Newfoundland & Labrador - Scenic Touring Routes

Admiral Palliser's Trail (45 km)

Route 440
Sir Hugh Palliser was a governor of Newfoundland in the 18th century, and the man who sent Captain James Cook to survey the west coast of the island. The highway along the north shore of Humber Arm, Route 440, is named for him, and takes visitors into an area great for hiking and birdwatching.

The road passes through some very scenic areas, and such towns as Irishtown and McIver's, where there's an Arctic Tern colony on an offshore island, before reaching the end of the road at Cox's Cove.

Aboriginal peoples from what is now Quebec and Nova Scotia trapped here before the Europeans arrived. From about the early 1700s onward, fishing was the mainstay of the economy, supplemented by small-scale farming and logging. When a paper mill was built in nearby Corner Brook in the 1920s, many people went to work there, but the communities weren't connected to the city until a road was built in the 1950s.

An Outport Adventure Cruise - The Southwest Coast by Boat - Part 1

From Rose Blanche on Rose Blanche Lighthouse Scenic Drive you can take a coastal boat - passengers only - to La Poile and Grand Bruit, two isolated communities on the south coast. The coastal boat operates six days a week, and once a week continues on to Burgeo, three hours from Grand Bruit, from where there are road connections (Route 480) to the rest of Newfoundland and coastal boat connections to other communities as far east as Hermitage-Sandyville, where you can pick up Route 364. When travelling by coastal boat or ferry it's always a good idea to plan everything in advance. Schedules can vary.

Take a 75-minute boat trip to La Poile
It's about a 75-minute boat trip from Rose Blanche to La Poile, a fishing community of fewer than 200 residents.

The name, “La Poile” comes from the French words "les poiles” or soldiers who patrolled the area to discourage permanent settlement by people from St. Pierre, the French territory just off the Newfoundland coast. People from St. Pierre fished in Newfoundland and cut timber to supplement the meagre forests on St. Pierre and nearby Miquelon.

On to Grand Bruit
Another 75 minutes east is Grand Bruit. Its name means, in French, "great noise," which is exactly what is generated by the water falling over a 305-metre high cliff near the community. Typically, south coast communities are tiny hamlets that sit at the base of towering cliffs.

An Outport Adventure Cruise - The Southwest Coast by Boat - Part 1

Take a 75-minute boat trip to La Poile
It's about a 75-minute boat trip from Rose Blanche to La Poile, a fishing community of fewer than 200 residents.

The name, “La Poile” comes from the French words "les poiles” or soldiers who patrolled the area to discourage permanent settlement by people from St. Pierre, the French territory just off the Newfoundland coast. People from St. Pierre fished in Newfoundland and cut timber to supplement the meagre forests on St. Pierre and nearby Miquelon.

An Outport Adventure Cruise - The Southwest Coast by Boat - Part 2

A ferry sails between Burgeo, Ramea and Grey River every day. A partially overlapping coastal boat (no autos) goes between Burgeo, Grey River, Francois, McCallum and Hermitage, while a third vessel operates between Hermitage, Gaultois and McCallum. When travelling by coastal boat or ferry it's always a good idea to plan everything in advance. Schedules can vary.

Enjoy an 80 minute ferry ride
Ramea, an island community, is 20 kilometres southeast of Burgeo, and the crossing time is about 80 minutes. About 620 people live here.

The name “Ramea” is believed to be derived from the French word for branches and refers to the island's many streams. Ramea was known to early sailors and was an early fishing station. American fishermen held rights here, and in other places along the Newfoundland coast, in the late 19th century. Ship building and outfitting were major industries here, and the local trading company did business in Europe, the West Indies and South America.

Grey River, a community of about 175 people, is backed by hills that rise to 1,000 feet (305 metres). A spectacular narrow passage leads to a sheltered basin. Grey River was originally called Little River. When measles broke out here in the early 1900s, the people wired St. John's for medicine. It was dispatched, but was sent to another community called Little River on the northeast coast. Many people died as a result of the mixup, and after that disaster the name was changed to Grey River.

Next along the coast is François, which the residents pronounce "Fransway." Fewer than 150 people live here on a narrow strip of land at the head of a fjord. The town is completely hidden from the sea. The big hill behind the village is called The Friar. There are few trees and no land for farming, but the rich fishing grounds nearby sustained the community.

McCallum, population 380, is the next stop. Nearby islands provide its harbour with good shelter. In summer a coastal boat sails from McCallum to Gaultois and Hermitage every day.

The French fished this area in the 1500s, but the community is named for the man who was governor of Newfoundland from 1898 to 1901. Before the Europeans came here, it's likely that aboriginal peoples fished here. Permanent settlement began after the Seven Years' War when St. Pierre was ceded to France and the English merchants there had to resettle along Newfoundland's south coast.

Gaultois, pronounced "gaultus" and with a population of 265, is located on a large island in Hermitage Bay. It was first settled by the French and its name is believed to be an old Norman word for pinnacles, of which there are several in the area. The area was also occupied by aboriginal inhabitants perhaps two thousand years ago or more. Like other communities along the coast, Gaultois has had a winter fishery because this section of coast is ice-free year round. There are no roads in the town.

Hermitage-Sandyville is located on the east side of a deep fjord called Hermitage Bay, and from here Route 364 connects with other roads on the Connaigre Peninsula and with Route 360 that takes travellers from the south coast north to Newfoundland’s central region.

An Outport Adventure Cruise - The Southwest Coast by Boat - Part 2

Enjoy an 80 minute ferry ride
Ramea, an island community, is 20 kilometres southeast of Burgeo, and the crossing time is about 80 minutes. About 620 people live here.

The name “Ramea” is believed to be derived from the French word for branches and refers to the island's many streams. Ramea was known to early sailors and was an early fishing station. American fishermen held rights here, and in other places along the Newfoundland coast, in the late 19th century. Ship building and outfitting were major industries here, and the local trading company did business in Europe, the West Indies and South America.

McCallum, population 380, is the next stop. Nearby islands provide its harbour with good shelter. In summer a coastal boat sails from McCallum to Gaultois and Hermitage every day.

The French fished this area in the 1500s, but the community is named for the man who was governor of Newfoundland from 1898 to 1901. Before the Europeans came here, it's likely that aboriginal peoples fished here. Permanent settlement began after the Seven Years' War when St. Pierre was ceded to France and the English merchants there had to resettle along Newfoundland's south coast.

An Outport Adventure Cruise - The Southwest Coast by Boat - Part 3

From Bay L'Argent on the Heritage Run you can take a coastal boat service to the remote Fortune Bay community of Rencontre East and west to Pool's Cove located on the Coast of Bays Scenic Driving Route.

When travelling by coastal boat or ferry it's always a good idea to plan everything in advance. Schedules can vary. The trip from Bay L'Argent to Pool's Cove is three to four hours with the stopover in Rencontre East.

Fortune Bay probably derives its name from the Portuguese word "fortuna," which can mean either good or bad fortune. Western European fishermen started coming here in the 1500s.

"Rencontre" is the French word for "meeting place," and it's likely French fishermen came here for bait and wood long before permanent English settlement in the 1830s because the coast here is sheltered from the ocean by some islands. The community has a series of hiking trails, including one to the top of Arial Hill, which is about 1,100 feet high.

Pool's Cove, the western terminus for this service, wasn't settled until the 1840s, but was likely an overwintering station much earlier because of easy access to resources on the western side of the bay. The community was like many along the coast – isolated until a road connection to Harbour Breton opened in 1970.

An Outport Adventure Cruise - The Southwest Coast by Boat - Part 3

Fortune Bay probably derives its name from the Portuguese word "fortuna," which can mean either good or bad fortune. Western European fishermen started coming here in the 1500s.

Captain Cook's Trail (47 km)

Begin in Corner Brook
Corner Brook is located at the mouth of the Humber River, one of the province's most beautiful scenic areas. The city has a population of 20,000 and is a bustling industrial centre with a huge pulp and paper mill built in the 1920s.

The city of Corner Brook has many facilities for the traveller - hotel and motel accommodations, restaurants and nightspots as well as historic sites and an Arts and Culture Centre. It's also known for some of the best salmon fishing anywhere on the Humber River, and hosts the Corner Brook Triathlon each year.

Experienced rock climbers will find plenty of challenges, and the city has many natural scenic attractions including Margaret Bowater Park, a picnic and recreational facility situated in a wooded river valley that runs to Humber Arm near the city's pulp and paper mill. Corner Brook is a good base from which to explore the surrounding countryside, whether you're driving or bicycling.

The Corner Brook Winter Carnival is the high point in a winter-long skiing adventure centred on Marble Mountain, just a 10-minute drive east of the city. Marble Mountain has some of the best and most reliable skiing in eastern North America. Downhill and cross-country enthusiasts, snowboarders, and even back-country heliskiing fans, have discovered the great hills, trails and snow. Anyone who appreciates winter will want to visit Marble Mountain when it's in its glory.

Captain James Cook found Corner Brook was an excellent base when he charted this part of the coast in 1767. Cook was marine surveyor of Newfoundland from 1763 to 1767. His detailed charts made life safer for mariners, and his work was so good that many of his charts can still be used today. Cook's maps were published in winter between his voyages, and were the first to use accurate triangulation. Cook also discovered that feeding his men citrus fruits prevented scurvy. He went on to explore much of the Pacific and was killed in Hawaii in 1779.

