We visited Terra Nova National Park during our Newfoundland road trip on our longest driving day. We started in Port Rexton, Bonavista, and ended our day in Rocky Harbour, in Gros Morne National Park. Terra Nova offered us a perfect spot to stretch our legs. However, if I were to do this trip again, I might break up the driving in order to give myself more time here, because I loved this park!
Terra Nova National Park sits on the eastern edge of the Central region of Newfoundland. The park sees around 45,000 visitors each year, less than 20% of the visitors who go to Gros Morne. If you are travelling through Central Newfoundland, I’d absolutely recommend adding this stop to your trip.
Ochre Hill Viewpoint
We drove along the Trans Canada heading west, so we traversed the park from south to north. Our first stop was at the Ochre Hill Viewpoint. This is a super short loop, around 300 metres, that brings you to a fire lookout and viewing platform over the surrounding forest, bogs, and ponds.
Ochre Hill is absolutely worth a stop, as it is only about a 5-10 minute walk with some incredible views. Unfortunately, we got caught in the rain which limited our views somewhat, but the stop was still worthwhile in my opinion.
After completing the loop, we continued driving towards the Visitor Centre. By the time we arrived, the weather had cleared up.
Terra Nova National Park Visitor Centre
The Visitor Centre is where you can buy your pass to park while visiting Terra Nova. During the Canada Strong Pass months (June 19 to September 7, 2026), the park is free. The Visitor Centre is also a hub of information, both for the park amenities, trails, and things to do, as well as educational materials about the plants and animals found throughout the park (both on land and in the water).
We got a map and some hike recommendations based on our criteria, which was short trails with worthwhile viewpoints because we still had 447 km of driving to complete that day. If you’re staying in the area or doing at least a full day here, the park has over 80 km of trails to explore.
They recommended Mill Cove Lookout and the Southwest Arm Trail in particular, and we chose the former. You could also try Malady Head Trail if you’re looking for a more strenuous trek, or the Coastal Trail which stretches between Newman Sound Campground and the Visitor Centre.
Mill Cove Lookout Hike
After getting recommendations from the Visitor Centre, we decided on Mill Cove Lookout. This is a 1.5 km trail in the north end of the park, located on Highway 310 (Road to the Beaches).
The hike is short with some steep sections, climbing to a hill that overlooks Mill Cove, with Traytown to the north and Terra Nova to the south. There was lots of interesting vegetation along this trail, and the views at the top of the hill were beautiful.
Plants and Animals in Terra Nova National Park
There is significant biodiversity found in Terra Nova National Park. Parks Canada remains committed to protecting and promoting the growth of native species, from trees like the black spruce, balsam fir, and red pine to endangered species like the Newfoundland marten, the red crossbill, and the boreal felt lichen.
Moose were introduced to Newfoundland a little over a century ago, and have no native predators. As such, the moose population causes significant problems in maintaining plants species at a healthy level. Moose management is a big part of the wildlife conservation efforts currently occurring in Terra Nova.
While we did not see any moose while in the park, we saw plenty of beautiful plants, trees, and lichen on our short hikes. We found the vibrant sheep’s laurel (Kalmia angustifolia) along the Mill Cove Lookout Trail boardwalk and many bright, white bunchberries in the rocky barren towards the top of the hill.
There were also many tamarack trees, with their unique needle clusters along Mill Cove trail. The rocks were covered in colourful lichen and moss and there were rhodora and black spruce to be found as well.
Animals such as beavers, deer, black birds, owls, and bats can also be found in the park. Along the end of Newman Sound is the Terra Nova Migratory Bird Sanctuary, so take the Coastal Trail if you’re interested in bird watching.
The Visitor Centre has lots of information about different flora and fauna to be found in the park, so be sure to stop by if you want to learn more.
