Western Brook Pond, Gros Morne National Park

Nothing Gros About This Canadian Island

One day in 2020, I was doom-scrolling on Instagram (weren’t we all back then?) and stumbled across a photo of the most stunning view in my suggested posts. It was a picture of Gros Morne National Park, which is located on the west coast of the island of Newfoundland, Canada. I immediately knew I needed to go there as soon as humanly possible.

Fast forward to our one-year anniversary in July of 2022, my husband and I found ourselves standing at the top of the most breathtaking fjord after a challenging hike that included three moose sightings. While my husband’s grandmother was from Newfoundland, I haven’t met many people that have traveled there. And if you love adventure and the outdoors and haven’t been either, you’re missing out. For quaint fishing villages, incredible hiking, and all-around spectacular scenery with minimal crowds, you must add this off-the-beaten-path destination to your bucket list.

A Few Things to Note

We spent four nights in Newfoundland and thought it was enough time to see the highlights. However, it’s not the easiest place to get to, and we had an advantage in terms of travel time coming from Vermont, so keep that in mind if you’re coming from farther away. It would be easy to spend a week here since there’s so much to explore!
We chose to spend our entire time on the west coast of Newfoundland since we wanted to explore Gros Morne National Park. While many people visit St. John’s on the southeastern side of the island, do not make that your only stop! We personally didn’t feel like we were missing out by not going to St. John’s because the scenery in and around Gros Morne is next level.
Book your rental car well in advance of your trip to Newfoundland! Despite being the world’s 16th largest island, Newfoundland does not have a huge supply of rental cars. As frequent travelers, we were used to waiting until a month or two before most trips to secure a rental car and that was a big mistake. We lucked out and found an interesting vehicle through Turo (more on that later), but all other rental car agencies had been sold out for months. I’d recommend booking a rental car almost a year in advance (as crazy as that sounds)!

Best Time to Visit Newfoundland

For the warmest weather and ideal wildlife-spotting and hiking conditions, I’d recommend visiting Newfoundland in July or August. Temperatures range from the high 60s during the day to the low 50s at night. Definitely pack layers for hiking; while it can be chilly in the mornings, I was perfectly comfortable in a tank top/t-shirt during the day.

While some travel sites will tell you that the crowds are worse in the summer months, everywhere my husband and I went was quiet and peaceful. While it’s definitely livelier in the summer, we never had trouble getting a table at restaurants and never sat in traffic.

How to Get to Newfoundland

Newfoundland is an island in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The best way to get to the west coast is by plane/flying into Deer Lake Regional Airport. While you can take a ferry from Nova Scotia, keep in mind that it takes anywhere from 6 to 8 hours depending on weather, and then it’s another 4-5 hour drive from the ferry port.

Fly into Deer Lake Regional Airport (YDF) on AirCanada. If you’re coming from the US, you’ll have to connect through Toronto, Halifax, or Montreal. Since we live in Vermont, we drove up to Montreal and stayed at a hotel near the airport the night before so we could take a direct flight. From Montreal, it’s less than a two-hour flight.
Rent a car at YDF and drive to your accommodations/Gros Morne National Park. You absolutely need a rental car for getting around this part of Newfoundland, and the airport has five major rental car companies to choose from (Avis, Budget, Enterprise, National, and Hertz). As I mentioned above, we weren’t on top of it and couldn’t secure a car through any of those agencies. We were luckily able to get one through Turo, but it was a souped up, chrome, turbo Hyundai Veloster with manual transmission. In other words, not an ideal car for driving through peaceful seaside fishing villages (I hope we’re not on Newfoundland’s most wanted/most annoying list). So don’t make the same mistake we did and book your car well in advance!

Where to Stay in Newfoundland

I did a lot of research before our trip, and the best hotel near Gros Morne National Park is Neddies Harbour Inn. It’s located on Bonne Bay, another gorgeous fjord, and has a fine dining restaurant (more on that in the Where to Eat & Drink in Newfoundland section!) The rooms are comfortable and reasonably priced (less than CA$300/night during high season), and there’s also a wonderful spa on site. We loved enjoying a cocktail while watching the sunset from their back deck. You can even see as far as the Gros Morne Table Lands (more on that later, too).

On top of the incredible setting, the service at Neddies Harbour Inn is topnotch. Everyone is so incredibly kind and attentive, and this was yet another trip that reinforced my love for Canada and its people. Just an hour’s drive from Deer Lake Airport and 30 minutes from Western Brook Pond/Gros Morne National Park, this is the perfect home base for exploring the area.

Where to Eat and Drink in Newfoundland

The Black Spruce Restaurant ($$$$) - This is the restaurant located inside Neddies Harbour Inn and also the only fine dining restaurant in the area. The ingredients are local, everything is made from scratch, and the preparation is beautiful. Plus, you can enjoy your dinner while soaking in stunning views of Bonne Bay. Be sure to order a seafood dish as everything is super fresh (we ordered a scallop dish and a local white fish). We ended up eating here twice because it was that good, including for our one-year anniversary! Reservations highly recommended.

The Cat Stop Waterfront Pub ($) - Check out this casual spot for local beer, pub food, and another gorgeous vantage point of Bonne Bay. Quidi Vidi is a craft brewery from St. John’s, and The Cat Stop has their beer on tap (we loved the Dayboil Session IPA). Be sure to snag a table outside! Reservations accepted but not required (we always just walked in and had no problems getting a table dockside).