On Crow Hill in the Curling area you will find the Captain James Cook National Historic Site plaque and copies of the maps he drew. This lookout provides a panoramic view of Corner Brook and the Bay of Islands area.

Another attraction is Prince Edward Park, a pleasant municipal facility situated near the mouth of the Humber River.

Route 450, along the southern shore of Humber Arm, is a twisting highway that, in many places, had to be blasted through solid rock when it was constructed in the 1960s.

The Corner Brook-Bay of Islands area is blessed with a series of fine hiking trails of various lengths and degrees of difficulty. As you drive along this sheltered arm of the Bay of Islands, you can look to the left to see weather-worn ridges that extend inland to form a low mountain plateau and watershed.

On the far horizon the Lewis Hills, peaking at 815 metres, is where you'll find the highest point of land on the Island of Newfoundland. The Serpentine River and Lewis Hills area has no highway access but, with an experienced guide, the serious naturalist can enjoy a 2-to-3-day wilderness hike through these spectacular mountains.

Drive further west to Halfway Point and Frenchman’s Cove
Further west are the small communities from Halfway Point to Frenchman's Cove. A few kilometres more brings you to the Bay of Islands and an opportunity to view and photograph Guernsey, Tweed and Pearl islands, which rise high out of the surrounding sea to give the area its name. Near Lark Harbour - named by Capt. Cook for one of his ships - you may want to visit Blow Me Down Provincial Park, a small campground with a nature trail and picnic/recreation facilities.

Codroy Valley International Wetlands (60 km)

Take a 10 minute drive on Route 1
A 10-minute drive from Channel-Port aux Basques North on Route 1 takes you to J.T. Cheeseman Provincial Park where the shoreline offers a stretch of sheltered beach with soft powdery sand.

The park is a good place to see the Piping Plover, an endangered shorebird with only 500 or so in Atlantic Canada and fewer than 5,000 in total worldwide. J.T. Cheeseman Park, Grand Bay West, Searston and Sandy Point (further north near St. George's) all have sandy beaches the plovers favour and are recommended viewing areas. Take care not to disturb these rare birds.

Look here also for the Common Loon, Murre, Canada Goose and Pine Grosbeak. You'll also find the White Admiral and Atlantis Fritillary butterflies. There's a 2-kilometre trail called Smokey Cape, named for the windblown surf found at the beach parking lot which creates a "smokey" effect. Take a walk along the beach to search for surf clams and dogwinkles. The beach is really a barachois or sand dune.

Back on Route 408, drive three kilometres from Route 1
The gravel road through the park meets paved Route 408, which takes you to the community of Cape Ray, three kilometres from Route 1 - one of three capes forming the triangular points of the island of Newfoundland. Situated between the Cape Ray lighthouse and the Gulf of St. Lawrence is a site that was used as a summer hunting camp by the Dorset people from 420 B.C. to 385 A.D.

Cape Ray was also the site of the first submarine telegraph cable in Newfoundland. Laid in 1856, this project was the last link in the communication chain that connected Newfoundland with the rest of North America.

After a visit to the cape, you can sunbathe or windsurf at nearby Cape Ray Sands, or you can drive up a gravel road to Red Rocks, a former farming and fishing community. There's a spectacular view from the 1,000-foot high Sugar Loaf behind Red Rocks.

Head back to Route 1
Take Route 408 back to Route 1. The highway now climbs steadily north along the province's West Coast. The terrain changes dramatically and the low-lying barrens give way to the southwest section of the Long Range Mountains, a part of the ancient Appalachian escarpment. Throughout this region you will see spectacular mountain scenery and encounter ridges to challenge the imagination, and the skill, of amateur rock climbers.

The moody Table Mountain sometimes raises gusts exceeding 160 kilometre/hour which disrupt highway traffic and were known to derail the now discontinued trains. Little wonder this area is called Wreck House! During World War II, the United States built a radar station, an air strip and assorted buildings on top of the mountain.

These ancient mountains are full of surprises such as Table Mountain, a 518 metre geological oddity that has been known to literally take your breath away. You can see it from J.T. Cheeseman Provincial Park and is accessible by trail.

In the valley below Table Mountain was the home of Lauchie MacDougall, the famous human wind gauge. Lauchie was under contract with the Newfoundland Railway to determine whether the area was passable for trains on any given day and to notify them if the gusts were too high. After his death in 1965, his wife continued the work until 1972. Today, truckers rely on CB radios and word-of-mouth for news about the wind.

Continue on Route 1 to the exit Route 407, which is about 35 kilometres from Channel Port aux Basques
You are now entering the Codroy Valley, one of the best farming areas in the province. Route 407 takes you on a pleasant ride south along the Little Codroy River to St. Andrews, where the agricultural landscape contrasts with the Long Range Mountains in the background. The mountains also provide a magnificent backdrop for a 9-hole golf course.

The Codroy Valley was one of the earliest settled sections of the West Coast. French colonists arrived in the 1700s and were later joined by Scots and Channel Islanders from across the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The Scots settled in the fertile valley south of the Anguille Mountains and their descendants still farm some of the best agricultural land on the island.

In St. Andrews, take the road toward Upper Ferry and cross the Grand Codroy River. (Alternatively, you can take Route 407 to Searston where a bridge crosses the mouth of the estuary.) At the intersection of Routes 406 and 407, is the Old Codroy Carding Mill that operated between 1893 and 1965, and is now restored as a working museum.

Continue on through Codroy to the end of Route 407 and Cape Anguille
Cape Anguille is the most westerly point of the island of Newfoundland where the lightkeeper’s house is now a tranquil inn. Shaded by the Anguille Mountains to the east, the Cape boasts a spectacular view from the lighthouse, which was built in 1905 following a marine disaster. Before leaving Codroy be sure to drop by the Holy Trinity Anglican Church which held its first service back in 1914.

Take Route 406 on Your Return Trip
Take Route 406 to the Grand Codroy Wildlife Museum and Art Gallery. Here, you can see Newfoundland's largest mounted moose along with more than 300 different species of animals, birds and fish, beautifully set in their natural surroundings.

The Grand Codroy Ramsar Site is recognized by the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance. The 925 hectare area at the mouth of the Grand Codroy River consists of a large coastal estuary containing flats, sand bars exposed at low tide and sand spits covered by dune grass. Portions of the wetlands are covered by thick eel grass. There are also four small islands in the wetlands.

The estuary provides habitat for 19 species of waterfowl, including large flocks of Canada Geese and Black Ducks, and smaller numbers of Pintail, Green-Winged Teal, American Wigeon and Greater Scaup. There are also 27 types of rare vascular plants that usually grow only in more southerly areas, a good indication of the site’s relatively benign climate.

Newfoundland's west coast is a north-south flyway for many migrating birds, and the wetlands provide food and a resting stop in spring for northbound birds that have just crossed the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and in fall a stopover for the return flight south. It's also a good place to see rarities blown off course during migration.

The Wetlands Interpretation Centre is located directly on the estuary. The interpretation trail that runs along the banks of the Grand Codroy River is an easy restful walk. Interpretation panels enhance the understanding of estuaries, ecosystems, species adaptation and models for environmental stewardship. The centre also provides ongoing educational programs and interactive exhibits that provide visitors, especially young children, with an opportunity to learn hands-on.

Anglers should bring their flies and tackle when visiting this area because the Grand Codroy and Little Codroy are scheduled salmon rivers.

Exploits Valley (534 km)

The Exploits Valley scenic touring route follows, in part, the traditional Beothuk seasonal route between the interior and the coast, and includes major Beothuk attractions.

The Beothuk Indians of Newfoundland were called "red Indians" by early European explorers because they painted their bodies and possessions with ochre.

The coming of Europeans to Newfoundland disrupted the Beothuks' traditional way of life. Gradually, they were squeezed out of their summer coastal villages by newcomers with superior military technology. There were clashes with settlers, many based on mutual misunderstanding of each other's cultures. By the early 19th century the Beothuk were teetering on the brink of extinction, cut off from the coast and wracked by European diseases, against which they had no immunity, and starvation.

In 1819, one of the last known Beothuks, Demasduit (Mary March), was captured near Red Indian Lake. The following year, ill with tuberculosis, government officials tried to reunite her with her tribe. They were too late. She died in what is now Botwood, and her body was transported to Red Indian Lake.

The last known Beothuk, Shanawdithit, died at St. John's in 1829. She had been captured with her mother and sister in 1823.

This area is filled with lakes and rivers, making it ideal for nature enthusiasts As you navigate the many rivers and lakes either by canoe, kayak and/or river raft. If you need assistance in your exploration contact one of the many tour operators and let them guide you through the wilderness. The Exploits River is the largest and longest river on the island of Newfoundland. It boasts wildlife, beautiful forest, excellent natural campsites, whitewater play spots and a wealth of cultural history. Long ago, the river was the highway for Beothuk Indians.

If hunting and/or fishing are your preferred pastime a variety of licensed salmon rivers are available throughout the area and big game is abundant. Restrictions do apply with respect to fishing and hunting in the province. Licensed outfitters are available to assist you in arranging your expedition.

Route 370 to Buchans from Route 1
This tour starts on the shores of Red Indian Lake in the town of Buchans. To get there, take Route 370 from Route 1. The town was established in the 1920s to mine copper, lead and zinc. Those mining operations have now ceased. The town has the distinction of being located virtually in the heart of the geographical land mass of the island of Newfoundland, and is farther from the sea than any other community.

