Humber Valley

Skiing and Salmon Fishing

When you leave Corner Brook traveling east on Route 1, keep a look out for The Old Man in the Mountain on the rock face overlooking Shellbird Island. It is said the face on the cliff guards an undiscovered hoard of pirate treasure. Shellbird Island is situated in the Humber River Valley, the main arterial route between the granite hills surrounding Corner Brook and the only transportation link for east-west land traffic in the area. Captain James Cook explored this river valley in 1767.

Ten minutes east of Corner Brook is Marble Mountain Ski Resort in Steady Brook. The mountain gets 16 feet of snow a year, on average, making Marble one of the best ski hills in eastern Canada. Climb the steep forest path to view magnificent Steady Brook Falls.

The community itself, nestled among sloping wooded hills, is a good place to make roadside purchases of fresh fruit and vegetables in season. Each year the farmers of the valley hold a Strawberry Festival.

Long before skiing became popular, Corner Brook was known for salmon fishing in the world famous Humber River. Since last century, salmon anglers have taken advantage of the slow deep steadies to cast for the champion Atlantic salmon. The mighty Humber still defines the difference between fishing and great fishing. A list of fishing guides is available at the nearest Visitor Information Centre.

Eastward along Route 1 is Pasadena, a growing community nestled on the shores of Deer Lake.

Carry on to Deer Lake a logging community that was first settled in the 1860s. At the western end of town on the right side of the highway is the hydroelectric station originally built to power the mill at Corner Brook. Today, the town is a distribution centre for the Great Northern Peninsula. For picnics, there is a municipal park on the lakeshore. The park also has campsites. For recreation, there's a golf course on the banks of the Humber. At the nearby Visitor Information Centre, located on Route 1, you can get information about attractions in the area and about the Viking Trail

Deer Lake Airport has flights within the province and connections to Toronto and Montreal. The town has comfortable hotel/motel accommodations and is 72 km from camping and trailer sites at Gros Morne National Park.