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Explore. Experience. Ring the Bells!
Join us for the 2026 Damnable Trail Festival and retrace the paths of the first settlers through the boreal forest and along coastal headlands. Our trails were developed largely from the remnants of old walking trails and hauling paths forged by the first settlers to the area. In the spirit of reconnecting with the “old” trails and reawakening the outdoor spirit of the residents, this festival encourages visitors to marvel at the famous beaches of the Eastport Peninsula while experiencing our walking trails and rugged coastlines that will challenge any hiker.
The Damnable Trail Festival has something to offer just about everyone – from a leisurely stroll along the boardwalk with wheelchair accessibility, to the 22 km Coastal Ridge Challenge that follows a dramatic coastline and takes visitors through scenic communities like Sandy Cove, Salvage, and Happy Adventure. Anyone, visitor or resident, has an opportunity to experience the great outdoors in this area!
PLEASE NOTE: Many events during the festival are FREE; however the Coastal Ridge Challenge requires pre-registration! Scroll down for information.
Follow us on social media for updates throughout the season.
Calling All Runners
Are You Ready for the Coastal Ridge Challenge?
The Coastal Ridge Challenge is an event at the festival that is a 22km trail race which takes runners along 15km of remote trail with coastal views and boreal forest, through 3 rural communities, and across white sand beaches. It’s a race like no other!
- Only the first 50 runners are able to register so sign up on June 1st. Link will be activated at that time.
- Race route will start at 8am in Happy Adventure on Sept 19th.
- We welcome all runners and hikers age 17 and over who can safely complete the route in 5 hours or less
- Get your ticket – $60 entry fee (nonrefundable) includes a custom race bib and medal.
- Tickets link –> HERE
- Questions or to be added to wait list: race.damnable@gmail.com
CRC Route and Details
- Start: Happy Adventure Old Schoolhouse Trailhead at Plant Rd and Harbourview Rd; we start at 8am.
- End: in front of the Salvaje Longhouse, Salvage
- Route: Starting from the Happy Adventure Old Schoolhouse Trailhead, through the Old School House Trail, to Caplin Gulch and Sandy Cove Beach, through 15.1 km of remote trail (Coastal Ridge Trail), up and across Mountain Ridge Trail, connecting into the Salvage Trails past the cemetery and accesses to Southern Head and Old Harry’s Cove, toward Net Point and back around Doctor’s Pond, ending in front of the Salvaje Longhouse.
To find more details on the CRC race, please see the “What You Need to Know” section below.
Damnable Trail Festival Schedule –Schedule is being finalized. Check back later!
| FRIDAY SEPT 18th, 2026 | |
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| 2:30-3:30 pm |
Where the Damnable name came from! Registration appreciated. Email festival@damnabletrail.com |
| 4:30pm – 6:30pm | Damnable Ramble Kick Off Coastal Ridge Challenge check-in. Beaches Theatre and Gallery, Eastport Hosted by TBA! Music! Food for purchase, free cake, kids games, prizes! |
| SATURDAY SEPT 19th, 2026 | |
| 6:45 am – 7:50 am | Coastal Ridge Challenge check-in (mandatory for all runners, at Plant Rd, Happy Adventure race start line) |
| 8:00am |
Coastal Ridge Challenge Adventure Race (22KM) Details coming! |
| 10:00am – 1:00pm | CRC race end celebrations, Salvage at Salvaje Longhouse! Food! Music! Excitement! |
| 12:00pm – 4:00pm | Salvage Historical Walk — Enjoy the local trails and sites! At the Salvage Fisherman’s Museum see John Gosse on the fiddle and tour the museum. At the Royal Pandora 50+ Club, enjoy live music with Roger Bradley and delicious home cooked food (toutons/tiffins with jam and molasses, baked beans). Tour St. Stephen’s Church with Rev. Andreas. A map will be available for pick-up. Follow Route 310 to Salvage and look for our signs and volunteers. |
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2:000pm -3:30pm
3:30 pm – 5:00pm
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Mountain Ridge Guided Hike – (Sunday Ave parking lot – starting point). Free hike – registration required: festival@damnabletrail.com Net Point Guided Hike – (Sunday Ave parking lot – starting point) . Free hike – registration required: festival@damnabletrail.com Both hikes are easy to moderate. Location: Salvage, meet at Sunday Ave parking area. |
| 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm |
Festival Feast – RCL Branch 41 Eastport
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| 9:30pm | Damnable Dance Glow Party – SUF, Eastport |
| SUNDAY SEPT 2oth, 2026 | |
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10:00am – 12 noon
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Kids Adventures scavenger hunt and hike, Old Schoolhouse Trail, Sandy Cove (FREE kids activities – Children must be accompanied by an adult); Rain Location: Sandy Cove Community Hall |
| 2:00pm – 4:00pm | Damnable Diamond Dash Family Fun Run and BBQ, FREE Fun Runs (all ages) and limited mobility guided walk, free food and games! Children must be accompanied by an adult. Located at Ken Diamond Memorial Park, Glovertown Recreation Grounds. Follow Route 310 to Glovertown, follow signs to Ken Diamond Park and the Rec Grounds throughout town. |
Follow us on social media for updates and tips on having the best experience!