Near Buchans Junction, about 31 kilometres from Buchans, is a stone corral built in an area residents call the Laplanders' Bog.

Buchans Junction corral was built by Sami - the aboriginal peoples of northern Sweden, Norway, Finland and Russia - who along with their reindeer, were brought to Newfoundland by Sir Wilfred Grenfell around 1908 in an attempt to introduce the deer, which are easily domesticated. Some of the reindeer were purchased to haul wood in winter. That experiment failed, and all that remains is the corral where the Sami kept their herd. The effects of the deer introduction are felt to this day in the form of a brain-wasting parasite that native caribou picked up from the deer, which were immune to it.

Red Indian Lake, the second largest lake in Newfoundland, has been described by locals as full of trout, making it a virtual fisherman’s paradise. Sport fishing is accessible from nearly all of the 160-kilometre shoreline. While there are limited areas to launch powercraft, several spots are accessible for small boats, canoes, and kayaks.

From Buchans Junction, a few kilometres drive will take you to Millertown which was named for lumber entrepreneur Lewis Miller. Take time to walk the sandy beaches of Indian Point or climb to the town lookout site and witness a breath-taking view of the town and lake.

At the intersection of 370 and Route 1 is Bagder
Badger is a community that literally grew up in the forest. Settled only in the 1890s, it became a logging centre and, when the newsprint mill in Grand Falls opened in 1909, headquarters for the mill’s wood harvesting operations until 1965. The town’s name is celebrated in the song “The Badger Drive” written in 1912 by John V. Devine which describes the hard life of the loggers who “drove” the logs to the mouth of Badger Brook and then to the mill.

Drive east on Route 1
Heading east again you will travel through a scenic river valley and on to Beothuk Park where a fascinating exhibit recreates the history of early logging in Newfoundland at Loggers Life Provincial Museum. Visitors can walk through a logging camp and see exhibits that date back to the 1700s. The park is named for the Beothuks, but there are no Beothuk sites here. The exhibit includes a barn, a forge, a saw filing shack, a saw pit and a go-devil - a sled with heavy runners used to haul logs over bare ground.

Heading east on Route 1. The highway though this beautiful valley follows the Exploits River which was the main access to the sea for Beothuk bands who travelled far into Notre Dame Bay by canoe to hunt seabirds and fish.

The largest town in the area is Grand Falls-Windsor. It is one of the major suppliers of newsprint to world centres. It is the site of Newfoundland's first pulp and paper mill. Established by Lord Northcliffe and Lord Rothermere, it was intended as source of newsprint for their international newspaper interests. The paper mill is now owned and operated by Abitibi-Consolidated.

In Grand Falls-Windsor is Mary March Provincial Museum, located on St. Catherine Street. The museum is named in honour of one of the last of the Beothuks and traces the 5,000-year human history of central Newfoundland through a range of exhibits. There are also exhibits on the complex history and traditions of the other native peoples who lived in the region, and traces the development of the later European settlement.

The Exploits Valley Salmon Festival is held here every July and features one of the biggest concerts of the summer. Headline acts have included The Tragically Hip, Bryan Adams, Live, and Great Big Sea. The Festival also features dances, food, family day and the famous salmon supper.

The town has one of the most impressive salmon enhancement projects in North America. To visit the Salmonid Interpretation Centre, which is off Scott Avenue, obtain a map from the Visitor Information Centre on Route 1. You'll see an impressive salmon ladder which allows migrating salmon to bypass the Grand Falls on their way up the Exploits River to spawn.

The Salmonid Interpretation Centre has exhibits on the habitat, history, biology and ecology of the Atlantic salmon. Guided tours are available, and be sure to visit the glass-walled viewing tank in the visitor centre to see the salmon close up. And if you want to go salmon fishing, the Exploits River is a dandy place to wet a line.

Travel east on Route 1 from Grand-Falls-Windsor to Bishop’s Falls
Travel east 19 kilometres on Route 1 from Grand Falls-Windsor to Bishop's Falls in the heart of the Exploits Valley. The town was founded by John Bishop, but derives its name from Bishop John Inglis, who visited the falls in 1827. The town's motto `In the middle of the forest we remain' is a clear indication of Bishop's Falls reliance on the forest and its products. The community also had a long relationship with the discontinued Newfoundland Railway and was a maintenance depot for the now discontinued ‘Newfie Bullet.’ The Bishop's Falls Trestle, a municipal park, has a great view of the falls. The 300-metre trestle is located on the north bank of the river.

Branch off Route 1 onto Route 350, which takes you to Peterview and Peter's Arm, an area at the mouth of the Bay of Exploits considered to be the last hunting ground of the Beothuks. Nearby Botwood, which is 14 kilometres from Route 1, is the major shipping port in the Bay of Exploits.

The continuing romance of Botwood is its association with flight. Sidney Cotton, the pioneering aerial reconnaissance photographer, established an air survey company here in 1921 to spot seals during the annual hunt. When transatlantic air service became technically feasible in the 1930s, Botwood was chosen as the site of a seaplane base.

British Imperial Airways and Pan American Airways established the first transatlantic mail service in 1937, with Botwood the stopover between New York and Ireland. In 1939 the famed Yankee Clipper seaplane, or flying boat as it was known, inaugurated the first commercial passenger service across the Atlantic with Botwood as a stopover.

During World War II, Botwood was a military base: its deep, protected harbour was easy to defend with coastal batteries. Famous personalities such as Bob Hope stopped by to entertain the troops.

The tarmac for the old seaplane base is still there. Private seaplanes still use Botwood harbour. On display at the tarmac is an old Canso water bomber used to fight forest fires. The Canso is a converted World War II PBY submarine patrol aircraft. Next to the tarmac is the Botwood Heritage Park and Museum, which contains a treasure trove of material on early flight and World War II.

At Northern Arm the highway takes two paths. Continue along Route 350 to Point Leamington named for George Leamington Philips who came from Nova Scotia in 1890 to establish a water-turbine operated sawmill in the community, then called Southwest Arm.

George Leamington Philips’ sawmill was located on a river where in centuries past Beothuks used to come each summer to catch salmon. Local lore holds that it was in the millstream that the Indians mounted the head of Joseph Rowsell, one of their arch-enemies who ended his life in a horrible ambush - literally paying for his aggression toward the Beothuks 'with his head.'

At the end of Route 350 is Leading Tickles which has a sandy beach. 'Tickle' refers to a saltwater strait, which is often difficult to navigate because of its narrowness or its treacherous tides. As you return along Route 350 you may want to take a side trip to Glovers Harbour and south of Point Leamington another road goes to Pleasantview. This farming community was established in the 1860s to supply vegetables to the miners of Tilt Cove on the Dorset Trail Scenic Touring Route.

Back at Northern Arm, take Route 352 to Bay of Exploits and Phillips Head
Back at Northern Arm, Route 352 will take you through coastal communities in the Bay of Exploits including Phillips Head, named for Joe Phillips, a miner/operator who came in search of iron ore. Here you can still see the remains of a strategic World War II gun battery that was placed here to defend Botwood. The old battery site provides a great view across the bay to Laurenceton.

Point of Bay overlooks the Bay of Exploits and its many islands. The rounded shapes of some islands here and throughout Notre Dame Bay indicates their volcanic origin, and a number of copper mines once operated throughout the bay. On a geological formation known as the `Wild Bight Volcanics,' there were at least five mines. Maritime Archaic Indians occupied some of these islands thousands of years ago, and were succeeded by Groswater and Dorset Eskimos, and then by the Beothuks.

The Europeans found that the islands in the Bay of Exploits provided excellent access to cod and salmon, and also provided some protection from attacks by the Beothuks. The Beothuks were gradually squeezed out of their traditional coastal areas. Their occupation of the many islands in the bay is confirmed by dozens of archaeological finds.

After the Beothuks were displaced, the islands were occupied by settlers from Somerset and other parts of England, and prospered into the 20th century when setbacks in the fishery and a resettlement program prompted many people to abandon the islands for steadier work in the woods industries. Today it’s a popular location for summer homes.

Drive further North on Route 352
Further north on Route 352 are Cottrell's Cove, Fortune Harbour and Moore's Cove, which is at the end of a short unpaved road. Fortune Harbour was the site of a copper mining operation in the 19th century. Today it’s the site of a mussel farm which can be toured by boat. It’s a fascinating look at how the new fishery of the province is being developed.

To visit communities at the head of the Bay of Exploits, return to Route 1. Norris Arm is on Route 351. People flocked to the Bay of Exploits area in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to work in the logging industry.

Before Lewisporte was developed, it was the only town in Notre Dame Bay connected to the railway. There's a beautiful view across the bay to Norris Arm North, which is also known as Alderburn. To reach the north side, return to Route 1 and drive east to the turn-off.

Green Bay and the Beothuk Trail (73 km)

The Beothuk Trail, so named because this was an area of Newfoundland once occupied by the now extinct Beothuk aboriginal tribe.

You'll notice a low stone wall on either side of the highway that indicates you're in Green Bay on the Beothuk Trail.

The Green Bay Visitor Information Centre, which houses a craft shop, is located at the intersection of Routes 1 and 390. The staff can also tell you the best sites to spot icebergs, and where to look for shipwrecks.

