2025 Newfoundland

For fun you can visit all the locals from the song "I's the b'y"
We had been thru Fogo and Twillingate and when I saw a sign Moreton Harbour 1km I knew we had to complete the tri-fecta. Turns out the Moretons Harbour road was 1km and then another 9kms down a horrible gravel road with the dishes clattering away.
FWIW Moretons Harbour consists of about 3 houses and a broken down dock.
 
My wife and I went to NFLD last summer.

We were hosted by friends for 2 weeks. My wife and her friend are avid hikers, and hiked numerous day trails throughout the island and did the long range traverse crossing in Gross Morne, a minimum 3 night, 4 day hike through inaccessible areas of the park.

I spent the 2 weeks riding with her partner, Sean after shipping my bike to NFLD. Aside the normal tourist places, we explored the area south of St. Johns looping that part of the island. We also headed up to Twillingate to see Puffins etc.

While my wife and her friend were hiking Gross Morne, Sean and I headed up the north coast to L'Anse au Meadow/ St. Anthony. That's where the Vikings landed, and is worth the trip I thought. On the northern-most portion of the costal road we had constant 80-90kph winds which are very common in the area.

From there Sean and I went to visit his old friend in a small place called Conche on the opposite shore. It was absolutely beautiful there, sheltered from the wind and very pretty. There's a very healthy crab fishery on that side, but it's sparsely populated. There isn't even a convenience store in that particular town.

We rode about 3500km on the island.

Observations:

Gas can be hard to find, so plan ahead. Local stores also close at 5 or 6 when you're away from large population centres, and there aren't many large population centres.

Start booking accommodations now, because there aren't that many outside the large towns, including camping sites.

Restaurant food is generally expensive, and mostly deep fried. NFLD seems to view potatoes as vegetables so if you're a fan of salads....At the same time, many small communities have small restaurants that are only open a couple nights that serve traditional and delicious meals.

Sadly, Sean rode a Harley and that seems to be the most common bike on the island. The downside was we didn't venture off pavement together but even the main roads are mostly entertaining and scenic. They are also the most HD centric harley guys I've EVER met. When sean was leading I had people pull their had in from waving as I went by.

Be prepared for long and friendly chats every time you stop, especially in the small villages.

Bring copious quantities of bug repellent and a bug net if you're going to hike or camp.

I'm sure there's more, but it's definitely a great place for a ride.
 
Lightcycle said:
St John's was a cool little town, very hilly.

We visited the Quidi Vidi brewery, very cool-looking place and good beer too. Quidi Vidi Brewery - Shop

If you like dark ale, try their 1892!

Ches's Fish and Chips is a NFLD institution. Locations — Ches's Famous Fish and Chips

Of course, go visit Cape Speer and Signal Hill.

Whale watching season should be in full tilt. The Absolute Best Time to go Whale Watching in Newfoundland

And also hit a pub in the evening and get officially Screeched In...
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KLR Junkie said:
I went to Nfld on the bike back in 2018. Ferry to St. John's then rode around to Gros Morne (got a cabin for the long route but not the shorter return trip). It was beautiful, but not amazing from a riding point of view. There aren't many smaller through roads. Across the majority of the island you have the main highway and then little spur roads that go to a specific village/site and nowhere else. It means a lot of backtracking if you want to see all of the most picturesque little coves. I found it frustrating given that my usual method of moto-touring is to string a bunch of destinations together and just ride all day.

The wind near the coasts during my visit was incredible. At times it felt like I was riding on a 45 degree angle and I had 3 different 5/16" bolts shear off on my windscreen mount.

All that said, I've also been considering heading back there this summer, given the current geopolitical situation... I'd likely go across the Trans-Labrador highway, spend a few days hiking in Gros Morne and then make my way east to the big city. Now that I know what to expect, I'd be planning a less motorcycle-centric time on the island and alotting more time for touristy stuff off the bike.
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I went there back in 2018. Unfortunately my wife crashed her bike crossing a gravel bank, broke her foot and wrote off the bike. Total strangers took her to a medical facility, other strangers took her bike to a gas station/garage. People in Newfoundland/Labrador are wonderful!

