Cape Freels
Cape Freels is located on the north-east corner of the Island of Newfoundland. It’s just off Route 330 near Lumsden. There is another Cape Freels at the southern-most tip of the Avalon Peninsula.
The town of Cape Freels is actually divided into two areas called Cape Freels South and Cape Freels North. The area is said to be what the fictional community of Cape Random is based on in Bernice Morgan’s novel Random Passage.
Random Passage was later made into a TV mini-series. The TV set for Random Passage was built next to New Bonaventure, NL and has become a major tourist attraction.
Cape Island Walking Trail
As you drive into Cape Freels from Route 330, you’ll see the Cape Island Walking Trail. The trail is an easy walk that takes you to a beautiful sand beach and on to a sandy headland called Cape Island (it’s not an island).
The trail goes through sand, dunes and small ponds. There is lots of bird-watching opportunities along the way. Cape Island is a significant archaeological site.
Cape Island Archaeology
(from an interpretive sign): Over the millennia, Cape Island has been home to Newfoundland’s Aboriginal peoples. Evidence suggests that Cape Island was visited by Maritime-Archaic Indians (5,000 – 3,000 BP), Palaeo-Eskimo (3,000 – 1,000 BP). Recent Indians, ancestors of the Beothuks, the Aboriginal people of Newfoundland. During the past century, artifacts have been uncovered suggesting ongoing habitation and trade. A recently discovered artifact has been suggested to be indicative that Paleo-Indians (9,000 – 5,000 BP) also visited the site. If proven, Cape Island may be the oldest archaeological site on the island. Perhaps more importantly an archaeological assessment may provide conclusive evidence that the site was home to all major aboriginal groups over thousands of years.