A side trip along Route 391 takes you to King's Point. There is some farming in this area, and you'll see more of that as you proceed east into Notre Dame Bay. Hikers will be interested in the Alexander Murray Trail, a four-hour jaunt through some pretty rough country. There's a check-in at the start of the trail.

At the end of this section of Route 391 find Rattling Brook
Rattling Brook has a picnic park that offers a good view of Green Bay from the hiking trail to the top of an 800-foot waterfall. Another section of Route 391 takes you to Nickey's Nose Cove and Harry's Harbour, with its rugged coastal rock formations. Route 392 leads to St. Patricks from where you can take a ferry ride to Little Bay Islands where a network of trails overlooks the community and the coastline. When travelling by coastal boat or ferry it's always a good idea to plan everything in advance. Schedules can vary.

The main service community on the Dorset Trail is Springdale on Route 390. In George Huxter Municipal Park you'll find a salmon ladder at Indian Falls.

Take Route 390 back to Route 1 and continue on to South Brook and Route 380

Each year, when autumn came, the Beothuks would return to the interior of the island and settle on the shores of the Exploits River and Red Indian Lake to spend the winter. In late summer and fall, they would build deer fences on the banks of the Exploits to capture caribou from the herd as it made its migration. These fences were very similar to those erected by an earlier people, the Maritime Archaic Indians, which has prompted speculation that the Beothuks were the descendants of the earlier tribe. The hide and bones were used for clothing and tools, while the meat was smoked.

Then it's along a high wooded plateau and down the northern slopes of the ridge of Crescent Lake, home of a legendary lake monster nicknamed Cressie. Robert's Arm is one of the larger communities in the area. In the town library is a mini-museum with Maritime Archaic Indian artifacts. This is a good base for exploring the settlements of Pilley's Island, Triton-Jim’s Cove-Card’s Harbour - where the hiking trail is a good place to see whales and icebergs - and Brighton where two more trails provide scenic lookouts.

From Pilley's Island you can also visit Long Island and the communities of Lushes Bight and Beaumont by taking the car ferry that operates year round. When travelling by coastal boat or ferry it's always a good idea to plan everything in advance. Schedules can vary.

Grenfell Loop (178 km)

Enter the Grenfell Loop, Route 432, from Route 430 near Plum Point
There are two ways to drive the Grenfell Loop. You can take the south entrance onto Route 432 near Plum Point; or the northern entrance near the St. Anthony Airport. On this trip we'll take the southern entrance.

Drive 53 kilometres across Route 432 to meet Route 433, and continue south 14 kilometres to reach Roddicton
The best time to be here is in spring and summer when the salmon are migrating upstream to spawn through the Underground Salmon Pool. Waters that originate in low mountains 30 kilometres away move down Beaver Brook. The area here is limestone which is easily eroded.

There are a number of underground channels here and salmon swim right into these caves during migration. You can see the cave entrance and salmon jumping in the river. Wear sturdy footwear. There are several hiking trails in the area, and it’s a good place to see unusual flowers and, of course, the moose. Actually, it would be unusual to visit here and not see a moose.

Travel 24 kilometres along the gravel Route 434 to Conche
East of Roddickton, the best place to start is at the French Shore Interpretation Centre which explains the French and English history of the area. It’s housed in a former Grenfell nursing station. The French fished here from the early 16th century, and held shore rights here until 1904.

During the Napoleonic era, few French fishermen came here due to the wars, so the English moved in. The centre has one of three chaloupes built by a Basque craftsman in 2004 to mark the 500th anniversary of the French arrival in Newfoundland and Labrador.

One of the oldest houses in the community has been converted into the Casey House Artist’s Retreat. Ask at the centre if there’s an artist in residence and if there’s an exhibit. There are 12 kilometres of hiking trails in the town, and a trail map is available at the centre. One popular destination is Crouse, a village that was resettled in the 1960s.

Head back to Route 432 and go south 21 kilometres
Englee is a small fishing village, originally occupied by the French. It became an English settlement in the 19th century.

Back along Routes 433 and 432, turn off at Route 438
A gravel road leads to Croque, St. Julien’s and Grandois. Just before entering Grandois is a 1.5 kilometres trail that leads to an old French site at St. Julien’s. The French Point trail in Grandois leads to another old French site. It may be possible to arrange boat trips to the abandoned communities of St. Julien’s Island, Fichot Island and Harbour de Vieux. This is also a good place to see whales and icebergs.

Grandois- pronounced "grand-SWAH" from the French "les grandes oyes" or great geese - and St. Julien's are essentially a single community. French fishermen were here in the early 1500s, and relics of their stay and still visible, such as the bread ovens found in the area.

Backtrack a few kilometers to Croque, a name that probably comes from the old French work "croc" or boat-hook. This humble community was once the capital of the French Shore because French boats fishing in the area had to register here.

The old waterfront is an interesting area with traditional fishing premises. Stop by the visitor centre to see some French artifacts, or go on a guided walk. There’s also a French naval cemetery and, most intriguingly, the names of French ports and ships carved in rocks by 19th-century French fishermen. They’re at the end of the 1.5-kilometre Epine Cadoret Trail.

Drive back to Route 432 and turn north to Main Brook
Main Brook is an excellent area for nature viewing. Just north of the town in Hare Bay is the Hare Bay Islands Ecological Reserve, established as a protective area for eider ducks. After nesting season is over, it’s possible to take a boat tour to the area. Keep an eye out for the ever-present moose, plus seals, black bears, whales, porpoises and sea and shorebirds. This is an excellent area for hunting and fishing. There’s also an award-winning adventure tour operator here who offers a variety of nature-culture packages.

Route 432 connects with Route 430
Route 432 connects with Route 430 at the St. Anthony airport, about 50 minutes from St. Anthony, the largest town in the area. St. Anthony is the home of the Grenfell Mission, established by the International Grenfell Association to provide medical services to the scattered and isolated population of Northern Newfoundland and Labrador.

Humber Valley (70 km)

On Route 440
Humber Valley stretches 70 kilometres along the banks of the Humber River from the Bay of Islands to Deer Lake. From a canoe on the crystal waters of the river, view the lush trees and bushes against the Long Range Mountains - a vision of nature's beauty. Here you can camp, hike, boat, golf, and relax in hotels, resorts, and campgrounds. Drop your line in the crisp water for a day of fishing in one of the world's best Atlantic Salmon fishing rivers.

Ten minutes east of Corner Brook is Marble Mountain Ski Resort in Steady Brook. The mountain gets an average of 16 feet of snow a year, making Marble one of the best ski hills in Eastern Canada. Climb the steep forest path to view magnificent Steady Brook Falls.

The community itself, nestled among sloping wooded hills, is a good place to make roadside purchases of fresh fruit and vegetables in season. Each year the farmers of the valley hold Deer Lake Strawberry Festival Days.

In autumn the area is ablaze with the reds and oranges of deciduous leaves signals the approach of winter.

Long before skiing became popular, Corner Brook was known for salmon fishing in the world famous Humber River. Since the 19th century, salmon anglers have taken advantage of the slow deep steadies to cast for the champion Atlantic Salmon. The mighty Humber still defines the difference between fishing and great fishing. A list of fishing guides is available at the nearest Visitor Information Centre.

Head eastward along Route 1
Pasadena is a growing community nestled on the shores of Deer Lake. Pasadena Beach is a favourite with those who just want to spend a lazy summer day with the sand between their toes.

Carry on to Deer Lake, a logging community that was first settled in the 1860s. At the western end of town on the right side of the highway is the hydroelectric station originally built to power the mill at Corner Brook. Today, the town is a distribution centre for the Great Northern Peninsula. For picnics, there is a municipal park on the lakeshore. The park also has campsites. For recreation, there's a golf course on the banks of the Humber.

In winter the town is one of the province’s snowmobiling hubs with easy access to front country groomed trails and back country trails into the mountains.

Deer Lake Airport has flights within the province and connections to Toronto and Montreal. The town has comfortable hotel/motel accommodations and is 72 kilometres from camping and trailer sites at Gros Morne National Park.

Labrador Coastal Drive (397 km)

The coast of Labrador is a wilderness filled with rugged seacoast, fast running rivers and breathtaking mountain ranges that are dotted with human settlements. Here, aboriginal peoples lived for thousands of years before Europeans arrived. And it is here that the descendants of European settlers pursue a unique rural coastal lifestyle learned from the native peoples.

Take Route 510
Route 510 connects L’Anse-au-Clair on the Strait of Belle Isle with Cartwright 400 kilometres north on Sandwich Bay.

The ocean here is called Iceberg Alley. Every spring and summer thousands of icebergs that are thousands of years old, ranging in size from bergy bits the size of a car to mountains of ice weighing millions of tonnes, traverse these waters before melting in warmer waters southeast of the Island of Newfoundland.

Visitors travelling to coastal Labrador will visit old settlements and enjoy rugged coastal scenery. Here you will find a series of small communities where you can see how European settlers adapted to a life based mainly on fishing and, later, forestry.

About a thousand years ago a Viking travelling to Greenland from Iceland was blown off course and sighted, but did not land, in what we now call Labrador. Later Viking explorers sailed along this coast, noting the stands of timber and a long beach north of present-day Cartwright they called the Wonderstrands.

Labrador is just across the Strait of Belle Isle from northern tip of the island of Newfoundland. On a clear day it is visible across the 17.6 kilometre-wide channel that funnels the icy Labrador Current into the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Southern Labrador is the traditional home of the summer fishermen who first travelled from the island of Newfoundland to the lucrative fishing grounds off its coast centuries ago. Today this area is inhabited by the descendants of those first summer fishermen. This scenic driving route will introduce you to this community of friendly, independent spirits and to a region that offers a wilderness experience that you will never forget.