Enjoying a Quidi Vidi IPA at The Cat Stop

The Old Loft Restaurant ($$) - Woody Point is a charming fishing village on the other side of Bonne Bay (about an hour from Neddies Harbour Inn). After hiking the Green Gardens Trail (more on that later), we stopped in Woody Point, walked around, and then grabbed an outside table on the water at The Old Loft. Think seafood, burgers, etc. (and the onion rings are delicious and huge).
The Old Store Cafe ($) - The Old Store Cafe is a cafe, gift shop, and ice cream shop. They serve paninis (including a delicious breakfast panini), wraps, salads, coffee, and baked goods. This is a great spot to grab a sandwich to go before a day of adventuring.

Things to Do in Newfoundland

Visit Gros Morne National Park - Gros Morne is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and once you visit, it’s pretty obvious why. The landscape is incredibly diverse; think fjords, mountains, waterfalls, forests, coastlines and more. This is unspoiled natural beauty at its best. Here are the must-see attractions in my opinion:

Western Brook Pond Day Hike - To see the best view in Canada (and maybe one of the best in the world), you must hike to the top of Western Brook Pond. It is highly recommended to do the hike with a guide, and Out East Adventures (in collaboration with BonTours) is the only company you can book through. Note that if you go without a guide, the hike takes anywhere from 2-5 days and the valley can be challenging to navigate. We actually came across a backpacker that was lost and they were pretty shaken up, so unless you’re an incredibly experienced hiker, it’s advised to go the guided route. Out East Adventures offers three guided options, and we opted for the day hike (though I’m dying to go back and do the overnight to be able to watch sunset from the top!) It’s CA$325/person, but worth every penny. You meet at the Out East Adventure Center in Rocky Harbour (less than 15 minutes from Neddies Harbour Inn) for a quick orientation, and from there you ride in their van to the Western Brook parking lot. The trailhead is only accessible by boat, so after an easy, less than 2-mile walk to the dock, you take a high-speed shuttle boat to the end of the pond. The views from the boat alone are incredible. I felt like we were in Jurassic Park (I promise I won’t say that about everywhere I go!) The hike from the dock to the summit and back is about 7.5 miles roundtrip and is broken into four stages. During the first stage, you’ll hike through a gorgeous meadow where we spotted three moose! In the third stage, you’ll cross over streams and even have the opportunity to fill your water bottle with the freshest mountain water (no filtering required). The last stage is the hardest/steepest and does require some scrambling. At the top, you are rewarded with the most unreal view. The feeling I had up there was indescribable and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have tears in my eyes. What a place to celebrate one year of marriage! Before boarding the high-speed shuttle boat back, you’ll even get the chance to jump off the dock into the chilly but refreshing water of Western Brook Pond, which was welcome after a long hike. Our guide was incredibly knowledgeable and we learned a ton in addition to enjoying gorgeous scenery, including some survival tips and fun facts about moose (did you know they aren’t native to Newfoundland and were introduced in the late 1800s to provide another game source?) A few things to note:
- Including the walk from the parking lot to the first dock, the entire hike is a little over 11 miles roundtrip.
- Wear appropriate hiking attire! Hiking boots and layers are a must. Even on a sunny day, you’ll want an outer layer for both the boat ride and the summit.
- Bring bug spray! The flies can be a nuisance, especially in the meadow. Out East Adventures does provide head nets, which were hugely helpful.
- My husband and I are experienced hikers/in really good shape, so we didn’t find the hike to be too challenging. We even had an eight-year old in our group! That being said, it’s a full day and you’ll gain about 1,500 ft in elevation.
- Pack lunch, snacks, and plenty of water as these items aren’t provided by Out East Adventures. We each brought sandwiches, fruit, and 2L of water.

Top of Western Brook Pond, Gros Morne National Park

Moose sighting one of three, Western Brook Pond, Gros Morne National Park

Green Gardens Trail - If you’re looking for a stunning and relatively easy hike in Gros Morne, be sure to check this one out. The 6-mile roundtrip trail starts in the barren Tablelands and winds its way down through a gorgeous lush forest to volcanic beaches. From the top of the cliffs you can admire the seastacks before heading down to the beach to walk to a beautiful cove. Note that the entire way back to the parking lot is uphill. The trailhead is a little over an hour from Neddies Harbour Inn, so be sure to check out The Tablelands (see below) and stop for a bite in Woody Point on your way back.

Green Gardens Trail, Gros Morne National Park

The Tablelands - This incredible geological formation was once part of the earth’s mantle that was thrust up as continents collided around 500 million years ago. The trail is easy (less than 2.5 miles roundtrip) and the trailhead is accessed off Route 431. This barren landscape is such an interesting contrast to the lush forest, volcanic coastline, and striking fjords you’ll find throughout the rest of Gros Morne National Park. I felt like Ducky exploring in The Land Before Time!

The Tablelands, Gros Morne National Park

Fly fish for Atlantic salmon on the Lower Humber River - If you’re looking to catch monster salmon, be sure to fish the Lower Humber River mid-July through late September. We met our guide near Corner Brook and did a half-day float (technically you’re on an aluminum boat) trip. And good thing because my arm was exhausted after a few hours of nonstop casting! Unfortunately, neither of us were able to land a salmon, but my husband was able to hook into one and it was huge. Afterwards, we grabbed a late lunch outside at Madison’s at the Marble Inn Resort. While their dinner menu is definitely much better, the pizza here was pretty good and they had plenty of local beers on draft. We also bought a gorgeous print here.

If you’re adventurous, love the outdoors, and are looking for an off-the-beaten-path vacation with fewer crowds and incredibly scenery, look no further than Newfoundland. If you need more recommendations/any help booking your trip, reach out to me! Here are some more favorite pics from our trip:

Newfoundland Travel Guide

Nothing Gros About This Canadian Island

Hermanus & Franschhoek Travel Guide

Palawan Travel Guide