East Coast Trail hiking guide: route map, stages & where to stay

The East Coast Trail is a long-distance coastal path on the Avalon Peninsula of Newfoundland, on the far eastern edge of Canada. It runs for 336 km from Topsail Beach on Conception Bay, around the northeast Avalon and through St. John's, then south along the Southern Shore to Cappahayden: 270 km of wilderness coastal paths joined by 66 km of community walks through outports. The East Coast Trail Association (ECTA), a volunteer charity, builds and maintains it. The trail is free, needs no permit and is divided into 25 named paths, each running from one trailhead community to the next. A thru-hike takes most people 12 to 17 days; many others walk it path by path over several trips.

The route

From Topsail Beach the Long Shore Path follows the cliffs of Conception Bay to Portugal Cove, and the trail climbs over Piccos Ridge to Bauline. The White Horse Path, the wildest part of the north, crosses steep headlands to Cape St. Francis. From Pouch Cove the trail passes Flatrock and Torbay to Quidi Vidi Village, climbs over Signal Hill, drops through downtown St. John's to Fort Amherst and heads south to Cape Spear, the most easterly point of North America.

South of Petty Harbour there are no roads for more than 25 km: the Motion and Spout paths pass sea stacks and the Spout, a wave-driven geyser. From Bay Bulls the trail passes Witless Bay, Mobile and Tors Cove, crosses the suspension bridge at the abandoned village of La Manche and continues over Flamber Head and Brigus Head to Cape Broyle. After the long Cape Broyle Head Path, Calvert and Ferryland, the Spurwink Island Path climbs over lonely headlands to Port Kirwan, and the trail ends past Renews at Cappahayden.

This guide follows the route mapped on OpenStreetMap, about 310 km, and splits it into 16 stages, about 19.4 km each. Each stage ends where a thru-hiker can sleep: one of the six free wilderness campsites or a community with beds. The trail never climbs high (the highest point, on Piccos Ridge, is about 250 m), but it goes up and down all day between coves and headlands. The profile adds up to roughly 8,000 m of climbing, and the real figure is higher, because the elevation data smooths out the short, steep steps.

Highlights

• Cape Spear: the lighthouse on the most easterly point of North America, and whales offshore in summer
• Signal Hill and Quidi Vidi: the fortified hill above St. John's harbour and the old fishing village beside it
• The Spout: a wave-driven geyser that blows spray high above the cliffs on the Spout Path
• Witless Bay Ecological Reserve: islands with large colonies of puffins and other seabirds off the coast
• La Manche: the suspension bridge over the harbour of an abandoned fishing village
• Ferryland: the archaeological site of the Colony of Avalon, founded in 1621, and the lighthouse on the Downs

When to walk the East Coast Trail

The trail is usually free of snow from April or May to November, but the ECTA does not clear paths or post updates from November to April. July and August are the warmest and driest months. June and September are cooler, but September is often the best month: the paths have been cleared and the crowds are gone. Icebergs drift past in May and June, and whales are most often seen from June to August. Fog, rain and strong wind can come in any month. Blackflies arrive in June, and wasp nests are common from July to September. Many B&Bs and the La Manche Provincial Park campground (15 May to 14 September in 2026) open only in summer, so walk between June and mid-September if you want the most choice of beds.

How many days do you need?

Most thru-hikers take 12 to 17 days. The 16 stages here range from about 9 to 31 km; some are long because beds are far apart, such as Cape Broyle to Ferryland and the last day from Port Kirwan to Cappahayden. On rough sections expect 2 to 3 km an hour. Around St. John's you can use the city as a base for three nights and take taxis to and from Quidi Vidi and Cape Spear. Add a spare day for bad weather.

Permits, camping and booking

You do not need a permit and there is no fee. The six wilderness campsites (Patch Brook, Miners Point, Little Bald Head, Roaring Cove, Long Will and Gallows Cove) are free, first come, first served, with tent platforms or levelled sites and a pit toilet. Open fires are banned everywhere on the trail at all times, so carry a stove. Away from the campsites, camp in or near the trailhead communities, keep away from cliff edges, and ask the landowner first: much of the trail crosses private land. Rooms in the outports are mostly small B&Bs, inns and holiday homes, many open only from May or June to September; book them early, especially for July and August. Check the ECTA path advisories before you go. In 2026 the Ferryland trailhead of the Sounding Hills Path is closed, so through-hikers walk Route 10 from Ferryland to Aquaforte, and a section of Father Troys Trail at Tapper's Cove has a short detour.

Getting there and away

St. John's International Airport is about 15 minutes from downtown St. John's. There is no hiker shuttle, and Metrobus city buses serve only two trailheads. Taxis and Uber reach the northern trailheads quickly, but Cappahayden is about 90 minutes by road, so arrange that pickup in advance. Some hosts, such as Belle Maison in Port Kirwan and Coast & Trail Haven in Pouch Cove, offer hiker packages that include transport.

Money, shops and phone signal

The currency is the Canadian dollar. Cards work in St. John's and larger shops; small B&Bs often prefer e-transfer or cash. Buy stove gas, maps and most food in St. John's. Small shops are in Pouch Cove, Torbay, Bay Bulls, Witless Bay, Mobile, Cape Broyle and Ferryland. Mobile signal is good in and near the communities but missing on long stretches, especially on the Motion and Spout paths between Petty Harbour and Bay Bulls; a satellite messenger or personal locator beacon is worth carrying.

What to pack

Pack a waterproof jacket and trousers, warm layers, a hat and gloves even in summer, boots that grip on wet rock and roots, and gaiters for mud and bog (the south is muddier). Carry a stove, water treatment, insect repellent and a head net for June and July, a first-aid kit, and the ECTA maps or the offline map in this app.

Safety

Most of the trail runs close to cliff edges. Stay on the path, keep well back from the edge in wind, fog and wet weather, and keep off wave-washed rocks. Start early, as many paths have no bailout point, and tell someone your plan. In hunting season wear bright clothing. In an emergency call 911 and ask for the police, who call out Rovers Search and Rescue and, on the coast, the Coast Guard. The nearest hospitals with an emergency department are in St. John's.