Begin your journey with a 90 minute ferry ride
This Labrador tour begins on Newfoundland’s Great Northern Peninsula, at the Viking Trail community of St. Barbe, where you can take a ferry ride across the Strait of Belle Isle to the Blanc Sablon on the Labrador-Quebec boundary. When travelling by coastal boat or ferry it's always a good idea to plan everything in advance. Schedules can vary. The crossing is a good time to look for seabirds like fulmars, shearwaters, jaegers and murres.

You can also reach the Strait of Belle Isle area on the Quebec coastal freighter operated by Relais Nordique that serves ports along the north shore of the St. Lawrence River. This boat calls at 12 ports between Rimouski and Blanc-Sablon over a four-day period.

Depart Blanc Sablon (Quebec), the western terminus of the ferry, and drive 3 kilometres north to Route 510. The first 80 kilometres of Route 510, as far as Red Bay, are paved, and the remaining stretch to Cartright is gravel.

Just 5 kilometres from Blanc Sablon
L'Anse-au-Clair is the first community that you’ll come to in Labrador. It was founded by the French in the early 1700s. While you are visiting this scenic fishing outport, you can check out the local craft store. There’s also a restored early 20th century church which now serves as the Gateway to Labrador Visitor Centre with displays on the history and heritage of the area, and information on what to see and do. The nearby Jersey Room Hiking Trail leads to an interpretation area on Jerseymen from the Channel Islands who fished here in the 17th century.

Along the Forteau and Pinware Rivers during the months of July and August, trout and salmon anglers should be prepared to meet their match on the many pools, steadies and rattles. Pinware River Provincial Park is an ideal base for exploring the entire area.

Before we go further, here’s the dope on flies. Here, black flies take no prisoners from mid-July to mid-September whenever the air is warm and calm. Where it’s cool and breezy, they’re not much of a problem. Bring an insect repellent and cover up. If you go fishing, bring a head net and gloves.

Archaeologists discovered the oldest known funeral monument in North America here in Labrador.

At nearby L'Anse-Amour is the Maritime Archaic Burial Mound National Historic Site where archaeologists discovered the oldest known funeral monument in North America. The Maritime Archaic people buried a 12-year-old boy here 7,500 years ago with an elaborate reverence that is unique for that era.

Aboriginal people lived here as early as 9,000 years ago when it was on the edge of the retreating glaciers. A series of small campsites and burial grounds is all that remains of these early relatives of Paleo-Indian caribou hunters of northeastern North America. The descendants of these early inhabitants of Southern Labrador later fished and hunted whales in the Strait of Belle Isle. The numerous species of fish and seabirds along the coast also supported later bands of Inuit and even Newfoundland's Beothuk Indians who made their homes here. Some of the artifacts found at the site have been reproduced and are on display at the Labrador Straits Museum and Craft Shop just a few kilometres away overlooking L’Anse Amour. The museum features displays on the contribution women have made to the Straits area.

Visit the Point Amour Lighthouse Provincial Historic Site, a 109-foot lighthouse, the second tallest and one of the two oldest still working in Canada. It was built in 1854-58 to aid navigation through the Strait of Belle Isle. The interior features costumed interpreters and exhibits covering four centuries of maritime history. Next door the Labrador Straits Natural Heritage Centre has exhibits on plants native to the area, and offers walking tours and other programs during July and August.

There are many tales of shipwreck along this coast, including that of the HMS Raleigh which went aground near Point Amour in 1922, just three years after it was launched. The vessel was headed for Forteau Bay where some of the officers had planned to go salmon fishing. A trail from the lighthouse leads to remnants of the ship that lie on the beach.

The first European settlers on the Southern Labrador Coast came from England, the island of Jersey in the English Channel near France, and Newfoundland, and in the mid-nineteenth century most arrivals were from Dorset, Devon and Somerset. After that, settlers tended to be Newfoundlanders moving north, such as those who eventually settled at L'Anse-au-Loup - where you’ll find the Battery Hiking Trails - Captstan Island, West St. Modeste and further north in Lodge Bay in what were at first only temporary summer fishing stations.

During the month of August, Forteau is the home of the annual Labrador Straits Bakeapple Folk Festival. The event is named for the golden-coloured berries, also called cloudberries, that grow in abundance along this coast. They are a great delicacy when prepared as jams, jellies or sauces. The festival has lots of berry picking, but the fun also includes baking contests, traditional music, dance, song and storytelling. A variety of distinct craft items are sold during the festival. They range from caribou skin mittens and rug work to tapestries, carvings and colourful embroidered clothing. While in town, stretch your legs on the Overall Fall Brook Trail.

Heading north again you’ll notice an unusually large number of boulders – glacial erratics, as they’re called – deposited here by melting glaciers at the end of the last Ice Age.

At the end of the paved section of Route 510 you’ll find Red Bay.
Red Bay is a community where one of the earliest industrial complexes in the New World - a Basque whaling station - has been declared a National Historic Site. Archaeologists have discovered several shipwrecks from the period of 1550 - 1600 when this was the world whaling capital, supplying Europe with oil for lamps and soap.

Archaeologists have uncovered an astounding number of tools and personal effects that confirm European habitation of this coast during the 16th and 17th centuries. Many of these are now conserved in the Interpretation Centre. Self-guided tours of nearby Saddle Island, where the main station was located, are available during the summer months. One of the strangest sites is reddish fragments of roof tiles made centuries ago in far-off Spain that littler the area.

Drive North from Red Bay
Mary's Harbour, Port Hope Simpson, Charlottetown and Cartwright are now within your range. Cartwright is 319 km north of Red Bay.

People who live in communities and were linked to the outside world only by coastal boat, aircraft, snowmobile or ATV are now getting used to driving to larger centres to shop, and are seeing more visitors, explorers who want to see what is essentially virgin tourist territory.

From Mary’s Harbour take a boat to Battle Harbour
Battle Harbour brings 200 years of history back to life. It was a fishing port as early as the 1750s, and was one of the first European settlements along the coast. In the 19th and 20th centuries it was a major centre for the floater fishery from Newfoundland, and in 1893 Dr. Wilfred Grenfell established his first Labrador hospital here. But a fire in 1930 destroyed the hospital, school and other buildings, prompting many people to move to nearby Mary’s Harbour. By the 1960s it was abandoned, used only as a summer fishing station, but with most of its older commercial and public buildings intact. As a result, the modernization that swept Newfoundland and Labrador in the decades after Confederation in 1949 bypassed Battle Harbour and left it untouched and unspoiled.

In the 1990s a major restoration program helped preserve what is the most intact fishery outport in the province. It was declared a National Historic District in 1997. To visit Battle Harbour, which is accessible only in summer via a one-hour boat trip from Mary’s Harbour, you should make reservations. Once there you will find a restored salt fish premises and community, interpretation centre, boat charters, walking trails and overnight accommodations. It’s like it was 100 years ago when there were no cars or other machinery (there is an electricity generator), a slow pace of life, kerosene lanterns for light, and just your neighbours to help you out if you got into trouble.

Staff at Battle Harbour Inn try to re-create that atmosphere in a very simple way: everyone eats at the same table. Spend the day exploring and touring, then spend the evening with your fellow guests. If it’s a clear night, look for the Northern Lights which are visible in Labrador about 240 nights a year.

Dr. Wilfred Grenfell
Dr. Wilfred Grenfell first went to coastal Labrador in 1892 as an employee of the Royal National Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen. Conditions were grim. Aside from some Moravian missionaries who had rudimentary medical training, there was little medical help anywhere along the rugged and sparsely populated coast. On his return to England he began to raise money and in 1893 brought two doctors and two nurses with him, along with funding for two hospitals. Over the next few years he toured Canada and the United States explaining the plight of people in coastal Labrador, and raising funds. From 1896 to 1899 he returned to Britain at the mission’s behest, but return to Labrador and northern Newfoundland and spent the rest of his working life bringing medical care to this remote area while raising funds through books and lecture tours. Eventually he cut his ties with the mission and established the International Grenfell Association to oversee his work.
His influence went beyond medicine. He established co-operative stores in several communities, encouraged women to produce handicrafts for sale, started a sawmill which eventually failed, and established orphanages, schools, agricultural stations and other social and economic endeavors.
In 1906 he introduced reindeer to northern Newfoundland, with unintended dramatic consequences. The plan was to have Laplanders teacher Newfoundlanders how to herd and live off reindeer, but the venture failed. The unintended consequence was the spread of a wasting brain parasite to the native caribou, a problem that remains to this day.
In 1908 en route to see a patient, he became stranded on sea ice during a blizzard and had to kill three of his dogs to survive. He wrote about the experience in the book Adrift on an Ice Pan, which became his best-know literary work.
He retired to Vermont in 1935 and died there in 1940. His name lives on in several organizations, most notably Sir Wilfred Grenfell College, part of Memorial University, in Corner Brook. A statue of him was erected near Confederation Building in St. John’s in 1970. His former home in St. Anthony is now a museum.

Meanwhile, back on Route 510
Just north of Mary's Harbour, Route 510 swings inland away from the coast and through the wilderness, while a new road connecting St. Lewis, Route 513, stretches 30 kilometers to the east.

