(click here to find The Gravels on the map)
The Gravels is the name of the narrow isthmus that joins the Port-au-Port Peninsula to the main land mass of Newfoundland. From Stephenville, it carries Route 460 over to the peninsula. The isthmus consists of two narrow bands of gravel with a salt water pond in between. At the west end of the isthmus you will find the parking lot for the Gravels Walking Trails.
The trail network is 3.5 km long. The trail is very well kept, with sections of boardwalk where needed. You follow the coast, walking along the top of a cliff most of the way. At one point you can take a side trail that leads you up to Our Lady of Mercy Church. You can then return on the trail or simply walk down the road, Main Street, back to the parking lot. The water in this area is very clear. From the trail you can see bottom frequently.
(click photos to enlarge, click caption for mapped location)
Hikes of Western Newfoundland by Katie Broadhurst and Alexandra Fortin is an excellent guide if you like to do trails. The book covers Western and Central Newfoundland as far east as Twillingate. They don't cover every trail, that's almost impossible. You'll find information on a good range of trails that you should consider.
You start with the area map where they show the trails that are covered by the book. The pages about each trail include GPS co-ordinates of the trailhead and a good map of the trail. They also tell you the level of difficulty and distances.
We bought a copy ahead of our June 2015 trip to scout out the trails we wanted to do ahead of time. The book is available on Amazon and you can purchase it through this link.
Before you head to Newfoundland, you may want to consider one or more of the great field guides that are available. We have done short reviews of the following:
