Hiking Newfoundland’s East Coast

In our four days in St John’s and few days in Bonavista Peninsula we hiked almost every day along the stunning coastal routes. We use Alltrails when we hike, to make sure we know where we’re going and keep track of where we’ve been!

Day Hikes

Much of the coastline has old walking trails used for trading between villages, which have been converted into actual hiking trails. The East Coast Trail is a 5-day hike that runs right through St John’s. You can easily dayhike sections of this trail as it runs through lots of towns along the coast.

The North Head Trail is a stunning walk from downtown St John’s, along the edge of the harbour and up to Signal Hill monument. Even better, we extended the walk to Quidi Vidi and a stop at the local craft brewery on the cute little inlet. To access the trailhead, walk through the Battery District along Battery Road and then outer Battery Road. The trail follows the edge of the headland and is mostly boardwalk and stairs. It’s quite busy with both locals and tourists but still absolutely worth it for the views of St John’s, the harbour and the Atlantic Ocean. Tip: once you get to Signal Hill, walk down to the Visitors Centre. On the western side there is a great wild blueberry patch.

Cobbler’s Path is only 30 minutes from downtown St John’s. The Southern end of this trail is not so exciting, so we’d recommend going out and back from Outer Cove. 

Bonavista Peninsula

Spillar’s Cove can be accessed easily from Bonavista, or as part of a longer hike.

Hiking Terra Nova National Park

Terra Nova is a striking contrast to the coastal walks of Avalon. The forest as far as the eye can see interspersed with lakes and inlets is so different to the windswept Eastern coastline. It’s more like a view you might expect in Northern Ontario.