Get a sneak peek at 52 km of new pathways on the East Coast Trail
New stretch starts at Cape St. Francis and heads down coast to Topsail Beach
The East Coast Trail just got a lot longer.
A new 52-kilometre section has officially opened, starting at Cape St. Francis and heading down the coast to Topsail Beach.
East Coast Trail Association president Randy Murphy told CBC meteorologist Ashley Brauweiler the new section is made up of three paths of varying difficulties, with the hardest including a new campsite with five platforms for tents.
"The total concept of the of the East Coast Trail is 540 kilometres," Murphy said.
"As of this completion here in Topsail Beach, it's 336. So we have a few more to go, but we're stopping down right now and basically making sure that we can sustain what we have before we develop further."
The new section of trail includes three new paths:
- Long Shore Path, stretching 18.1 kilometres from Topsail Beach to Portugal Cove.
- Piccos Ridge Path, which runs 15.1 kilometres north from Portugal Cove to Bauline.
- White Horse Path, dubbed the "hardest path" on the East Coast Trail, with 18.8 kilometres of rugged hiking from Bauline to Cape St. Francis and including a wilderness campsite.
Take a look at some of the new sections of the trail in the video above.