Beyond the Extremes
Finding adventure on a road trip through Central Newfoundland
By Stephanie Wallcraft
Zipline between rocky riverbanks. Feast on freshly seared fish between exhilarating runs through whitewater rapids.
Hike from pebbled shorelines up to craggy, windswept cliffs, or paddle through protected waters where you can hold sea urchins and jellyfish in your hands.
If you’ve never considered Newfoundland and Labrador as a destination for adventure, it’s time to get more familiar with the heart of this easternmost province.
Many visitors focus on the province's two extremes, Gros Morne National Park in the northwest and the capital city of St. John’s in the southeast. But between these two icons is a side of the island that often remains overlooked.
While the entire province is a paradise for lovers of the outdoors, central Newfoundland holds some of its richest natural treasures. Stretching along roughly four hours of the Trans-Canada Highway, this region is home to dramatic coastlines, wild rivers, and unforgettable adventures.
The thrills begin in Grand Falls-Windsor, one of the rare places that celebrates Newfoundland’s inland beauty.
The town’s position on the Exploits River, the longest waterway on the island, creates a wealth of unique experiences.
Rafting Newfoundland offers a variety of whitewater rafting excursions, from a relaxing float to high-intensity rapids complete with a 15-foot cliff jump.
With the lower-speed Badger Chute excursion, the optional night rafting experience adds a meal cooked over an open fire on an island in the middle of the river, and you’ll finish your paddle with stunning sunset views.
Exploits Extreme Ziplines takes advantage of the river with six lines zigzagging across its craggy shorelines from 40 to 70 feet above.
One of them takes you screaming right past a boulder so enormous you feel you could reach out and touch it.
Newfoundland Route 340, further to the east, dubbed the Road to the Isles, takes you on a scenic drive to the seaside town of Twillingate.
Here, it’s hiking that’s the standout: the area’s Rockcut Trail network offers more than 35 kilometres of coastal hiking trails ranging from easy wheelchair-accessible paths to challenging treks over rugged coastlines.
Depending on the time of year, you can either go iceberg hunting or whale watching with Iceberg Quest Ocean Tours out of Twillingate Harbour. The Long Point Lighthouse is one of Newfoundland’s more than 180 lighthouses, essential navigation beacons of a bygone era.
Dining in the area is excellent, from local-inspired cuisine at Georgie’s Restaurant to authentic cookouts right on the beach created by Wild Island Kitchen. And you can top it all off with an unusual wine tasting: Great Auk Winery transforms Newfoundland’s native fruits like partridgeberry and bakeapple into a wide variety of tipples ranging from tart reds to sweet dessert wines.
For a true taste of Newfoundland outport culture, add Fogo Island to your itinerary, either as a day trip from Twillingate or with an overnight stay.
To reach this largest of Newfoundland’s offshore islands, you’ll take a provincial ferry from the port of Farewell.
Fogo Island has many hiking opportunities, including the Brimstone Head trail, a steep one-kilometre climb uphill to a cliff face that the Flat Earth Society claims is one of the four corners of the world. You’re sure to catch glimpses of icebergs from here during the right season, which in some years can run into late July.
But the best way to truly understand Fogo Island and Newfoundland’s outports is by joining one of Al’s Walking Tours.
Photo: Stephanie Wallcraft
Photo: Stephanie Wallcraft
Al walks you through his home village of Tilting while explaining its Irish roots and fishing heritage, and what life was like before roads and electricity reached this distant outport.
The tour ends in Al’s own shed, where he’ll play a tune on his guitar. It’s a deeply personal and moving experience. (And don’t let Al’s age or small stature fool you. Out on the Oliver’s Cove Trail, you may have a hard time keeping up!)
Photo: Stephanie Wallcraft
Photo: Stephanie Wallcraft
Continuing south on the Trans-Canada Highway leads you to the Road to the Beaches, Newfoundland Route 310, and the Eastport Peninsula. This part of Newfoundland delivers pure nostalgia of summers gone by: lazy beach days, pony rides, ice cream trucks, and cozy cottages are all on offer.
The Damnable Trails are a highlight here, a network that includes seven kilometres of clifftop trails above the community of Salvage and the challenging 14-kilometre Coastal Ridge Trail with multiple lookouts, a sandy beach, and the remains of a resettled community. For a fun Easter egg, find all 19 of the yellow bells hidden throughout the trails, a nod to their name.
Damnable is local lingo derived from an Eastport Peninsula legend: a pirate ship is said to have been hiding from the British in Saint Chad’s Harbour when the skipper struck the boat’s bell and accidentally gave up its position, causing him to utter, “damn the bell.”
Photo: Stephanie Wallcraft
Photo: Stephanie Wallcraft
Many of the best experiences on the Eastport Peninsula are a family affair. Chuck Matchim runs Happy Adventure Tours, which operates spectacular whale and puffin watching tours out of Salvage Harbour as well as sea kayaking tours from Salvage and in nearby Terra Nova National Park.
At the latter, a guide will lead you out into Newman Sound, part of the park’s migratory bird sanctuary. If your group paddles far enough, you may reach a shallow area near The Narrows where your guide will help you gently pluck moon jellyfish and sea urchins out of the water to hold in your hands.
It’s a truly magical experience.
Meanwhile, Chuck’s daughter, Shar-lett, and her husband James operate the Happy Adventure Inn, a beautiful five-room boutique hotel not far from the village of Eastport.
Each room is finished with plush upholstery in rich colours, and some rooms include soaker tubs perfect for recovering from long hikes. Downstairs, Chucky’s Seafood and Wild Game Restaurant is the hottest reservation on the peninsula, serving freshly caught seafood and local delicacies, such as moose burgers and seal flipper pie.
Even the inn’s stunning artwork is all in the family, created by Chuck’s wife, Brenda.
This is the beauty and adventure of central Newfoundland: wonderful people, exhilarating experiences, and seemingly limitless nature just a short trek off the beaten path.
Stephanie Wallcraft
Stephanie Wallcraft is a multiple award-winning freelance automotive journalist and road trip travel expert. Stephanie was named 2024 Canadian Automotive Journalist of the Year by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). She is a member and Past President of the AJAC and a member of the Travel Media Association of Canada (TMAC). Stephanie is Managing Editor of RoadTripper.ca, a website celebrating road trips and car culture in Canada.