Shared itinerary · Gros Morne and the Great Northern Peninsula, Newfoundland and Labrador
Gros Morne and the Viking Trail in 6 days
Six days up Newfoundland’s west coast from Deer Lake: the Tablelands, where you walk on the Earth’s mantle, the boat into Western Brook Pond’s landlocked fjord and a day on Gros Morne Mountain, then north on the Viking Trail past The Arches to the Norse site at L’Anse aux Meadows and the icebergs off St. Anthony, and back by Port au Choix. 17 stops with times and notes. Icebergs drift past from late May to June and whales come in July; book the Western Brook Pond boat ahead.
Updated
Distance
917 km
Gros Morne Discovery Centre → Shallow Bay
Days
6
Stops
17
| Day | Route | Stops | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Gros Morne Discovery Centre to Woody Point | 4 | 40.0 km |
| Day 2 | Western Brook Pond to Lobster Cove Head Lighthouse | 3 | 83.8 km |
| Day 3 | Gros Morne Mountain to Bonne Bay Marine Station | 2 | 32.0 km |
| Day 4 | The Arches Provincial Park to Grenfell Historic Properties | 3 | 383 km |
| Day 5 | L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site to Fishing Point Park | 3 | 70.5 km |
| Day 6 | Port au Choix National Historic Site to Shallow Bay | 2 | 307 km |
Day 1: Gros Morne Discovery Centre to Woody Point
40.0 kmAn hour from Deer Lake airport to the south side of Bonne Bay.
- 11:00
Gros Morne Discovery Centre
Sight
Parks Canada’s centre above Woody Point, on how Gros Morne’s rocks came to be here.
4.7 km · 10m drive to next
- 12:30
Tablelands
Park & nature
Rust-coloured rock from the Earth’s mantle, pushed up when continents collided. The 4 km return trail starts on Route 431.
14.6 km · 20m drive to next
- 15:00
Trout River
Sight
A fishing village at the end of the road, with a boardwalk along the beach.
20.7 km · 20m drive to next
- 18:00
Woody Point
Food & drink
Dinner in the heritage village on Bonne Bay.
Day 2: Western Brook Pond to Lobster Cove Head Lighthouse
83.8 kmRound the bay to the north side, and the park’s most famous boat trip.
- 09:30
Western Brook Pond
Park & nature
A 3 km boardwalk across the bog to the dock, then two hours on a landlocked fjord between cliffs 600 m high.
8.6 km · 15m drive to next
- 14:00
Broom Point
Sight
A restored family fishing premises on the shore, open in summer.
34.8 km · 30m drive to next
- 16:00
Lobster Cove Head Lighthouse
Sight
A red and white lighthouse at Rocky Harbour, with exhibits on the coast’s people.
Day 3: Gros Morne Mountain to Bonne Bay Marine Station
32.0 kmThe mountain day. The summit route opens once the spring melt is over, usually late in June.
- 08:00
Gros Morne Mountain
Activity
A 16 km day to the 806 m summit, the park’s highest point, up a steep gully of loose rock. Start early and carry a jacket: the top is often in cloud.
14.7 km · 15m drive to next
- 16:30
Bonne Bay Marine Station
Sight
Tanks of Bonne Bay’s sea life at Norris Point, open in summer.
Day 4: The Arches Provincial Park to Grenfell Historic Properties
383 kmNorth on the Viking Trail, Route 430, about four and a half hours of driving to St. Anthony.
- 09:30
The Arches Provincial Park
Park & nature
Sea arches worn through a limestone ridge, two minutes from the road.
190 km · 3h drive to next
- 13:30
Flower’s Cove Thrombolites
Park & nature
Rock mounds built by microbes, among the oldest signs of life on Earth, on a short boardwalk.
105 km · 1h 30m drive to next
- 16:00
Grenfell Historic Properties
Sight
Wilfred Grenfell’s house and the mission that brought doctors and hospitals to the coast.
Day 5: L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site to Fishing Point Park
70.5 kmThe tip of the peninsula: the Norse, and the icebergs.
- 09:30
L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site
Sight
The only authenticated Norse site in North America, about 1,000 years old, with sod buildings rebuilt beside the dig.
980 m · 5m drive to next
- 12:15
Norstead
Sight
A reconstructed Viking-age port with costumed interpreters, down the road.
35.5 km · 45m drive to next
- 15:00
Fishing Point Park
Park & nature
The cliffs at the end of the road in St. Anthony, the best place on land for icebergs in late May and June, and whales in July.
Day 6: Port au Choix National Historic Site to Shallow Bay
307 kmBack south to Deer Lake, about five hours of driving, with two long stops.
- 11:00
Port au Choix National Historic Site
Sight
Burials and camps of the peoples who lived on the point over thousands of years. Walk out to Phillip’s Garden.
116 km · 2h 30m drive to next
- 15:00
Shallow Bay
Park & nature
A long sand beach at Cow Head, and the last walk before Deer Lake.
