Murphy's Cove - Lodges Pond Trail

Port Union was an unoccupied piece of land near Catalina Harbour when William F. Coaker purchased it and formed the town in 1916. The harbour was ice free from April to February, could accommodate 100 or more vessels, and had a river which could be used for hydro-electric development. Coaker considered it an ideal place to establish a commercial headquarters for the Fisherman’s Protective Union and the Fishermen’s Union Trading Company.

By 1919 the Fishermen’s Trading Company premises consisted of a salt fish processing store, a department store equipped with electric elevators, a seal oil plant, a machine shop, a forge, storage sheds, a shipyard, a hotel, a bakery, a small soft drink manufacturing plant, and a theatre. The company employed about 400 people, giving Port Union a population of 532 in 1921. By the mid 1950s, the company was the largest exporter of dried cod on the east coast. Even in the early 1980s, Port Union was a thriving community with almost 700 residents, until the shortage of cod resulted in the closure of the fish plant.

The Fisherman’s Union Premises and William Coaker’s former home, The Bungalow, are now historical sites, relating the history of the Fishermen’s Protective Union. Murphy’s Cove is also known on maps as Southeast Cove, and in 1918, it was home to two families who fished, farmed, and raised livestock. The settlement was abandoned in the 1960s, because the neighbouring communities of Port Union and Catalina had more to offer. The road to Murphy’s Cove was constructed entirely by the men of the small settlement and now serves as part of the Murphy’s Cove and Lodge’s Pond Trail.

A platform on the trail overlooks the Green Island Lighthouse. Constructed in 1857, the lighthouse and was maintained by a light keeper and his family. Although the original home of the light keeper was removed in 1955, this lighthouse remains as one of the few remaining manned lighthouses in Newfoundland.

Season: Jan 1 - Dec 31

Length: 7.7 km Loop (2.5 - 3 Hours)

Location: Located in the town of Port Union, on Route 230, next to St. Catharines Haven.

Difficulty: Moderate

Description: Great for photographers, this coastal trail has a variety of headlands providing viewing platforms for surrounding communities, whales, seabirds, and fishing vessels. The halfway point provides a lookout from which to view the Green Island Lighthouse.

Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 91
Port Union, NL, A0C 2J0

Telephone: 709-469-2571

Fax: 709-469-3444