The park's dominant natural features include the highest peak in the
Maritimes,
Mount Carleton, and several large freshwater lakes (Nictau Lake, Little Nictau Lake, Bathurst Lake, and the Nepisiguit Lakes). Located at the headwaters of the
Nepisiguit River and the
Tobique River, the lakes offered a convenient portage route between the Nepisiguit and
Saint John River watersheds. The Canadian portion of the
International Appalachian Trail passes through the park. The
Nepisiguit Mi'gmaq Trail, a wilderness backpacking trail which follows the Nepisguit river to
Bathurst, has its western terminus at Bathurst Lake in the park. The mountains in the park are erosional remnants of resistant
igneous rocks that remained after an ancient
Mesozoic peneplain surface was uplifted in the
Cenozoic to form a
plateau, and subsequently dissected via millions of years of erosion by wind, water and glacial ice. == Features ==