If you’d like to support the trails and ongoing maintenance, click here
Schedule is subject to change. Weather dependent. Watch our social channels for updates.
Where to Stay and Eat
Enjoy your stay by taking advantage of the amazing lodging and food options below!
Where to Stay
Charlottetown
- Clode Sound Motel 709-664-3146
Eastport
- Harold W. Duffett Shriners R.V. Park 709-677-2438
- McCaffrey’s BnB 613-851-9551
- The Little Floated Salt Box 709-677-3400
- River Valley Vacation Home 709-572-5727
- The Sailors Inn 403-999-9674
- Sta-N-Play Cottages 709-677-2729
- White Sails Inn 709-677-3400
Glovertown
- Crosstown Family RV Park 709-533-7817
- Edna’s Escape 709-325-6362
- Glovertown Oceanview Suites & Cottages 709-533-7414
- Pearce’s Perch 709-571-3227
- Seaglo Cabins 709-222-9459
Happy Adventure
- Happy Adventure Inn 709-677-2233
Salvage
- Bren’s Place 709-725-0236
- The Getaway at Burden’s Point 416-953-4930
Sandringham
- Feather and Finn Breakfast Inn 709-677-2104
- The Cozy Haven 1-226-698-3051
- Howells Hideaway 709-764-5961
- Wylder Cottages 709-677-2219
Sandy Cove
- Sandy Cove Cabins 709-677-3158
Terra Nova National Park *park pass required
Traytown
- Salty Bay Cabins 709-424-2908

Where to Eat
Please see our festival schedule. Saturday afternoon food will be served at Salvage Historical Walk, Saturday evening – festival feast
- Bayside Fries, Glovertown
- Boulder Creek Cafe & Market, Eastport
- Chucky’s Seafood & Wild Game Restaurant, Happy Adventure Inn
- Crosstown Kwik-Way, Glovertown
- Eastport Freshmart, Eastport
- Glovertown Foodland, Glovertown
- Glovertown Irving & Robin’s Donuts, Glovertown
- Greco Express, Glovertown
- Mary Brown’s, Glovertown TCH
- Salvaje Brewery (https://www.salvagelonghouse.com/), Salvage
- Squire’s North Atlantic, Eastport
- Timber & Twine, Glovertown

Follow the Road to the Beaches on Facebook & Instagram for more information on the area
What You Need to Know
About Us
The Damnable Trail is a network of scenic trails developed from old hauling and walking paths built by the first settlers of the Eastport Peninsula, Newfoundland. Ranging from rugged and challenging coastal trails to leisurely strolls along beaches and through our communities, Damnable Trail has something for everyone!
Updates
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for updates. Not on social media? Email us at festival@damnabletrail.com
TAG US!:
- #damnabletrail
- #damnabletrailfestival
- #terrasedge
- #roadtothebeaches
Getting Here
The Eastport Peninsula is a short 20 minutes off the Trans Canada Highway with good access roads. Take Route 310 (from the east, exit at the western gate of Terra Nova National Park; from the west, exit at Glovertown or continue east to the TNNP western gate). We are approximately 1 hour from Gander and 3 hours from St. John’s (for more local information follow ‘Terra’s Edge’ on Facebook/Instagram).
Camping
See list of accommodators. Please note the Coastal Ridge Trail, Old School House, and Salvage trails Mountain Ridge and Net Point trails are closed Saturday, Sept 19th from 6am-2pm for the safety of our runners. Be sure you are not on the trail at that time. For everyone’s safety please keep pets off the trails during that time.
Covid-19
At this time the province of Newfoundland and Labrador has no Covid-19 mandates or restrictions in place.
Washrooms
We’ve chosen locations with a washroom onsite or nearby as best we can. A Porta Potty is located at the Coastal Ridge Trailhead (parking lot) in Salvage. The St. Stephen’s Hall and Salvage Fisherman’s Museum also have washrooms. Ask a volunteer!
Animals/Pets
No pets at our organized events and activities. You are welcome to hike throughout the weekend and explore the trails with your pet: when hiking with a pet, it must be leashed, and remember to stoop and scoop. Bring your own poop bags and pack out what you pack in. A fresh water spout is provided at Sandy Cove Beach parking lot.
Vendors
The Damnable Trail team will be selling merchandise. Merchandise can also be purchased at the Beaches Arts & Heritage Centre, Eastport.
Around Town
The Eastport Peninsula and surrounding towns have a lot to offer visitors! Follow ‘Terra’s Edge” on social media for more on what to do and see in the area.
Admission
The festival is free; some events are ticketed where noted.
- The Coastal Ridge Challenge is ticketed online (When sold out we have a wait list – email: race.damnable@gmail.com to be added); other events may require cash at the door.
- Some activities that are free will require signup onsite or preregistration.
