The southern terminus of both the IATNL North Arm Traverse and Stage Two of the UltramaTrex is located at Stowbridges Cove (aka James Cook’s Stone Brook) on the north shore of North Arm in the Bay of Islands. So too is the IATNL/Cabox Basecamp, which provides accommodations to hikers who make these 2-3 day treks.
Access to/from the cove is provided by a 13km (8mi), 20-40 minute (weather dependent) dory ride to/from Cox’s Cove in Middle Arm, or 25km (15mi), 30 minute zodiac ride to/from Benoit’s Cove in Humber Arm. Note, whether coming or going, the best time to cross the bay is in the morning or evening, to avoid a rougher ride if the wind comes up in the afternoon.
Stowbridges Cove is a small, east-facing sheltered cove near the base of North Arm Hill with a sandy beach and 6ft seawall to protect the basecamp and local fisherman’s cabin and sheds from the high tide and sea swells.
The 2-storey basecamp is available for rent by hikers arriving late in the day, or those wanting a day of rest and relaxation before or after a trek.
It contains 10 bunks on 3 levels and can sleep up to 12 people
and has a kitchen and full bath containing cold and hot running water.
In summer, the clean clear waters of the outer Bay of Islands falls somewhere in between, and can suffice for a refreshing dip after a long mountain trek.
In May and June when the water is too cold for all but the hardiest – or is that dirtiest? – adventurer, the water temperature is ideal for a local delicacy caught by our fisherman ferryman – lobster! – available upon request.
After a swim or lobster boil, visitors can walk 1/4 kilometer across Stowbridges Head to Back Cove, where a west-facing pebble beach is the ideal location to watch the sunset over the bay of islands
while basking in the warm heat of a driftwood fire.
Back Cove is also a great location to see outcrops of “pillow lava”, small egg-shaped lava boulders formed on an ocean floor when hot lava cools rapidly when coming into contact with sea water. The pillow lava here was formed 450-500 million years ago during the closing of the Iapetus Ocean (pre-curser of the Atlantic Ocean) when the Humber Arm Allochthon was located in the Tropics.
When the wind is out of the west (and it’s not raining), hikers are able to have a campfire at Stowbridges Cove, where the only light visible from basecamp are the moon and stars in the sky!
During the cooler months of May and October, a cozy fire in the camp’s wood stove provides both warm light and heat.
The IATNL/Cabox Basecamp at Stowbridges Cove is available to rent beginning Summer 2023. The rate is $35/person, with a minimum charge of $70 and a maximum of $200.
Contact us for details and availability, as well as transportation.
