Does your bucket list include visiting Newfoundland? With so many historically, culturally and geologically interesting places to visit in Newfoundland, why try to see it all in just one visit? Having grown up in Newfoundland and choosing to permanently live here, I love encouraging people to visit. Newfoundland may not have a tremendously large population (524,000 in total) but when planning a visit here keep in mind that the island part of this province is twice the size of the United Kingdom and almost has the same area (approximately 112,000 square kilometres) as the provinces of Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick combined (133,850 square km).
With this knowledge, how can you truly taste the interesting places to visit in Newfoundland in one visit? The answer is, you can’t! I would suggest that you get an in-depth flavour of our province by visiting one or two of its five regions. Come see icebergs, archaeological areas, and bountiful marine and land wildlife. Enjoy theatre, parks, geology, culture, and colourful people! One of my favourite places to visit in Newfoundland is the western region and in particular Gros Morne National Park! Natural beauty, a piece of our ancient world, pristine environments, and wide open spaces are some of the things that have captured my heart when looking for things to do in Gros Morne. You will be no different – expect to have your heart beautifully saturated with the magnificence of a place that has something for everyone.
Enjoy one of the oldest and most beautiful landscapes in Newfoundland with your pick of many things to do in Gros Morne. Take your time hiking the many trails in the park, some easy and others dedicated to the more fit and athletic. Probably the most spectacular and most difficult hike is Gros Morne Mountain
One of my favourite things to do in Gros Morne is to take one of the many boat rides especially the boat tour of Western Brook Pond where I experienced breathtaking scenery of the park’s largest lake. The lake or the ‘pond’ is 16 km long and 165 metres deep. Along the way view waterfalls and colonies of nesting gulls in the billion year old cliffs surrounding you. Learn how this ancient landlocked fjord was glacially carved!
When looking for theatrical things to do, enjoy a night at the Annual Gros Morne Theatre Festival featuring high-quality professional theatre. View some of the amazing wildlife at the Wildlife Museum in Rocky Harbour. With five campgrounds in the park, we have enjoyed many nights in our tents and a camper. The sandy beach at Shallow Bay near Cow Head is beautiful, featuring cool waters even in summer. Even in winter there are still great things to do in Gros Morne; the hiking trails now become cross-country ski and snowshoeing trails.
No matter what the season, put Gros Morne National Park on your bucket list as one of the best places to visit in Newfoundland!