View from Quidi Vidi Brewery:

1738599439494.png..Tom
 
shanekingsley said:
Anyone here ever ridden to Newfoundland?

I've never been before and this seems like a great way to spend 3 weeks in Aug/Sept instead of riding in the US. Asides from visiting Gros Morne and camping there, I know absolutely nothing about the Rock.

Not sure if I'll do this trip clockwise or counterclockwise, but I would definitely plan take each ferry (St Barbe and Port Aux Basques). So on one part of the trip I would be riding through Labrador city and the other part will ride around Cape Breton and Gaspe, even though I've been to both before. l may also plan to pop into PEI for a day or two, but could skip it if time was tight.

Any suggestions for must ride roads or super scenic things to check out on the Rock?
Amazing campground or motels you know of?

Thanks!
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I'm sure you will love it there! Lots of Nice scenery and wonderful people! One thing that was different was that there are lots of (Huge!) potholes. They get fluorescent paint and highlight the potholes as there aren't enought people around to fix them.

..Tom
 
If you gonna be in nova scotia, I did highways 211 and 316 a couple summers ago, very twisty with almost no traffic (or anything else for that matter), but the pavement had lots of potholes. On cape breton island, I decided to try riding the east side of the island, there was a road called Fourchu Rd which was long with nothing on it, again lots of good twists in it.
 
Much of the advice has already been given but I'll add mine & reiterate. I've only ridden once (via translab clockwise), but pretty much every family summer vacation was down home.

- Don't forget St. Anthony for the Viking settlement.
- Longest pump to pump was just over 400km (HVGB - Port Hope Simpson).
- The worst part of the "translab" was around Fire Lake approaching Fermont, Criss crossed railroad tracks and sometimes a second truck was hiding in the dust of the truck in front.
- If you're doing the overnight Argentia Ferry to mainland book a cabin soon.
- Don't just stop at the Highway sign for Dildo, go into town visit the brewery.
- I'm a fan of the Irish Loop & the Baccalieu trail
www.newfoundlandlabrador.com

Road Trips

Newfoundlandlabrador.com is your online resource for discovering everything you need to know about travelling to and around Newfoundland and Labrador. Prepare to be intrigued by our rich history, culture and the natural beauty of whales, icebergs, wildlife and breathtaking scenery.
www.newfoundlandlabrador.com
- Don't ride at night. Moose are a real danger.
 
where to start…

Lots of great advice here. That’s the exact route we took before the crash interrupted us. I sent you a text with some info. Lmk if you need or want more.

You won’t regret this trip. IMHO the actual riding on the rock isn’t top tier but the scenery and the people absolutely are. It’s a favourite place of mine.
 
V-Tom said:
I went there back in 2018. Unfortunately my wife crashed her bike crossing a gravel bank, broke her foot and wrote off the bike. Total strangers took her to a medical facility, other strangers took her bike to a gas station/garage. People in Newfoundland/Labrador are wonderful!

View from Quidi Vidi Brewery:

View attachment 72268..Tom
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Anymore photo's ?
 
Personally I would skip NFLD and just explore the rest of the east coast. Challenge to get too with the ferries, limited roads once there, high winds, strange weather, bears and moose who like crossing roads, limited services if emergency or breakdown, and so on. Fly in sometime, the plane always lands sideways because of the wind! Always feels like gonna crash!
 
Fuzzbuster said:
Personally I would skip NFLD and just explore the rest of the east coast. Challenge to get too with the ferries, limited roads once there, high winds, strange weather, bears and moose who like crossing roads, limited services if emergency or breakdown, and so on. Fly in sometime, the plane always lands sideways because of the wind! Always feels like gonna crash!
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What....no way, if you've had newfie home made bread you wouldn't be saying this.
Plus what's more exciting then being to a place you haven't been before or the same place you have...
 
