Down an old dirt road, in the middle of nowhere, over pothole covered "highways" and off the side of the road...we must have taken a wrong turn somewhere along the line? Then we see the Provincial Park sign and keep going until all you can hear is the power of water smashing downward. Over one last bridge and into the gravel parking lot before we rush out to see the no doubt, incredible waterfalls creating this bellowing sound. We found it! One of the best kept secrets on the Avalon Peninsula of Newfoundland - Cataracts Provincial Park.
After heavy rains the night before, the set of waterfalls down this gorge were full of power and force! Mother Nature was letting it all hangout on this day, which oddly enough was 15 degrees+ on April 2nd in Newfoundland (Not an April Fools gag)!
What's unique about this Park is that the main attraction is not X number of kilometers on the trail but it is literally right next to the parking lot. The winding staircases are beautifully tucked into the trees and lead you right to the base of this awesome waterfall.
To be fair, this "secret" is well hidden. It is approximately 1hr 20mins from downtown St. John's and not really near any major towns or traditional stopping areas. There are some very scenic locations along the route but this definitely takes the cake.
This was the perfect afternoon adventure for us on the first mild day of Spring this year. I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for somewhere new to explore yet still not too far from home in the Metro area. Add it to your list and get out there!
-KC
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