Maintained by the East Coast Trail Association and located primarily on public lands, the trail follows the east coast of Newfoundland along the Atlantic Ocean. The path passes through many small coastal outports (villages) in the bays of the Avalon Peninsula. The trail runs from Topsail Beach, north to Cape St. Francis, then south through St. John's, and continues south as far as Cappahayden. It is intended that the trail will eventually be extended to Trepassey in the south and across to Placentia in the west (from Ferryland).