Port Hope Simpson, located on Route 510, is a logging community and one of the newest towns in the province, was founded only in 1934 when a sawmill was constructed to cut pit props in the extensive forests near the town. People have fished near here since the mid-1800s.

Charlottetown evolved into a permanent settlement from a collection of smaller coastal villages that had depended on fishing and trapping. Around 1949 the current location was chosen because it had lots of timber, fresh water and flat land for a future airstrip. The man who named the town, Ben Powell, wanted it to become the capital of St. Michael's Bay in the same way that Charlottetown became the capital of Prince Edward Island. You can reach it via route 514 from Route 510. A coastal boat from Charlottetown goes to the remote communities of Norman Bay and Williams Harbour, and also stops at Port Hope Simpson. When travelling by coastal boat or ferry it's always a good idea to plan everything in advance. Schedules can vary.

At the end of Route 514 is Pinsent Arm. The coastal scenery here is beautiful. This heavily wooded area contrasts sharply with northern Labrador where tundra dominates the landscape.

Offshore is the Gannet Islands Ecological Reserve, the largest razorbill colony in North America and a major breeding colony for murres, puffins, and black-legged kittiwakes.

At road’s end, find Cartright
The road ends at Cartwright, but by 2009 an extension will link Cartright and Happy Valley-Goose Bay. For the time being, the connection between the two is a ferry. When travelling by coastal boat or ferry it's always a good idea to plan everything in advance. Schedules can vary.

Cartwright was named for Capt. George Cartwright, a merchant adventurer who lived along the coast for about a decade in the late 1700s. Cartwright had better relations with the Inuit than his contemporaries. Cartwright was the subject of a 1990s novel called The Afterlife of George Cartwright, which was nominated for a Governor-General's Award for Canadian fiction. The community which bears his name is a major service centre for the coast.

Some people believe that the Lake Melville area was the Markland - the Land of Forests - of the Viking sagas

The ferry to Cartwright originates in Lewisporte (located on the Kittiwake Coast Road to the Isles) and goes on to Happy Valley-Goose Bay (located on the Lake Melville and The North Coast Trail) after leaving Cartwright. It also stops at Cartwright on the way back to Lewisporte. After leaving Cartwright it traverses the narrow waterway of Hamilton Inlet that connects the ocean to Lake Melville. It was probably here that Norse rovers Thorvald Eiriksson and Thorfinn Karlsefni landed on their journey westward to undiscovered lands.

In winter, a great adventure along this part of the coast is a trip on the groomed snowmobile trails that connect the communities of southeast Labrador.

Southeastern Labrador by Coastal Boat
There’s a mix of permanent communities and summer fishing stations along the section of the southeast Labrador coast not connected by road. A small coastal boat connects the remote communities of Norman Bay, Pinsent Arm and Williams Harbour with Charlottetown where there is a road. When travelling by coastal boat or ferry it's always a good idea to plan everything in advance. Schedules can vary.

Fishing stations were where fishermen from Newfoundland who couldn’t get a fishing berth along the coast where they lived so they went north in summer to catch and salt cod.
Sometimes the whole family went along and lived aboard the family’s boat, or built summer quarters next to the flakes where fish was cured. This was called the floater fishery and it lasted for more than two centuries, declining only in the 1980s. Over time some of the floaters stayed and became livyers - people who live in a place year round.

From Charlottetown you can catch the coastal boat north to Norman Bay. This used to be a wintering station for people from the nearby coast until the 1960s. One family resisted efforts to have them resettle to larger communities, and they were eventually joined by a few others, who kept the tiny village alive, commuting to Charlottetown for supplies by speedboat when the water was free of ice, and via snowmobile in winter. Now they can take the coastal boat during the shipping season.

Pinsent Arm is about 20 kilometres southeast of Charlottetown, and although it was a winter residence for some stationers on and off from the 1860s onward, it was permanently settled only in the 1950s, and was electrified only in 1985 when a diesel generator was installed.

Williams Harbour, south of Pinsent Arm and 35 km east of Port Hope Simpson, is another community whose status changed from summer fishing station to permanent settlement. Migratory fishermen from England first fished here in the 1700s, and the harbour was settled in the 1840s, declining and increasing with the fortunes of the fishery. The establishment of a fish plant in the late 1970s persuaded residents to abandon their winter place at nearby Rexon’s Cove and move to Williams Harbour permanently.

Labrador Frontier Circuit (534 km)

The interior of Labrador is a vast wilderness with recent pockets of modern industrialization in Labrador City, Wabush, Churchill Falls and Happy Valley-Goose Bay. Those who come this way will find an outdoor lover's paradise. There are thousands of pristine lakes teeming with trout, hundreds of rivers that will test your boating skills and kilometre after kilometre of forests and barren ground filled with game. During winter this country is spectacular and there's lots to do - ice-fishing, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing and tobogganing, just to name a few.

Labrador has an area of 293,347 square kilometres and a population of only about 29,000 permanent residents. Only recently have western and central Labrador become accessible to motor vehicles. As the road system is expanded, more and more of this wild and wonderful part of the world is opened up. It is now possible to drive from Baie Comeau in Quebec to Labrador City and Wabush in western Labrador, then across Labrador to Happy Valley-Goose Bay, take a ferry to Cartwright, drive south 397 kilmetres to Blanc Sablon, take the ferry from there to St. Barbe on Newfoundland’s northwest coast, and then take a ferry from Newfoundland to Nova Scotia. When travelling by coastal boat or ferry it's always a good idea to plan everything in advance. Schedules can vary.

Take Quebec Route 389 from Baie Comeau to Labrador West
To begin this adventure, take partially-paved Quebec Route 389 from Baie Comeau on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River and drive 581 kilometres through some incredibly beautiful countryside, passing through the Quebec communities of Manic V and Fermont, and into Labrador. The drive takes about 8.5 hours.

Western Labrador is known for its mining. The largest open-pit iron ore mining, concentrate and pelletizing mineral operation in North America is located at Labrador City, the heart of industrial Labrador. Since 1958, Labrador City and Wabush have grown from work camps to modern towns with many services and amenities usually found in much larger centres.

Western Labrador offers visitors excellent summer sports and outdoor recreational activities which include some of the world's best angling. The Labrador City and Wabush area has facilities that attract curlers and golfers from all over. This part of Labrador also provides serious ski buffs with unparalleled downhill and cross-country action. The Smokey Mountain Alpine Ski Club and the Menihek Nordic Ski Club offer facilities that will please everyone from beginners to experts. The Nordic Ski Club is a world-class facility that has twice hosted World Cup events.

A recent addition to winter fun is the annual Cain’s Quest Snowmobile Endurance Race. The race traverses 2,000 kilometres of wilderness, and the two-person teams have to deal with unpredictable winter weather and rough terrain.

Labrador has an extensive snowmobile trail system that includes groomed, ungroomed and regional trails. Snowmobilers can use the groomed trails throughout the area to enjoy the Labrador wilderness and to possibly to catch a glance of the world's largest caribou herd. This Quebec-Labrador herd migrates across provincial boundaries each year - hence its name - and numbers about 450,000 animals.

In Labrador West, an adventure holiday is available with all the comforts of home. Duley Lake Family Park about 10 kilmetres from Labrador City, is a great place to stay if you really want to get a feel for the outdoors. This 75-site camping park has swimming, boating, picnic facilities and an excellent sandy beach. A second camping facility is Grande Hermine Park located 33 kilmetres from Labrador City on the Trans-Labrador Highway (Route 500), has 75 landscaped sites with water hookups, as well as a beach, picnic facilities and boat rentals.

Visitors will love the natural beauty of this park with its caribou moss, glacial eskers and erratics.

Take the Freedom Road to Churchill Falls
Route 500 is called The Freedom Road because it frees Labradorians to drive to larger centres and other provinces. For decades they were restricted to air, ferry or train travel because there were no roads out of Labrador. But the Freedom Road is no superhighway. Average driving time from Labrador City to Churchill Falls is about three hours to cover 201 kilometres. The road between Churchill Falls and Happy Valley-Goose Bay has now been upgraded. It will take you an average of four to five hours to cover the 291 kilometres.

At Churchill Falls there is a modern town with services, accommodations and some very interesting attractions to visit. The community was built around one of the wonders of the modern world. At this point in its course, the waters of the Churchill River fall over 300 metres in a 32 kilometre section, which made it ideal for one of the world's largest hydroelectric generating stations. The water was diverted into underground facilities where the huge turbines produce 5,225 megawatts of power. Tours of this huge operation can be arranged at the town office.

On to Happy Valley-Goose Bay
A lot has changed in Labrador since World War II. Happy Valley-Goose Bay was made a transatlantic aircraft ferry facility by the wartime governments of the United States, Canada and Great Britain. Military activity since World War II has included low-level flight training by NATO members, but a new role for the base has not yet been developed. Happy Valley-Goose Bay is the major distribution centre of goods for coastal Labrador and it is the location of government offices for the region.

In early March the annual Snobreak winter carnival is always a great deal of fun. It features a week of snowmobile races, dog team races, ski events and other activities that celebrate the coming end of winter.

During winter this country is spectacular and there's lots to do - ice-fishing, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing and tobogganing, just to name a few. Downhill enthusiasts will love the Snow Goose Mountain Ski Club with its long runs and great apres-ski hospitality, while the Birch Brook Nordic Club draws raves from cross-country enthusiasts.

