The Gros Morne National Park is unlike any other place on the planet. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site comprising 1,805 square kilometers. The park is a never-ending succession of miracles and thrills, as well as a display of the magnificently raw and cryptic glory of the physical realm.

Hiking the beautiful environment along the earth's mantle or climbing to life-changing peaks are both options for visitors. Trek along the river through valleys created centuries ago by glaciers, passing past soaring mountains and deafening waterfalls. Features of culture and heritage rooted in wit and originality - fairs, music, and artwork – may be enjoyed throughout the park in places like Cow Head and Woody Point, alongside natural treasures.

Getting There

Gros Morne National Park is situated on the island of Newfoundland's western coast. Regular airplane routes, as well as car and bus services, provide connectivity to the island.

By Air

  • Nearest Aiport - Deer Lake Regional Aiport- 35 km
  • Flights connecting Deer Lake and St. John's are provided on an intra-provincial basis.
  • The Deer Lake airport is serviced by several significant car leasing companies that will take visitors to their destination.
  • There are regular buses that will take visitors from Deer Lake to Gros Morne.

By Road

  • The ferry system connecting North Sydney, Nova Scotia, and Port aux Basques, Newfoundland, is the quickest way to reach Gros Morne if driving from the Canadian mainland.
  • It takes roughly four hours to drive 300 kilometers from Port aux Basques to the southernmost park border.

By Ferry

  • Marine Atlantic runs ferries all year through Port aux Basques, Nova Scotia, and North Sydney.
  • North Sydney to Port aux Basques takes roughly 6 hours, while North Sydney to Argentia takes nearly 11 hours.

Please note: The working season for Gros Morne National Park is from mid-May to mid-October, with amenities open seven days a week, counting holidays.

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What To Do

Hiking

The Gros Morne National Park provides the ideal setting for a variety of recreational pursuits, including trekking. Experience the park's deep woodlands for exotic vegetation, wildlife, and species of birds on recognized and unrecognized paths that weave throughout the environment.

Gros Morne Mountain Hike

  • Distance: 17 km
  • Time: 7-8 hours
  • Difficulty Level: Strenuous
  • Gros Morne is the island of Newfoundland's second tallest peak. This flat-topped mountaintop with an elevation of 806 meters is a chunk of Arctic circle well south of its regular range.
  • The rocky summit of Gros Morne is flat, and the sparse flora clings to the earth.

Green Gardens Hike

  • Distance: 9 km (Return)
  • Time: 3-4 hours
  • Difficulty Level: Moderately Strenuous
  • Follow the walk to a stunning coastline with hills, sea stacks, and the Green Gardens fields. You'll pass through the undulating wilderness, drop through the forest, and arrive at Old Man Cove's shoreline.
  • Visitors can climb the stairs to a beachfront with streams and a sea cavern or continue north via seaside cliffs and grasslands.

Things To Note

  • On the mountaintop, there is no food, shelter, or water. Thus, hikers are required to bring at least one gallon of water per person.
  • Hikers should be braced for temperature fluctuations as well as colder and windier situations.
  • To combat the winds and unpredictability of the temperature, wear warm clothing and a jacket or thick coat.

Explore Lobster Cove Head

  • Lobster Cove Head is a lighthouse with a rich heritage and offers pathways leading to marine areas and tuckamore trees.
  • It's one of the best spots in the park for flying a kite, spotting whales, and admiring the sunset's magnificent colors.
  • Enter the decades-old lighthouse, which originally functioned as a beacon for fisherman and naval vessels entering Bonne Bay securely.
  • It is now the starting point for exploring Gros Morne National Park's rich cultural history. The freshly restored exhibit features historical images, audio recordings of folk melodies, and lightkeepers logbooks, all of which reflect the people and legacy of the region.
  • Visitors can sit at the kitchen table with the experts and learn about everything from the lightkeepers' families to living by the coast.

Explore The Tablelands

  • Visitors can also hike the Tablelands in the southern portion of Gros Morne.
  • Tablelands are a lunar-like environment produced when tectonic plates met and drove the earth's mantle to the surface.
  • Visitors can also drive across the Tablelands on beautiful Route 431, which runs between Woody Point and Trout River.

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Where To Stay

Many travelers to Gros Morne National Park stay in a B&B, hotel, inn, cottage, and hostels in one of the settlements.

Gros Morne Suites

  • The Gros Morne Suites are a wonderful deal! They offer fully furnished 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom condo-style apartments.
  • Each apartment has a patio with glimpses of the lighthouse, hills, coastline, and sunset, as well as a kitchenette where visitors may prepare their own meals.
  • Address: Rocky Harbour, NL, Canada

Alderbed Cottages

  • Alderbed Cottages are lovely, recently built holiday cabins tucked beneath Gros Morne Mountains in Gros Morne National Park's heart.
  • The cabins have two bedrooms, wooden floors, and a private second-floor porch with views of the forested surroundings.
  • Address: Rocky Harbour, NL, Canada

Hillside Chalets

  • Hillside Chalets are stunning and newly constructed chalets for quality and convenience.
  • Visitors will find all they need and more, all at a standard that exceeds their expectations, on a secluded mountainside in Gros Morne National Park.
  • Leather furniture, tv, free wifi, individual balconies, with own BBQ, and many more facilities make each of the Chalets visitors home away from home.
  • Address: Old Cove Road, Rocky Harbour, NL, Canada

Gros Morne was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 for its stunning natural and geological diversity. From shifting continental plates to rare stretches of uncovered earth's mantle, traces of the forces that produced our earth can be seen clearly on exhibit. The vegetation and wildlife are a unique blend of tropical, coniferous, and Tundra species. It is an absolute must-see destination!

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