Conche is at the heart of the French Shore and is home to a robust fishing community and a developing tourism industry that remains steadfast in promoting the region’s French connection. The Town’s sign says Welcome to Conche with the tag line, The Beauty Spot of the North. Beauty surrounds this community from the look-out at Sailor Jack’s Hill, the coastline of Crouse, from Sleepy Cove to the Stages, Fox Head, the waterfront, to one of the most impressive hiking experiences on the Great Northern Peninsula, known as the Glass Hole.
I’ve been to Conche so many times, but never ventured to the Glass Hole trail until this past summer. A 4 to 4.5 KM hike along the top of the cliffs of Conche, which takes you to a cavern in the heights of the cliffs. At the very bottom you are at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. One can begin the journey by parking at the World War II plane crash memorial site. The first few hundred metres are a little steep until you get to Conche lookout. You will want to climb to the top and get views of Conche, but also the Grey Islands off in the distance. There is also a variety of wild flowers to enjoy as you trek.
Rating: Moderate Trail
Conche is currently not connected by cellular coverage, but that will change with a recent announcement that will bring the service to the community through a partnership with the Government of NL, Town of Conche and Bell Mobility. This will certainly make taking a hiking adventure that much safer and also allow you to use your Instagram or other social media to instantly share this remarkable beauty with the rest of the world. In the meantime plan your hiking adventures accordingly. I’ve had the great pleasure to work with residents of Conche to see much development, including the paving of Route 434. This improved access will help increase tour bus and visitor traffic into the community and the region. Conche and the entire Great Northern Peninsula East is poised to see more people visiting the region in the near future. This presents business opportunities for current and future operators to add services and experiences.
A walk through the paths in the forests, the views along the headlands, the beaches are just remarkable. You have the opportunity to bird watch, whale watch or see icebergs (in season) and truly enjoy nature. The trail could use some additional signage to highlight the distance and ensure you don’t stop short of actually experience what is the glass hole. There is a rope in which you have to take to scale down the incline to meet the North Atlantic ocean.
This is a must see destination trail when visiting the Great Northern Peninsula! Your hiking adventure to the Glass Hole in 2021 awaits! Start planning for your unique French Shore experience today.
Learn more about the Great Northern Peninsula’s trails by clicking here.
Live Rural NL –
Christopher Mitchelmore
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