Hiking

(This story was originally written by Kristal of adventuredawgs.ca and has been expanded to create a more extensive guide to the area. All photos by Kristal unless otherwise mentioned.)

Over the years, my dogs and I have driven all over Canada and the United States, visited both oceans, and several mountain ranges. In spite of all the amazing places we have been privileged to explore, my favourite part of Canada is still the Trans-Canada Highway, or Highway 17, between Sault Ste. Marie (affectionately called “the Soo”) and Thunder Bay (or T-Bay).

With so many things to do and places to see around massive Lake Superior, the best way to see it all is to do the Lake Superior Circle Tour, which takes place in both Canada and the USA and makes for a wonderful Lake Superior vacation. However, for this article, we’re going to focus on the Canada-side of the tour. Maybe we can call it the Lake Superior Half Circle Tour?

Let’s begin. [Read more…] about Lake Superior Circle Tour in Canada

Hiking in Canada is a very popular thing to do and Newfoundland is blessed with an abundance of excellent hiking trails, usually with a backdrop of rugged, world-class scenery. But there’s a downside – though only if you’re short on time. Many of the trails are some distance from each other. From my experience, the best hiking is along the East Coast Trail – not far from the capital of St. John’s and in Gros Morne National Park. There are a couple of other hiking trails in newfoundland you could access if you’re planning a drive across the province.

These five Newfoundland hikes are some of the best in the province…

Sugarloaf Path

The Sugarloaf Path is but one section of the 265-kilometre East Coast Trail Newfoundland. It’s one of the prettiest sections of the trail that can be done as a one-way day trip from St. John’s. I recommend either a shuttle should you have two cars or a 15-minute taxi ride to the Logy Bay trailhead at the Ocean Science’s Centre.

The East Coast Trail Association rates this hike as a difficult one, largely because the elevation gain is more than 150 metres. In my books, coming from the Rockies I’d give it a moderate rating. Allow four to five hours, more if you’re an avid photographer.

From the trailhead, it’s 8.8 kilometres to the scenic Quidi Vidi village. Along the way, it’s non-stop rugged coastal views with stunning cliffs and a good chance of iceberg sightings if you visit in June. Birders will love all the activity along this hike.

While in theory, the hike finishes in Quidi Vidi, I’d recommend adding another four kilometres and a little more than an hour of hiking time to finish in downtown St. John’s. There is the option of picking up a bus from the village as well. Look for the signs directing you to the Cuckold Cove Trail. Follow it to Signal Hill and from there into the city. [Read more…] about Hiking Newfoundland – Five Great Hiking Trails