Hidden Falls, Cape St. George and Blue Beach An Adventure of Hits and Misses
- Kim Martinez
- Aug 2
- 5 min read
There are lots of "hits and misses" when you're driving around and exploring a province the size of Newfoundland. We had both on this day's adventure!
We chose our exploration area by looking at the map and picking a piece of land that really jutted out into the ocean. Our experience has been that these spots offer lots of coves and lots of great ocean beaches to explore, great scenery to enjoy, and unique charm to discover.
Spoiler alert – we didn't hit a home run in all of our choices today!
🏆 HOME RUN: Hidden Falls
We had Hidden Falls hike on our list, so we headed out with that in mind. After miles of driving through surprisingly populated areas (yes that means places where people numbered like 3,000 instead of 90) then areas where the ocean views disappeared for long stretches as the road wound inland ,we fnally reached the small, quiet communities and beautiful views we'd grown to love. However, we also drove past a limestone mining area which was stripping the mountains bare – it was disturbing to see the violent disruption of natural beauty.
But there is still plenty of beauty
So glad when the drive took us back to the "classic" scenery we love
Hidden Falls Details:
- Location: St. Georges Bay
- Distance: Easy hike, about 1.5 miles
- Note: The main falls are visible from the parking lot and just a short walk, but the real prize is walking along the coastline and crossing the little river (roll up your pants!) along the rock ledge.
Not so "Hidden"
We pulled into the parking lot and saw Hidden Falls right there (I guess "hidden" from the road, even though they're not hidden from the parking lot). They were pretty impressive, set against a tranquil backdrop with an easy, short trail. At first, Manny and I just shrugged, but then we realized there were more trails behind us. The rock formations and cliffs looked impressive, so we opted to head that way before walking to the falls.
Cliff Trails
The cliffs were pretty – not as spectacular as others we'd experienced on this trip – but the rock formations were very different. We really enjoyed the cove-cave we found at the end of the trail. The water was crystal clear, and the rock formations were fascinating, with huge boulders balanced on top of each other. Some looked so precarious they might roll off any second!
The Real Adventure Begins
We wandered back to the parking lot where a local woman stopped to chat with us (the Newfoundland way!) and asked if we'd crossed the river, pointing to an area opposite from where we'd just explored. The river looked a little fast to me, and there didn't appear to be a trail on the other side, so our answer was "no."
She told us she'd come here with her father many years ago, and they would cross over to see the impressive rock ledges around the corner. With that encouragement, Manny and I headed to the river and rolled up our pants. I had my hiking sandals on – perfect for water – while Manny opted for barefoot (ouch on the rocks!). After examining the best potential crossing spot, we headed across. It was a bit challenging and refreshingly cool, but totally doable.
We didn't realize the Newfoundland lady had followed us and was trying to cross as well, but she was struggling. In the middle of the little river, she couldn't move and alerted us that she didn't think she could make it. Manny and I hurried over and formed a human chain to help her across. Not as heroic as it maybe sounds – the river really wasn't dangerous – but she could have gotten hurt if she'd fallen.
The Hidden Treasure
Now that we had our "private guide," we explored the other side and were amazed at how different it was. You had no way of knowing there was a completely different hike over there! The walls were high, and the rock ledges became your walking path. At high tide, water would likely cover this area. There was spongy green moss in several spots that was a bit slippery – a fall could be dangerous with the ocean gently waiting nearby. The water was so clear and actually inviting, if you didn't mind 60-degree water and the challenge of getting back up onto the ledge!
We helped our guide back across the river, then headed to the falls, which were beautiful but somewhat anticlimactic after our unique adventure.
Hidden Falls - Still were beautiful
🌊 Cape St. George and Small Towns
We continued to the end of the peninsula, then followed the road around through several small towns. We headed over the mountain and down into a valley on the other side of the peninsula – wonderful views that didn't disappoint.
⚾ BIG STRIKE OUT: Blue Beach
This was our main goal for the drive. On the map, Blue Beach was on a skinny strip of land that jutted out from the peninsula we were already on (which already jutted out from the mainland). We had expectations of driving on a strip of land with ocean on both sides for miles, leading to a beautiful beach and quaint fishing village.
Reality Check:
We had to drive 6 miles on a this boring road with no views, only to drive another 10 miles on a rough, narrow dirt road with trees on either side. We did have one small promising view area – "promising" being the key word here. We felt like we were in the middle of nowhere with only an occasional house, but then we saw a huge semi pulled over on the roadside. We squeezed around it, and within the next mile, another semi came right at us! We found a safe area to pull off and let it pass.
We finally made it to the misnamed "Blue Beach." It was more of a cross between Deliverance and "Walmart chic." The harbor was undergoing major reconstruction with huge semis, cranes, and excavators digging away. Everything was chaotic and dusty with nowhere to park and walk – if you even wanted to. The road dead-ended at the construction staging site, so you could no longer park and hike to the lighthouse, which was what we'd come for.
Blue Beach was a major dissapointment
Note: A sign at the beginning of this "adventure" – at least at the start of the dirt road – warning that there was major construction and the beach and lighthouse were closed to the public would have been nice!
So we turned around in the construction lot and headed out, only to meet that semi truck we'd seen pulled over earlier coming straight at us! With nowhere to pull off, we had to back up quite a way to the construction lot again.
The VerdictSome adventures are hits, and some are strikeouts. That's the beauty of exploration – you never know what you'll discover! Hidden Falls turned out to be an unexpected gem, especially with our impromptu river crossing and local guide. Blue Beach? Well, that's a story for another day... preferably after construction is finished! 😄
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