Route 520 to Sheshatshui and North West River
Two other communities accessible by road from Happy Valley-Goose Bay are Sheshatshui and North West River, the former International Grenfell Association headquarters for Labrador.

North West River was the home of Donald Smith (later Lord Strathcona), the Hudson Bay factor in Lake Melville who went on to become a driving force in the Company and earned distinction for his part as mediator in the Canadian Riel uprising. The present road through the community follows the horse trail Smith constructed to court his wife during Sunday afternoon carriage drives.

In North West River you’ll find the Labrador Heritage Society Museum which, among other fascinating stories of life in Labrador, tells an unusual tale about an remarkable woman, Mina Hubbard. To meet her requires a trip back in time to the dawn of the 20th century, to 1903, when American adventure travel writer Leonides Hubbard and two companions tried to walk across Labrador from North West River to the George River for the annual Naskaupi caribou hunt.

Mina Hubbard’s Incredible Journey
With Hubbard were Dillion Wallace, a New York lawyer and adventurer, and George Elson, a Metis from Ontario whom the other two had hired as a guide. They took the wrong route and Hubbard died of starvation while the other two barely made it back. Wallace published a book, Lure of the Labrador Wild, about the expedition, and that’s where Mina Hubbard comes into the picture. Mina was Leonides’ wife, and she was livid when Wallace’s book blamed her dead husband for the expedition’s failure. Determined to complete his quest and vindicate his name, she set out from North West River in 1905 - at the same time Wallace was trying to complete the journey he had had to abandon two years earlier.

So, here was a late-Victorian nurse, who was born in Ontario but moved to the U.S., dressed in long skirts and other regalia of the era and with little wilderness experience leading an expedition through Labrador, accompanied by Elson. Not only did she succeed, but she beat Wallace by six weeks. On her return to New York she wrote a magazine article that she later expanded to a book, A Woman’s Way Through Unknown Labrador. Wallace also wrote a popular book on his second expedition, and became a well-known writer and lecturer, but Mina’s book was considered more valuable because of the observation of plants and animals she recorded, and her detailed account of the caribou migration and the people who hunted them. She remarried and moved to England, where she was killed in 1956 when she walked in front of an oncoming train.

Today, North West River is home to the descendants of the English, French and Scots who first made a living here as hunters and trappers. Sheshatshui is home to the Montagnais Innu, descendants of Labrador's once nomadic interior caribou hunters. In late July the town holds the North West River Beach Festival, a two-day celebration featuring music and other attractions.

Labrador to Newfoundland by Passenger Ferry
A summer passenger and car ferry operates from Happy Valley-Goose Bay to Cartwright on the Labrador coast, and continues on to Lewisporte, located on the Kittiwake Coast -Road to the Isles. When travelling by coastal boat or ferry it's always a good idea to plan everything in advance. Schedules can vary.

It was probably here in Labrador that Norse rovers Thorvald Eiriksson and Thorfinn Karlsefni landed on their journey westward to undiscovered lands. Some people believe that the Lake Melville area was the Markland - the Land of Forests - of the Viking sagas.

The trip from Happy Valley-Goose Bay to Cartwright takes about 12 hours. From Lake Melville the ferry traverses the narrow waterway of Hamilton Inlet that connects Lake Melville to the ocean. It was probably here that Norse rovers Thorvald Eiriksson and Thorfinn Karlsefni landed on their journey westward to undiscovered lands. Some people believe that the Lake Melville area was the Markland - the Land of Forests - of the Viking sagas. Eiriksson’s description of a river that flowed east to west fits the English River which flows into the south side of Lake Melville.

Aboriginal people were living here when Europeans began exploring in the 16th century, and after a period of initial conflict, a fur trading relationship was established. A fishery developed in the 19th century, and in 1898 a regular coastal boat service was established between Newfoundland and Lake Melville.

The ferry ride is a good opportunity to do some shipboard bird-watching. Among the birds you might see from on deck are Razorbill, Black Guillemot, Atlantic Puffin, Northern Gannet, Red-necked Phalarope, Great Black-Backed Gull, Black-Legged Kittiwake, Jaegers, Arctic Tern, and Common Murre.

Lake Melville and the North Coast (By Boat)

Leave the hassles of the modern world behind and hop on the coastal shipping service ferry. Visit communities that have remained unchanged through time, untouched by most modern conveniences and still famous for their history and craftsmanship.

Begin in Happy Valley - Goose Bay
Happy Valley-Goose Bay is the home port for the coastal shipping service along the rugged North Coast. Reservations for this trip must be made in advance, as only a limited number of berths are available. The vessel does not carry autos. It leaves Goose Bay on Monday and returns on Friday during the summer shipping season. You can also reach coastal Labrador by regularly scheduled air service or air charter. A separate auto ferry service connects Happy Valley - Goose Bay with Lewisporte, located on the Kittiwake Coast - Road to the Isles in northeastern Newfoundland, in summer. This ferry makes a stop at Cartwright on both the inbound and outbound trips. When travelling by coastal boat or ferry it's always a good idea to plan everything in advance. Schedules can vary.

The first stop is on the shores of Hamilton Inlet at Rigolet, a community with a long and continuing history of fur trapping and fishing. This small town was a fur trading centre, first for the French and later the English, starting in the eighteenth century. The Hudson Bay Company took over the post in 1836. Except for a brief period during World War II when this was the site of a Canadian Army Base, life has not changed here for two centuries. In fact, the Blakes, Olivers, Groves, Shepards and other families trace their arrival in Rigolet to before 1800 and can tell visitors how their ancestors lived. The town is also well-known for various craft items made from a special grass that grows in the area.

The coastal boat sails through Hamilton Inlet and takes a southerly detour to Cartwright and Black Tickle before heading north. Black Tickle, on Island of Ponds, is a year-round settlement and a fishing community. It was founded in the mid-19th century by a group of British naval seamen who jumped ship. Some of the winter residents are stationers who go fishing elsewhere on the coast in summer.

The boat stops again at Cartwright before heading for the north coast where the first stop is Makkovik. It was first settled in the early part of the 19th century by a Norwegian fur trader, Torsten Andersen, and his Labrador wife, Mary Thomas. By 1896, the settlement had grown enough for the Moravian Missions to build a church complex that was in use until 1948. Life here has not changed significantly since it was founded. The people still fish and hunt and carry on many aspects of their traditional culture. At the retail outlet you will be able to purchase duffle parkas, mittens and slippers as well as bone jewellery, antler buttons and other fine examples of native crafts.

Hudson’s Bay Company
Although it had been operating in Canada trading furs since 1670, the Hudson’s Bay Company didn’t establish a trading post in Labrador until 1836. Prior to that access to the area had been considered too difficult. The post established at North West River, and others built in subsequent years, had competition from other traders who had been in Labrador for decades. Over the years the company expanded from the Lake Melville area to posts along the Churchill River in the interior and North along the coast, where it was in competition with Moravian traders who held exclusive trade rights with the Inuit under an eighteenth-century deed from the British government.
In addition to furs, HBC canned salmon and trout and operated a small farm at North West River. By 1870 it had nine trading posts and had settled its differences with the Moravians by leaving the North Coast. HBC traders began to marry local women and settle down, something the company discouraged elsewhere, and by the twentieth century some traders were acting as agents for the Newfoundland government. Their role in delivering poor relief, acting as justices of the peace or collecting customs duties were cited in the Labrador boundary dispute between Newfoundland and Canada, which was settled in Newfoundland’s favour in 1927.
In the 1920s the company leased and took over the trading stores that had been operated by the Moravians in Nain, Hopedale, Makkovik and Hebron, subsequently handing these over to the Newfoundland government during World War II when demand for furs declined. It retained a retail presence in the province, including fur trading by its Northern Stores division, into the 1980s when the company was sold and renamed. The entity now knows as HBC operates three shopping malls in the province.

Head further North to Postville
Just North of Makkovik, at the head of Kaipokok Bay is Postville. While this small town began its life as a fur trading post in 1843 and a Quebec merchant, D.R. Stewart, is listed as its first settler, people have been coming to Postville for thousands of years. The Dorset Eskimo, who lived along this coast almost 4,000 years ago, came here every spring to fish and to hunt.

Further up the coast at Hopedale you can visit the Hopedale Mission National Historic Site, the oldest wooden frame building east of Quebec. This structure includes a church, a store, a residence for missionaries, a storehouse and several small huts that were used to house the visiting native people. It has stood on this site since 1782 when the Moravian Church was granted permission by the British Government to establish a mission in this remote community.

The Innu who lived at Davis Inlet since the 1960s moved to a completely new community 15 kilometres away on Sango Bay called Natuashish in 2003. After calling at Sango Bay, the boat heads for Voisey’s Bay where a huge nickel deposit is being developed.

The northernmost community - and the last stop for the coastal boat - is Nain where a Moravian Mission was established in 1771. Craftsmen in this community are justifiably famous for their soapstone carvings.

Long-abandoned Hebron was once one of the most northerly communities on the north Labrador Coast. A Moravian Mission station was constructed here from 1829 to 1831 but the main buildings - the church, the mission house and the store - were not inhabited until 1837. The station was abandoned in 1959 but, since that time, the structure has been stabilized. Visitors are invited to tour the Moravian Mission National Historic Site. You’ll have to make arrangements with a local outfitter for a boat trip to Hebron or other northern areas.

