Cape Island is situated off the eastern tip of Cape Freels in Bonavista Bay, along the northeast coast of the island of Newfoundland. Many artifacts have been found along the trail.
It was settled in the late 18th century by fishermen and trappers from nearby settlements such as Greenspond and Bonavista. By the time of the 1836 Census of Newfoundland, there were 100 people living in this tiny fishing village.
The community of Cape Island was abandoned 1951-1953 as a result of a decline in the fishing and sealing industries. Until that time, people made their living from a small boat inshore cod fishery, capelin and seal hunting.