The East Coast Trail (ECT) is a 300+ kilometre wilderness trail along Newfoundland and Labrador’s Avalon Peninsula. Snaking along the coast from community to community, the trail organization asked us to develop a sign system to guide hikers from the highway to the trailhead, to make it easier for existing hikers to find their way, and also to make the trail more visible to potential new audiences. The sign system also helps guide long-distance hikers from one segment of trail to another, as they pass through villages and other urban areas.

The twelve signs in the system identify and direct hikers, but also provide space for donor and sponsor recognition, as well as regulatory information and trail notices. The project included planning and design, as well as sign programming for certain trails, a phasing plan and budget for a rollout of the sign system, and complete tender documentation.

To accompany the wayfinding system, we also created a series of 34 maps of the trail and local points of interest. The maps focus on information critical to hikers including access points, topography, distance, time estimates, difficulty and roadways.

Status

Design 2016–2018
Completed 2022

Our Role

Wayfinding

Client

East Coast Trail Association

Location

Avalon Peninsula, Newfoundland & Labrador