The Moravians
The Moravian church traces its roots to central Europe in the mid-fifteenth century. Persecuted like other Protestant groups in the seventeenth century, it found refuge in Germany and began missionary services in the New World around 1730. Three early attempts to bring Christianity to the Inuit of the northern Labrador coast between 1752 and 1765 failed, but in 1770 the British government granted them 100,000 acres of land and exclusive rights to trade with the Inuit. The British hoped the influence of religion would reduce hostility between the Inuit and settlers.
Conversions were few after a mission was established in Nain in 1771, but other mission stations were established along the coast throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, attesting to the church’s growing influences during this period. The two-faceted enterprise of religion and trade was controversial almost from the beginning. The Moravians brought change to the Inuit, whether for good or ill. However, the missionaries, originally from Germany and, increasingly, after 1918, British, learned and spoke Inuktitut, and translated European prayers and hymns into the aboriginal language. They also brought musical instruments to the coast, and rudimentary medical care. The tradition of brass bands in coastal schools remains to this day.
In the twentieth century medical care was taken over by the Grenfell mission, and later by the provincial government. After World War I the German speaking missionaries were gradually replaced by English speakers. The trade arm was separated from the missionary work and then sold to the Hudson’s Bay Company. As transportation links improved and more outsiders moved into Labrador, diseases from which the Inuit had no resistance decimated the population. The influenza epidemic of 1918-19 killed one-third of Inuit along the coast. Like elsewhere, the role of the Moravian church declined, although a congregation was established in North West River as late as 1960. Today the church’s headquarters are in the United States.

A National Park Unlike Any Other
If you love the secluded wilderness, visit one of Canada’s newest national parks. Torngat Mountains National Park Reserve occupies the very northern portion of Labrador, covering 9,600 square kilometres of mountain and tundra. This is a national park like no other. There are no campsites or communities nearby. This is wild country, so be advised that this is not a place to visit on a whim.

Experienced trekkers who are used to days and weeks on their own in the wilderness will be attracted to this area of striking beauty. The park’s headquarters are in Nain, and you need a permit and a guide to travel here. There’s a lot to see and do, including wildlife viewing of polar bears, caribou, peregrine falcons and golden eagles, plus hiking, climbing and kayaking.

Main River Run (73 km)

Canadian Heritage River

Take Route 420 off Route 1

The Main River Run is located on Route 420 off Route 1. It is located in a transition zone between the mountainous Viking Trail and coastal areas of the Dorset Trail. The scenic drive is named for the Main River, a designated Canadian Heritage River.

At the intersection of Route 420 and Route 1 is the head of Sandy Lake where a mere century ago a great caribou herd, 10,000 strong, travelled inland on its yearly migration from the Northern Peninsula to the Central Inland Plateau. This herd, now smaller, still crosses the barrens yearly.

White pine from Sandy Lake was harvested by British navy shipbuilders for vessel construction during the early 19th century. During the latter part of that century, a disease called White Pine Blister Rust wiped out most of the stands of that species in this province. A few of these beautiful coniferous trees still grow near Sandy Lake.

Two moose captured in Nova Scotia were released in this area, near Howley on Route 401, in 1878. In the Gander Bay area of Eastern Newfoundland, four moose of seven captured in New Brunswick were introduced in 1904. From these small beginnings has grown a moose population that now numbers more than 150,000 and covers the entire island of Newfoundland.

Located on Route 420 and 421 off Route 1, the Main River Run is heavily forested and has plenty of fast running rivers. There are few communities here. Pollards Point, where gold was once mined in the early 20th century, was originally called Droverville after a local politician, but when residents requested a post office be established, they were told the town couldn’t be named after a living individual, and so settled on Pollards Point, a geographical feature.

You can relax or camp overnight at Sop's Arm Park, a small picturesque campground and picnic area on the delta adjacent to the mouth of a scheduled salmon river. The park is near the Main River, designated a Canadian Heritage River, a short, fast-moving river that will test the skills of the most experienced canoeist, kayaker or white water rafter.

Best of all, you can travel the entire 57-kilometres length of the river in three or four days. This is a wild, turbulent river with significant and abrupt changes of gradient, channel width and direction. Be prepared to portage some sections. Access to the headwaters is by air. This area also presents outstanding wildlife viewing opportunities, including moose, caribou, fox, lynx and 90 species of birds.

Jackson’s Arm, at the end of Route 420, has two fish plants. The coast here is a good place to see whales and icebergs.

Pick up Route 421 from 420
Route 421 branches off Route 420 to the logging and fishing community of Hampden which was settled in the late 1860s. Here and at Beaches, Rooms and Bayside you will find more than your share of the hospitality, warmth and down-to-earth good humour that Newfoundlanders are famous for.

Rose Blanche Lighthouse Scenic Drive (41 km)

Drive 45 kilometres east from Channel Port aux Basques along Route 470 to begin this tour in Rose Blanche
This tour takes you from the ferry terminal at Channel Port aux Basques to the Rose Blanche lighthouse 45 kilometres to the east along Route 470. On this side trip you will see dark cliffs, crashing waves, spume and spray. The real spirit and traditions of outport Newfoundland survive in the small fishing villages that cling tenaciously to the rocky, exposed shores of the southern coastal plain.

Rose Blanche Lighthouse has one of the best scenic views of the Cabot Strait. Originally built in 1871-73 and abandoned in the 1940s, it was in ruins when a 10-year reconstruction effort began in 1988, culminating with the official re-opening in 1999. In 2002 it was declared a Registered Heritage Structure. It’s open to the public in summer.

Early mariners like Sir Humphrey Gilbert, Jacques Cartier and Captain John Mason explored the rugged southwest coast of Newfoundland more than 400 years ago. Many of the community names in the area are English versions of the original French or Basques names given them by the area's first settlers. Rose Blanche is named for the white granite the community is built on. In French rock is roche, and in English roche has been changed to rose.

Rose Blanche is the western terminus for the coastal boat that services isolated communities along Newfoundland's South Coast (An Outport Adventure Cruise. The Southwest Coast by Boat Part I.) From here you can catch a coastal boat to La Poile and Grand Bruit where you can experience a different kind of lifestyle. There is also a coastal boat service from Grand Bruit to Burgeo on the day when Rose Blanche is not serviced. Other boats from Burgeo travel east to Hermitage-Sandyville. When travelling by coastal boat or ferry it's always a good idea to plan everything in advance. Schedules can vary.

Head West along Route 470 toward Diamond Cove and Burnt Islands
After leaving Rose Blanche and heading West, Harbour Le Cou - celebrated in the Newfoundland folk song of the same name - also bears witness to the French element on this shore. Along Route 470, you will pass through a number of small fishing communities including Diamond Cove and Burnt Islands. Be sure to explore the unique heath-covered terrain of coastal Newfoundland before you continue on to Isle aux Morts, or Island of the Dead. This community earned its macabre name because of the number of marine disasters that happened in the treacherous waters offshore.

In 1828, George Harvey, his son and his daughter, Ann of Isle aux Morts saved nearly the entire complement of passengers and crew from the sinking ship Despatch by stringing a lifeline from the ship to the shore with the help of their valiant Newfoundland dog, Harryman. King George IV awarded the Harveys a medal of bravery. The Canadian Coast Guard Ship Ann Harvey, also recalls the feat.

This coastal area has a long history of death and disaster, with the wrecks of no fewer than 40 ships said to be lying at the bottom of the Cabot Strait. These tragedies have given rise to many traditional songs and stories of lost ships and courageous rescues at sea.

After passing the community of Margaree-Fox Roost, drive back to Channel Port aux Basques
Situated on the southwest coastal plain, this was a fishing station for the French, Portuguese and Basques as early as the 16th century. While it is named for the Basques, it was hardly their only port: research in Spanish archives uncovered information that Basques whalers and fishermen occupied at least seven islands on Newfoundland's west coast and in southern Labrador. Channel Port aux Basques is the principal Marine Atlantic ferry terminal in the province. There's a boardwalk between the ferry terminal and Scott's Cove Park where you can stretch your legs.

The Gulf Museum houses two rare 17th century astrolabes - early marine navigational instruments. Only 33 are known to exist worldwide. Both were found by a local diver. The museum also boasts a 100-year-old diving suit.

While in Channel Port aux Basques you can also visit Memorial Park featuring monuments for the S.S. Caribou, the principle connection between Newfoundland and Nova Scotia that was sunk by a German U-Boat in World War II with the loss of 137 passengers. Stroll along the Scott’s Cove Harbour Boardwalk. The route along the boardwalk is marked by colourful flags shaped like ships and sails. At the park visit "The Village" which consists of a ship amphitheatre surrounded by quaint little shops modeled on typical outport fishing stages. Before getting back on Route 1, drop by the Port aux Basques Railway Heritage Centre for a guided tour of a restored train filled with artifacts from a century ago.

Channel Port aux Basques is the western end of T'Railway Provincial Park, a 545-mile jaunt through the wilderness that follows the abandoned Newfoundland Railway line all the way to St. John's. It's part of the Trans-Canada Trail.

Just west of Channel Port aux Basques are the beaches at Grand Bay West, home to the endangered Piping Plover. These are among the best of the sandy beaches in Newfoundland. Here you will also find another feature rare to Newfoundland: salt marshes. These marshes attract many different kinds of shorebirds and waterfowl because of their lush growth. This southwestern corner of Newfoundland is a great place to see birds during the spring and fall migrations.