Can You Cycle the Trans Canada Trail in Newfoundland?

Cycling the Trans Canada Trail: What Works, What Doesn’t, and What to Expect

“One thing that cycling has taught me is that if you can achieve something without a struggle its not going to be satisfying.”

Greg Lemond

As we began our #Hike4Birds on the Great Trail, also known as the Trans Canada Trail, it was on the eastern coast of Newfoundland along the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. Many who hear this are surprised that we have chosen to hike across the country, province by province. It is not something most would choose to do. Indeed, most people who set out on a journey coast to coast choose to cycle it. It is a mode which undoubtedly makes the trip quicker, with less direct strain on the body, and which allows you more flexibility to move how you want over vast distances.

We absolutely understand why people would choose to cycle across Canada.

Those that set out – likely start with a look at the Trans Canada Trail, which recently has been declared to be fully connected and completed.  On paper…or online… it is presented as a comprehensive route from coast to coast to coast.  Most people, most Canadians likely interpret this as an entirely off-road trail – the realities, however, are more complicated. 

As such, our hope at the end of each province is to provide a series of entries on the experience hiking the TCT across the province, the possibilities for cycling the TCT across the province, and our itinerary for those who come next to help them with any plans they might have.

Cycling across Newfoundland on the TCT

One of the most frequent questions we are asked is simple: Is the Trans Canada Trail - or Great Trail - in a given province cyclable? It is a fair question, but one that is not always easy to answer from a map or an official route description.

What we have found, walking Newfoundland on the TCT in full, is that there is a significant difference between a route that is designated for cycling and one that can be viably and practically cycled over distance. 

On a map, Newfoundland presents a clear line. The East Coast Trail connects to the Grand Concourse, which in turn joins the T’Railway - one continuous route stretching across the island. It is easy to look at that line and assume that it can be followed in the same way, regardless of how you travel.

Walking it showed us otherwise.

We did not cycle in or across Newfoundland. We walked it - beginning on the East Coast Trail, passing through St. John’s, and then following the T’Railway across the island. That experience, step by step across each surface, gave us a clear understanding of what the Trans Canada Trail is here - and what it is not. By the time we reached Port aux Basques, the question was no longer theoretical we had lived it over the course of a month. 

The East Coast Trail

The journey on the TCT in Atlantic Canada begins on the East Coast Trail, where the path is shaped entirely by the coastline. It climbs and drops without pause, following cliffs, headlands, and narrow footpaths that move with the terrain rather than across it. Underfoot, the surface is constantly changing - rock, mud, roots, boardwalk, steep wooden stairs - and at times the trail narrows along exposed edges where footing matters as much as direction.

We felt that immediately, even on foot. This is not a corridor, nor is it a constructed route designed for multiple uses. It is a stunning coastal footpath in the truest sense - one defined by technical challenges, constant elevation change, and shifting terrain. These same qualities that make it such a remarkable place to walk also make it unsuitable for anything with wheels. 

Put more simply, you cannot cycle the East Coast Trail, nor is it marked for use by bikes.

The Grand Concourse

The Grand Concourse through St. John’s offers a brief contrast. Wide, maintained pathways wind through parks, ponds, and green corridors where movement is easy and shared. For a short stretch, the trail feels accessible in a different way. 

But it is just that - a small urban stretch. It does not define the province, nor does it extend far enough to shape how you would move across it.  The Concourse is an urban pathway within the bounds of the capital city – and in terms of our main question, little more.

The T’Railway Trail

The crossing of Newfoundland on the Trans Canada Trail is defined by the T’Railway.  Stretching more than 840 km across the island along the former railway line, it offers continuity in a way few other sections of the Trans Canada Trail do. It is direct, steady, and, on a map, ideal.

But the experience of moving along and living on it tells a different story.

The surface is railway ballast - stone laid to support rails, drain water, and hold structure - and on this trail, it was in place long after the tracks are gone. In many sections, it is several inches deep, loose, and sharply edged. Walking across it was slow and uneven. Each step shifted, there was no give, no rhythm to settle into, and over time the impact accumulated. Within days on the trail, our feet were bruised green from the constant pressure of the rock through our shoes and under the weight of our backpacks.

It is a surface that works exactly as it was intended to - for trains, and now for ATVs and snowmobiles. For anything else, it becomes more of a challenge.

Experiences en Route

On the T’Railway Trail, we were not the only ones testing that reality.

At one point, we met two people pushing a hiking cart and another travelling by bike. They had already begun to experience what the trail conditions demands on those on foot and those with wheels. Tires were being repaired repeatedly, intertubes had been replaced multiple times, and mechanical issues were no longer occasional - they were constant.

The stone was sharp enough to puncture, deep enough to resist forward motion, and unrelenting over distance. By the time they reached Terra Nova National Park – 250 km into the journey, all three had left the T’Railway and continued along the highway, which is undoubtedly a very different experience than we had on the TCT route.   Yet the fact remained that the effort required to stay on the trail had become greater than the value of following it.

Living the Surface

For us, without wheels, the experience was different - but certainly not easier.

The ballast is shaped every day. It slowed progress, altered our pace, and demanded attention that never quite faded into the background. Even where the scenery was wondrous - wetlands, lakes, and the interior of the island - the surface remained largely unchanged, broken only by occasional short stretches in towns and the frequent trestle bridges along the route. 

But these changes never lasted long enough to alter the overall experience. The condition of the trail remained constant, and so too did the effort required to move across it.  The T’Railway is a rail bed that has never been fully converted for cycling and hiking – instead, it remains a route that connects communities of ATV and snowmobile users.

Conclusion

By the time we reached the western edge of the province and from our perspective of having walked the full length of the Trans Canada Trail in Newfoundland, the answer became clear.

Can you cycle the Trans Canada Trail across Newfoundland?  In a literal sense - perhaps, depending on equipment, tolerance, and a willingness to repair, be patient, and adapt. In a practical sense - no - or at least not without dedicated effort and a lot of patience. 

The East Coast Trail is not suited to cycling, nor is it listed as a trail that can be cycled along. The Grand Concourse is a short section where it works, but that path does not extend beyond the city. And the T’Railway, while continuous, is not maintained in a way that allows for sustained cycling across the province. Even where the surface has been improved, these sections do not connect in a way that creates a viable route. The reality of the terrain - particularly the deep, sharp railway ballast - makes that continuity difficult to maintain.  The effort likely required to cycle the conditions along the T’Railway would be frustrating for a long-distance cyclist and likely lead to repeated mechanical problems to any touring bike.

We had seen what it did to those who tried.

For those attempting to cycle across Newfoundland, this means that unless you are prepared for a difficult and inconsistent experience, you will likely find yourself on the province’s roadways and highways instead of the Trans Canada Trail, which would be a very different journey from the one suggested by the trail itself.

We hope these insights into the nature of the Great Trail / Trans Canada Trail in Newfoundland help with your planning and exploration of the country and national pathway.

See you on the trail!

Remember to follow our entire adventure here : www.comewalkwithus.online