Gros Morne National Park is a recognized UNESCO National Historic Site and well-known across Canada for it’s unique fjord landscapes. However, many people don’t realize the diversity of the natural and geographical features that exist in the park, from the Western Newfoundland Highlands and the St. Lawrence Lowlands.
The park is set on the western edge of Newfoundland, with the Gulf of St. Lawrence running between the island and the coast of Quebec. There are two primary sections of the park, the northside which is accessed by Highway 430 (The Viking Trail), which branches northwest from Wiltondale, and the southside which is accessed by Highway 431, which branches southwest. If you wish to see the L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site, a historic Viking settlement in Newfoundland, I recommend adding a day or two in Gros Morne on your way north.
There are certain activities and attractions that are highly recommended in Gros Morne. This guide is based on of my personal experience and what we enjoyed during our trip.
Where to Stay in Gros Morne
Gros Morne National Park has several towns that lie just outside the park boundaries, allowing for a great place to stay close to the park without certain restrictions. The most common places are the towns of Norris Point or Rocky Harbour off Highway 430 and the town of Woody Point off Highway 431.
In an effort to be more budget-conscious, we stayed at the Out East Adventures Hostel in Rocky Harbour, where we got a private room. Honestly, this was perhaps better than a hotel for us, as we had our own space and private bathroom, but access to a full kitchen as well as board games and books in the common areas. We found all the guests to be very respectful of the hostel’s quiet hours and the staff were very kind.
There are many other hotels, vacation rentals and cabins available throughout the park, if that’s more your speed. We dined at one of these hotels in Woody Point, called the Bonne Bay Inn. Their views of the South Arm are fantastic. No matter where you stay, I recommend booking accommodations well in advance, as places do book up!
Arriving in Gros Morne
We had a long day of driving to reach Gros Morne. After stopping in Deer Lake for dinner and a grocery run for hiking snacks, we drove about one more hour into the park to reach our accommodations in Rocky Harbour. We stopped at some of the viewpoints on our way in, such as the lovely spot pictured above, just before Bread and Butter Cove.
After checking in to our accommodations, we set out again to see the sunset from the pier in Rocky Harbour. The water was so calm and the town was very quiet, absolutely tranquil. This concluded our day, as we had to be up early for our boat tour in the morning.
Western Brook Pond Inland Fjord
The Western Brook Pond landscape might be the most recognizable of all of Gros Morne. This is an extremely unique geological feature, as it is an inland fjord with a freshwater pond, rather than a seaside fjord. The pond measures 16 km from end to end, and is dotted with handing valleys, waterfalls, and lined with steep stone cliffs.
The area was once connected to the ocean. As glaciers carved fjords into the cliffs and slowly melted away, the land between the ocean and the fjord rebounded, cutting the pond off from the salt water of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Today, the pond is filled with fresh water that is nearly pure and devoid of minerals enough to be considered distilled. Very few fish live in the pond, compared to other bodies of water of a similar size in the region.
Only one company is authorized to operate tours in the fjord. This is to minimize ecological impacts of human activity on the area. The company, BonTours operates between mid-May to mid-October, weather permitting. The tour takes 2 hours and costs $99 per adult and $55 per child (plus HST).
Tour Logistics
To reach the dock, you must park at the designated lot and walk 3 km through marshland to reach the pond. The site recommend 45 minutes for the walk, but we found it was easy to complete in about 30. It is flat on a well-maintained trail, but you need to keep an eye out for the golf carts.
As a services for those with limited mobility, you can catch a golf cart between the parking lot and Western Brook Pond for $10. The company recommends arriving well in advance to catch a ride if necessary.
We arrived around 9 am for our 10:00 departure to give ourselves lots of time to reach the dock and pick up our reserved tickets from the desk. I recommend reserving your tickets in advance if the fjord is high on your list, as sometimes the tours do book up completely. During high season (July and August) there are more times available, but it’s better to prepared than disappointed.
If your tour gets cancelled due to inclement weather, you can see about being rebooked on the following day, pending availability. For this reason, I recommend booking your trip for your first day in Gros Morne, in case the tour needs to be rescheduled.
We had a great tour experience, amazed by the landscape and both entertained and educated by the tour guide’s frequent comments. We learned the names of the various waterfalls, saw faces in the rock, and played the spoons to some classic Newfoundlander music on the return trip.
Hiking in Gros Morne
There are many great trails to explore throughout Gros Morne, from easy trails to multi-day treks. I recommend doing some research in advance around the landscapes that most interest you and the difficulty of various hikes before you arrive; however, the Visitor Centre is also a great resource for information about different hikes.
The Tablelands Trail
The Tablelands is the name for the unique outcrop of the Earth’s mantle that was pushed up to the surface during continental collide. There is an easy, interpretive trail here, only 4 km in total, that brings you across this alien landscape. It truly feels like you’re walking on Mars. There are options to ascend to plateau as well, if you are interested in a more difficult during.
Gros Morne Mountain
The Gros Morne Mountain trail is a difficult, 17 km out-and-back hike with 1000 metres of elevation gain. It is important to note that this trail is closed between May 1 and June 28 to lessen the environment impact of hikers, so if this trail is high on your bucket list, travel after June 28.
We visited Newfoundland in mid-June, so we were not able to add the Gros Morne Mountain trail to our itinerary.
Green Gardens Trail
This was the main hike that I had planned for Newfoundland. It begins on the edge of the Tablelands and brings you to the coast, taking around 3-4 hours and covering 9 km round trip. Unfortunately, not everything can go to plan. We ended up missing our second day in Gros Morne to retrieve a lost wallet in Gander (a full day’s drive).
Though I didn’t get to experience it myself, Green Gardens was continuously one of the most recommended hikes during my research, so I have to pass on this recommendation.
Where to Eat in Gros Morne
We didn’t spend too much time dining out while in Gros Morne, but we did stop at one nice restaurant in Woody Point. We ate at the Blue Ocean Dining Room, which is part of the Bonne Bay Inn. Here we tried some delicious seafood dishes, including crab cakes and seafood chowder, along with a partridgeberry cheesecake for dessert. This was our last, true Newfoundlander meal and it was definitely one of our best.
Some other restaurants I had pinned on my list, but we didn’t have a chance to try include The Old Loft, Buoy & Arrow, and The Old Store Cafe.