The Western Brook Trail starts at the parking lot north of Sally's Cove on Route 430 aka the Viking Trail.

 

An easy 3 km gravel and boardwalk trail brings you to the BonTours dock at the shore of the Western Brook Pond.

 

The trail crosses the coastal lowland with the Long Range Mountains looming in the background.

You pass wooded limestone ridges, a clear lake and long stretches of peat bog. Sometimes a lonely moose may show up, but since the soil is very low on nutrients, there is not much wildlife on the ground or in the air.

Of particular interest are the plants that have had to adjust to the low food situation. Some, like the Pitcher plant, have turned carnivorous and catch insects for a meal.

 

Several explanation boards along the route provide useful information about the geology and flora.

 

We hiked the Western Brook trail to and from the dock on a warm and sunny day in September 2017. Pitcher plants abound but no moose in sight....