As mentioned on my hiking page, the East Coast Trail consists of many individual trails that can be enjoyed separately. These long trails can still seem intimidating though, for that reason I’ve made a list of easy hikes that show you what the East Coast Trail has to offer, without having to worry about the blisters.
The following walks and hikes are close to St. John’s and perfectly suited for beginners or people with only a little bit of time to spend.
Here’s the list, sorted by length:
- Visit Middle Cove beach on Silver Mine Head Path (130m)
- Trail to Church Cove on Father Troy’s Trail (365m)
- Trail to Red Head Cove on Stiles Cove Path (446m)
- Trail to Big River Falls on Stiles Cove Path (575m)
- Trail to Stiles Cove on Stiles Cove Path (745m)
- Trail to Torbay Point on Cobbler Path (855m)
- Trail to Whale Cove on Father Troy’s Trail (1020m)
The 130m I quoted is a bit nonsensical really, it largely depends on where you park your car and how far you stroll down the beach. You’ll find people on this popular pebble beach all through the year, with of course summer being especially busy. People go there for the annual capelin run, to watch whales and to have a good time around the evening camp fires.
Middle Cove beach - Middle Cove
2 – Church Cove is a 25 minute drive from downtown St. John’s.
The trail to Church Cove often has a few muddy puddles along the way, but you can usually squeeze by without getting your shoes wet. Near the end of the 365m trail you take a sharp left and end at the viewpoint on top of a steep cliff, overlooking a noisy Herring Gull colony and the Atlantic Ocean with all its seasonal attractions. Church Cove is part of Father Troy’s Trail.
Church Cove - Father Troys Trail
3 – Red Head Cove is a 35 minute drive from downtown St. John’s.
The last kilometres of the route to the trailhead are on a dirt road, which thankfully remains quite manageable, even for small vehicles. Red Head Cove is a large and deep cove, it’s a part of Stiles Cove Path and best visited in the early afternoon when the sun shines directly inside it. It has a tropical looking (and inaccessible) beach with a big jagged cliff in the middle of it. On warm summer nights whales hang around the mouth of this large cove.
Red Head Cove - Stiles Cove Path
4 – Big River Falls is a 30 minute drive from downtown St. John’s.
The initial part of this 575m trail runs over a paved road, from the church parking lot to the actual Stiles Cove Path trailhead. The walk from that trailhead to the waterfall runs over craggy red cliffs for a short while, before ending at Big River Falls, a waterfall that changes in size throughout the year, depending on the seasons.
Big River Falls - Stiles Cove Path
5 – Stiles Cove is a 35 minute drive from downtown St. John’s.
The trail to Stiles Cove runs through the forest, you may have to navigate your way around some muddy puddles before eventually reaching several viewpoints around the secluded and beautiful Stiles Cove, a cove which is the namesake and halfway point for the much longer Stiles Cove Path. The main attraction of this cove is the big waterfall opposite the main viewpoint, but don’t forget to look to the East for the Atlantic Ocean. The best time to visit Stiles Cove is just after sunrise when the light reaches into the cove.
Stiles Cove - Stiles Cove Path
6 – Torbay Point is a 20 minute drive from downtown St. John’s.
This trail is a combination of well maintained boardwalks and gravel tracks right up to Torbay Point. The view at the end is especially amazing in the summer time, when the whales swim right around the cliffs at the end of this easy but rewarding walk, which is just a small part of the longer Cobbler Path.
Torbay Point - Cobbler Path
7 – Whale Cove is a 25 minute drive from downtown St. John’s.
This 1km trail runs over a muddy dirt road between farm land at first, before connecting to the much longer Father Troy’s Trail. Take a left at the crossroads and then just follow the signs that lead to Whale Cove. The viewpoint at Whale Cove is high above the water, perhaps even dizzying when you realize it actually leans over the ocean a bit. Be very careful at the cliff’s edge, I’ve seen bits and pieces crumble off before my eyes, looking down is not recommended for the faint of heart.
Whale Cove - Father Troys Trail
