Hey friends! By now you all know that we LOVE to hike. I’m currently in the process of trying to check off every path on the East Coast Trail. And so far, I’ve blogged about each one! I’ll leave the links to all of the other paths I’ve tackled at the end of this article.
Here in Newfoundland, our weather is super unpredictable– there’s even an old phrase that says “if you don’t like Newfoundland weather…wait a minute.” In April we were having a lot of cold, wet days and then, all of a sudden, BAM. It was 20 degrees and sunny! So of course, I went straight out for a hike. I decided to tackle the Cobbler Path for the first time.
This trail runs between Outer Cove and Red Cliff and is 5.1 km altogether. The Outer Cove entrance is on Doran’s Lane, just off Marine Drive. This is the direction I decided to take this time, and I would say the trail is equally challenging either way. The trail is rated moderate, which I agree with. There is a lot of easygoing, level terrain and even some boardwalks for easy walking. Once you get a little further in, however, the stairs start coming– and there are a lot of them.
If you start in Outer Cove, you will notice a point that juts out into the ocean as soon as you break out of the woods. I highly recommend you head down there first because it’s an easy walk and you get some fantastic views. Also a great place for a picnic and whale watching!
After a pretty intense uphill hike (there are stairs most of the way and they are in good condition) you will get a welcomed downhill break. Between the two hills is Cobbler Brook, which gently runs into the ocean over the rocks. Take a break and enjoy the view because you’re in for another hard climb. At the top is the end of the trail, with another rewarding view and Red Cliff Radar Station. The radar station– well technically, what remains of it– is an old United States Air Force communications base. Pretty cool if you ask me. Walk a little way out Red Cliff Road and you’ll find the opposite trail head.
This was a pretty great start to hiking season in Newfoundland. Let us know by commenting or reaching out on social media (@twowildtides) if you have done or plan to do this hike! We love hearing from our readers. Remember to always be safe on the trail and try to have a friend with you as cell service can be spotty.
Check out the other ECT paths we’ve tackled:
- Blackhead Path
- Sugarloaf Path
- Father Troy’s Trail
- Mudder Wet Path
- Silver Mine Head Path
- Biscan Cove Path
- La Manche Village Path
Check out this awesome guest house, right on the trail! We highly recommend staying here if your East Coast Trail adventures take you along this path.
xoxo,
char
Let us know what you think!