Badger: Rivers, Trails and History

In Badger, riverside scenery, wildlife watching and history come together. The Exploits River flows through the town and is rich in Atlantic salmon; it also provides spawning habitat for salmon. If you are considering Badger as a vacation destination, you can include a range of themes in your travel plans: the rivers and their wildlife, as well as trails and memorial sites.

Riverside Trails and Wildlife Watching

The 5 km Badger Walking Trail follows the Little Red Indian River, the Exploits River and the Badger River. Birds and other animals, including moose, caribou and ducks, can regularly be spotted along the trail. It runs alongside three rivers, making wildlife watching a key feature. If you would like to focus on the landscape and wildlife along the way, this trail is one way to experience Badger on foot.

The Ted Patey Memorial Park also has several kilometres of scenic trails along the riverbank. They are suitable for a walk or a nature hike. Alongside the 5 km Badger Walking Trail, there are other trails to choose from in town. If you prefer a trail with a shorter stated distance for planning your day, you can use the Badger Walking Trail as a guide; if you are looking for longer riverside trails, you will find them in Ted Patey Memorial Park.

Trails and Ways to Get Around

Badger is accessible via the Trans Canada Trailway. The section of the Trans Canada Trail between Badger and Howley is 100 kilometres long. This figure describes the full section and helps put the scale of the trail network into perspective. Visitors can also reach Badger by ATV along a former railway line. This is a different option from walking on the local riverside trails.

Off-road vehicles and snowmobiles are permitted year-round in T’Railway Provincial Park. The park also encourages hiking, scenic drives and wildlife watching for residents and visitors. The options therefore include getting around on foot, taking drives and observing wildlife. Which of these activities you focus on may help determine the kind of stay you are looking for in Badger.

Local History and Remembrance

Badger’s history is reflected in several different places. Ted Patey Heritage Park has information panels about the town’s history. Ted Patey Memorial Park, in turn, tells the story of Shawadidinth and the Mi’kmaq, who once lived and settled in Badger. If you are interested in the area’s history, you can find both general information about the town and a dedicated look at this earlier settlement.

The Constable Moss Memorial tells the story of the 1959 Badger Riot. Another memorial with a different focus is the Memorial Garden in Badger, created by the Qalipu First Nation to honour all murdered and missing women. The garden is located on the banks of the Exploits River and Badger Brook. Together with the information panels and Ted Patey Memorial Park, these places give your trip a historical and cultural focus without telling the same story.

The name Badger Drive is also part of the town’s history. The Badger Drive was a log drive on the Exploits River between Badger and Grand Falls, operating from 1908 to 1991. The annual Badger Drive Festival takes place on the first Saturday in August. For a stay around that date, the festival and the former log drive are two distinct points of interest: one is an annual festival, while the other is the river’s historical use.

Choosing Badger as a Vacation Destination

When looking for a vacation rental in Badger, you can first decide what role you want the town to play in your travel plans: would you like to focus your stay mainly on Badger, or combine it with other destinations? This lets you choose where to stay based on your own priorities.

Other places to discover include Botwood, Benton and Gander.

For the broader travel overview: Division No. 6.