The only part you might want to research is the TransLab. Not for the weak. I've done a good portion in a pickup -- never on a bike.

All of NL 500 is paved, but the QC 389 section between Labrador City and Baie Comeau still has some rough dusty (or muddy) gravel stretches.

No place on earth has more flying & biting bugs. Blackflies do not go away -- like mosquitos, they swarm until mid Sep.

4 sections have over 250km between fuel, Churchill Falls to Goose Bay is 290km, and Goose Bay to Port Hope Simpson 402km. You will need to carry fuel.

You shouldn't ride in the dark. Moose, caribou and bears are active at night, you can't see them on the roads. Camping is OK everywhere.








paved and not horrible in 🦟🦟
 
sburns said:
What....no way, if you've had newfie home made bread you wouldn't be saying this.
Plus what's more exciting then being to a place you haven't been before or the same place you have...
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Fly in and eat all the bread a drink all the screech you want!
 
Fuzzbuster said:
Go to the fortress of louisbourg and stop by lawrencetown and try surfing!
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If you want, You can look at some of this guys videos for some cool history of Nova Scotia

www.youtube.com

Adventures Nearby

I am a Nova Scotia based Motorcycle Adventurer. A father and retired motorcycle cop who happens to be a super nice guy. I've been a rider for over 24 years. I have travelled the globe for fun and work, revealing a passion for hidden history and unusual places in ordinary spaces you might not...
www.youtube.com www.youtube.com
 
Mad Mike said:
The only part you might want to research is the TransLab. Not for the weak. I've done a good portion in a pickup -- never on a bike.

All of NL 500 is paved, but the QC 389 section between Labrador City and Baie Comeau still has some rough dusty (or muddy) gravel stretches.

No place on earth has more flying & biting bugs. Blackflies do not go away -- like mosquitos, they swarm until mid Sep.

4 sections have over 250km between fuel, Churchill Falls to Goose Bay is 290km, and Goose Bay to Port Hope Simpson 402km. You will need to carry fuel.

You shouldn't ride in the dark. Moose, caribou and bears are active at night, you can't see them on the roads. Camping is OK everywhere.








paved and not horrible in 🦟🦟
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The QC 389 between Baie Comeau and Manic Cinq was in great shape last year. Not too far north of Manic Cinq,? the 389 turns to gravel and stays that way until pretty close to Lab City.

I checked out the gravel portion on street view and it didn’t look too difficult.
 
shanekingsley said:
The QC 389 between Baie Comeau and Manic Cinq was in great shape last year. Not too far north of Manic Cinq,? the 389 turns to gravel and stays that way until pretty close to Lab City.

I checked out the gravel portion on street view and it didn’t look too difficult.
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I took a peek at Google Maps -- I think the Google car followed a grader.

The last time I did it was 5 years ago in a pickup. I drove Baie Comeau to Labrador City, then on to Goose Bay where I caught a flight home. I remember a of dust, mud and ruts!

If you're on a sportbike the gravel and mud might be an issue for your tires, on an Adv bike it's just fun.

Google Maps doesn't show you the constant fog of black flies and mosquitos. If you leave your shield up while riding, you won't ever feel hungry.
 
ToSlow said:
View attachment 72256
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Is this a decent scenic road though? It was on my radar a few weeks ago when my riding buddies and I were looking at replotting our annual 1 week trip, since going back to WV is now in the trash can. That said, I dropped the Google Streetview pin in a few random places (and I just did it again) and although there was a few scenic locations, nothing blew my away, and a lot of it just looks like random small towns and country roads.
 
PrivatePilot said:
Is this a decent scenic road though? It was on my radar a few weeks ago when my riding buddies and I were looking at replotting our annual 1 week trip, since going back to WV is now in the trash can. That said, I dropped the Google Streetview pin in a few random places (and I just did it again) and although there was a few scenic locations, nothing blew my away, and a lot of it just looks like random small towns and country roads.
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If you get off the hwy yes lots of shore line driving.

That’s what NS is, lots of little villages and towns.
 
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