Hiking the Sugarloaf Path on the East Coast Trail in Newfoundland

The crew who did all 10km!

If you’re coming to Newfoundland, more specifically St. John’s and planning to do a little hiking, I suggest you consider the Sugarloaf Path.

The ECT association rates this at a Moderate to Difficult, with a run time of 3-5 hours. Frankly, if you’re actually doing it to enjoy the fruits of your labor, it’s going to take 5 hours. I would suggest that going North to South is easier than vice versa, so if you’re looking to keep things a little easier, start from Marine Lab.

This is a one-way hike, two cars will be best but taxi from end to start, where you’ve left your car, wouldn’t be super expensive.

I really enjoyed a lot of the viewpoints and heights you get to experience on Sugarloaf Path. The trail is well hardened and easy walking, so you get to keep your head up a lot more, looking around and taking things in, than I have on some other trails. Also, it’s primarily a coastal trail. In fact, the only section where you spend a lot of time deep in the woods is as you pass under Robin Hood Bay landfill — believe me, you’ll know it when you get there.

If you like this post and want to see more of my hiking the East Coast Trail articles, check out my articles on Stiles Cove Path and Cobbler Path in the summer, or in the Winter both amazing sections of the East Coast Trail easily accessible if you’re based out of St. John’s, Newfoundland.

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