Hiking the East Coast Trail | East Coast Trail Guide | Easy hikes on the East Coast Trail | Biscan Cove Path | Stiles Cove Path | Father Troy’s Trail | Silver Mine Head Path | Cobbler Path | Sugarloaf Path | Signal Hill Walking Trails | Deadmans Bay Path | Cape Spear Path | Motion Path | Spout Path | Snowshoe to the Spout | Witless Bay Ecological Reserve | More East Coast Trail | Trail Flyers

The East Coast Trail Guide is a digital trail guide and photo book filled with information about Newfoundland’s amazing East Coast Trail, including Deadmans Bay Path.

A free sample of Newfoundland’s #1 hiking guide is available on Apple Books.

Don’t have Apple Books? There’s lots of trail information on this blog too. Below you’ll find a basic map, a quick trail description, and trail stories and photos from hikes in every season:

Basic map:

Trail description:

Deadmans Bay Path runs from St. John’s to Blackhead.
Check the map for the following details:

  • The trail is 10.6 km in length.
  • The north trailhead is near the end of Fort Amherst Road in St. John’s.
  • The south trailhead is on the Blackhead Bay turnaround in Blackhead.
  • Check the map for designated parking areas.
  • There is easy access to Freshwater Bay from Blackhead Road.

In my opinion, this trail is all about berry picking and amazing views of St. John’s.

Starting uphill from Fort Amherst the trail can be quite intimidating, but somehow you get on top pretty fast, even with the view behind you making you turn around every other step. The hills you’ve just entered are called the South Side Hills and they offer two things in abundance: blueberries and great views. Looking north you’ll see majestic Signal Hill with the Cabot Tower playing the part of the cherry on top. To the west lies downtown St. John’s, there’s a separate trail allowing you to explore that view from many angles.

The East Coast Trail heads southeast though, passing a few small ponds that serve as swimming holes in summer. Eventually the trail drops down to the water level at Freshwater Bay. A quick side trip to Gunners Cove is worth the effort, be sure to keep a look out for ripe marshberries if you’re hiking this trail after winter’s end. From the crossroads, the main trail leads you to Freshwater Beach, which separates the barachois pond from the ocean. Crossing this beach is a real pain in the ankle, with every other boulder tipping over as you try to navigate your way to the other end. If it is impassable or if you just don’t like the look of the barachois trail, you can also follow the regular trail all the way around Freshwater Pond.

On the east side of the barachois, the trail heads north for a bit, offering some unique views back to Fort Amherst and Signal Hill. After the turn at Small Point comes a quiet forest hike to the south trailhead in Blackhead, with a viewpoint poking out of the forest every now and then, showing you the cliffs below.

At the top of Deadmans Bay there is an overgrown side trail that drops steeply towards a cobblestone beach, please note that this fun side trail is not suitable for inexperienced hikers.

Trail flyer:

Do you offer accommodation in this area? Here’s a trail flyer you can use to promote the trail. Flyers about other parts of the East Coast Trail can be found on the trail flyers page.

Scenic spots on Deadmans Bay Path:

  • The South Side Hills; together with Signal Hill these hills dominate the view from downtown St. John’s, that means that they in turn offer a unique view onto Signal Hill and the city.
  • Freshwater Bay has an unusual beach (barachois) with large ungainly boulders.
  • Peggy’s Leg is a gorgeous sea stack below the trail.

Berry picking:

Berries you can find on Deadman’s Bay Path include blueberries, crackerberries, marshberries, chokeberries, partridgeberries and blackberries.

Featured stories on Deadmans Bay Path:

More photos and stories on Deadmans Bay Path:

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