Historic Hill Awaits At The End Of The Long Ferry Ride To The 'Rock' .

Whether you take the short Ferry ride to Newfoundland or the long one, your will find numerous sites and camping spots are not far away .

In the 60’s and 70’s, my husband John frequently sailed through the Narrows into St John’s Harbour while serving with the Canadian Navy. The vistas of the Narrows from the top of Signal Hill were absolutely awesome and this tourist stop added life to many of John’s memories. While there, we toured the historic Citadel and strolled all parts of the 'Hill'. On that beautiful sunny day each panoramic view was more picturesque than the last. Because of its strategic placement overlooking the harbour, fortifications were active as early as the mid 1600s.

The “Lookout” witnessed many wars and vicious battles over the years. Following the 1762 Battle of Signal Hill between the French and the English, British commander Lt. Colonel William Amherst renamed it “Signal Hill” because of the flag signaling that took place on that summit.

During Signal Hill's first construction period in the late 1700s, it was designated as the Citadel for St. John's. The present Cabot Tower, was first proposed in 1896 and opened officially in 1900 to commemorate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee and the 400th anniversary of John Cabot's voyage of discovery. This location was the last signal station - in Canada. Today it is one of the province's best known landmarks.

Read more of the story of the colourful history of the Hill – Parks Canada adds more details.

Here too a picture is worth a 1000 words. See my slideshow Gallery of Signal Hill.