Hiking in Cape Spear Lighthouse National Historic Site: trails, map and practical info

What you come for

Parks Canada calls the historic lighthouse "the oldest surviving lighthouse in Newfoundland and Labrador". Guides describe the life of a light-keeping family in the 1830s. At Fort Cape Spear, you can walk through the underground remains of a Second World War coastal defence battery; exhibits cover the life of a gunner, and two ten-inch cannons once protected the entrance to St. John's Harbour. A path leads from the Information Kiosk to an ocean lookout over the Atlantic.

Parks Canada says visitors can look for humpback whales, minke whales, northern gannets and puffins, and that icebergs may be visible from June to August.

Season, hours and fees

The grounds are open year-round. Parks Canada opens the site from June to October: in 2026, June 1 to October 9, daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Fort Cape Spear: 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. during the operating season). Confirm the season dates before you go by calling the site at 709-772-2191.

Daily admission according to Parks Canada's fee page (last modified June 16, 2025): adult (18 to 64) $10.00, senior (65 and over) $8.50, free for ages 17 and under. That page does not say whether the fees apply outside the season or to hikers who are only passing through. The East Coast Trail Association, for its part, says the trail is free to use and no permit is required.

Trails around the site

Distances and times are one way, according to Parks Canada:

• Fort Cape Spear Path: 0.5 km, about 15 minutes, relatively level and paved as far as the Most Easterly Point.
• Lightkeeper's Lane: 1 km, about 30 minutes, with staircases, boardwalks and gravel paths; provides access to the East Coast Trail.
• Coastal Trail: 1.5 km, about 45 minutes, with boardwalks, gravel paths and rough, rocky areas.
• Blackhead Path: 3.7 km, about 1.5 hours, moderate difficulty.
• Cape Spear Path: 10.3 km, 4 to 6 hours, moderate difficulty. The East Coast Trail Association describes its Cape Spear Path from Blackhead to Maddox Cove as 15.4 km.

The main trail: the Blackhead Path

Parks Canada describes it as a scenic climb and descent, rough underfoot, with views back to the cliffs of the Southside Hills, Cabot Tower, and on to Cape Spear and its lighthouses. Parks Canada notes that the path has mostly low growth and is very exposed to weather (fog, wind, rain). It links the village of Blackhead to the cape.

Extending to Fort Amherst

From Blackhead, the Deadmans Bay Path leads to Fort Amherst in St. John's: 10.5 km, 4 to 7 hours, moderate to difficult according to the East Coast Trail Association, which requires trail-rated footwear. You walk 250 m through Blackhead between the Cape Spear Path trailhead and the Deadmans Bay Path trailhead. According to the association, the route includes steep climbs, a long ridge, a descent into Freshwater (a former settlement), a barachois crossing, a section with cliffs, bird nesting areas and mixed woods. Freshwater Pond is a popular picnic and swimming spot, with a spring and a toilet up the Bay Path. The route is linear: plan how you will get back to your starting point.

Getting there and parking

The site is at 1914-1930 Black Head Road, St. John's, at the end of Route 11 (Cape Spear Drive); Parks Canada says to continue for 15 km after the Leslie Street intersection. The East Coast Trail Association lists these parking areas:

• Cape Spear: lot immediately inside the park boundary, alongside Pilot Gulch.
• Blackhead: gravel lot at the end of the road, 200 m east through the village; not the paved turnaround.
• Fort Amherst: the visitors' lot at Cahills Point (no public parking beyond it), then a 0.5 km walk to the trailhead.

St. John's Hop On Hop Off is among the transport options the association lists; check the schedule and buy tickets before you set out, because cell service may be limited. Obey the parking signs.

Before you go

• Stay on designated trails: Parks Canada says this protects native plants, reduces erosion and keeps you away from dangerous coastal rocks and cliffs.
• Bring appropriate footwear and water (Parks Canada); a map is recommended on the East Coast Trail paths.
• On the Cape Spear Path, Parks Canada notes that weather is often windier, cooler and damper than in St. John's.
• The East Coast Trail Association says no path clearing or conditions updates take place during winter months (November to April).
• On the trail, dogs may join hikers as long as they are under the owner's control, and owners must remove pet waste (East Coast Trail Association). Parks Canada does not state a rule for the historic site grounds.
• Parks Canada describes the guided-tour terrain as irregular and inclined with some stairs; if you have accessibility concerns, contact the site.
• There are no services at Fort Amherst or Blackhead: everything is in St. John's.