- Guided hikes and walks are capped at 12 people per walk for safety; staggered times and multiple groups may take place; please be flexible with our volunteers.
Donations
Donations are gladly accepted onsite to fund the festival and ongoing trail maintenance.
Where to Stay
See list of accommodators provided above.
Accessibility
Parking will be available at all activities. The Chuff’s Bight trail is fully wheelchair accessible. Ken Diamond Park is also a great option in Glovertown! Outside of our trail system there is an accessible 2.5km walking trail around Sandy Cove pond.
Parking
Parking is provided at all activities. We’ll post parking instructions throughout the festival; watch our social media. Our Instagram has a ‘Tips/Parking’ highlight. In Salvage we have 2 large trailhead parking lots (Sprucey Hill as you enter town, Sunday Ave towards the end of town). Sandy Cove has ample parking with 4 lots available. All of our trailheads have parking onsite or nearby. RVs and trailers: many roads and parking lots cannot not accommodate a large vehicle and may not offer turnaround.
Hikes
The trails are ready for you! Ring the bells all over the network of trails including Glovertown’s Ken Diamond Park. Find maps onsite or online at damnabletrail.com (we are updating the maps with new trails). The Coastal Ridge Trail, Old School House Trail, and Salvage trails Net Point and Mountain Ridge will temporarily close to the public Sept 20th from 6am-2pm for the safety of the CRC runners. Guided hikes on the trails are offered in the afternoon. See the festival schedule for information and check our social media for updates.
Food and Beverages
See list of Where to Eat above. You can bring your own food and water to activities; however alcohol is not permitted, with the exception of the SUF dance where alcohol will be sold onsite.
Lost and Found
The festival is located throughout the community over 3 days. We do not have a single location and therefore cannot offer a lost and found. If you have lost anything please email us at festival@damnabletrail.com and we will make every effort to locate your lost item.
Emergency Services
We have arranged emergency services onsite for the Coastal Ridge Challenge. For all other events and activities please call 911 if an emergency arises.
The Coastal Ridge Challenge (CRC)
- $60 entry fee is non-refundable. If you’re unable to make it, your entry will be donated to the festival and trail maintenance.
- All entry tickets must be purchased online in advance, no onsite ticket sales.
- Cut off: registration will close August 31, 2026.
- Ages 17 and older.
- Part of the trail is remote with cell phone dead zones. You’ll encounter diverse terrain, slippery rocks, caribou moss, potential water, insects, steep climbs, beaches, and road running through rural communities. It’s important that everyone who signs up understands the race conditions: if you’re not an experienced runner on diverse terrain this is not the race for you.
- Race cut off time: starts at 8am goes until 1pm, however we will not leave any runner on the trail.
- Water and food: we will have water, snacks, and aid stations throughout the route.
- All runners are required to participate in a pre-race safety debriefing onsite and sign a waiver releasing the festival organizers and Race Director of liability. See festival schedule for check in times and where to pick-up your race pack.
- We’ve capped the race at 50 runners.
- Waiver / liability required onsite for all runners.
- Runners check in onsite to receive race pack with custom bib and receive medal at the finish line.
- Elevation gain: 504 m.
- Coastal Ridge Trail, Old School House Trail and the Salvage Trails will be closed to the public from 6am-2pm on race day for your safety.
- Environmental impact: it’s important to us that the trails are left as good as they were found, on race day plan to pack out anything you pack in.
- How to prepare: all runners should be experienced in how to dress and fuel/hydrate for an extreme race. We recommend dressing in light, brightly coloured layers, prepare for changing weather conditions, and stay hydrated. Wear proper trail boots/trail running shoes that are broken in and have good tread.
- Please do not race if you’ve recently been sick or injured.
Volunteer Opportunities
We need volunteers! DM us on social media or email us at festival@damnabletrail.com
Sponsorship Opportunities
To donate to the event or sponsor the trails please email us festival@damnabletrail.com
A Special Thank You!
We just want to give a special thank you to:
- The TerraNovas Tourism Association Inc.
- Bren’s Place in Salvage
- The original Damnable Trail committee and volunteers who worked tirelessly to build the trails
- Communities of the Eastport Peninsula and town council members
- The Town of Glovertown
- The Beaches Arts & Heritage Centre
- The Salvage Fisherman’s Museum
- St. Stephen’s Hall (Pandora 50+ Club)
- Parish of Salvage
- The Eastport Royal Canadian Legion Branch 41
- Eastport S.U.F Hall
- Local business operators who stay open to serve our guests
- All of the talented musicians
- Our amazing volunteers and guides
- Our incredible race team and all who made it a reality
- Students and teachers from Eastport and Glovertown
- Community members who pitched in with a variety of skills (donations of time, resources, and physical labour)
- Our long list of wonderful vendors
- And our partners who gave generously to make this festival a success.
- An extra thank you to the festival committee, without whom there would be no festival!

Our Amazing Sponsors
We want to honour our amazing sponsors and say thank you! This event would not be possible without you!


The Damnable Trails Festival is supported by our local communities.
