East Coast Ferries ferry to Campobello (fee, ~25 minutes). Available late June through mid-September only.

From St. Andrews, NB: 45 minutes via the US bridge, or 1.5-2 hours via the ferry route in summer.

Related destinations

St. Andrews-by-the-Sea is the primary regional visitor base 45 minutes away. Grand Manan Island is across the Bay of Fundy, accessible by a separate ferry from Blacks Harbour NB — a natural pairing for a Fundy islands trip. Saint John NB is 2 hours north. The Bay of Fundy overview covers the wider region.

Frequently asked questions about Campobello Island

Is Campobello part of Canada?

Yes — Campobello is a Canadian island in New Brunswick. The confusion arises because its year-round overland access is through the United States (Lubec, Maine). The Roosevelt Campobello International Park is jointly administered by both countries under a 1964 treaty.

Do I need a passport to visit?

Yes, for nearly all travellers. The FDR Memorial Bridge is an international border crossing with full US and Canadian border posts. Even Canadian citizens returning to Canadian soil must re-enter through the Canadian border station after crossing through Maine.

How long should I spend on Campobello?

One full day handles the Roosevelt park, lighthouse, and a short walk at Herring Cove. Two days allows a whale-watching tour or a longer hike plus the cultural programming at the Roosevelt park.

Is the Roosevelt park free?

Yes. Admission to Roosevelt Campobello International Park is free, a condition of the 1964 US-Canada treaty that created it. The grounds are open year-round; buildings and interpretive programming run late May through mid-October.