Newfoundland

Late May to mid-June 2025

Itinerary

We arrived in Newfoundland on May 23, 2025 via Canada's Marine Atlantic Ferry at the southwestern tip of the island know as Port aux Basques.  As we got off the ferry at around 8 AM the next morning, we turned right and drove 45 minutes to see the lighthouse in the little village of Rose Blanche.  This beautiful drive reminded us of the Scotland Highlands because of its baron landscapes, peaty soil, and pleasing waterfalls.  After a short visit at the lighthouse and easy hike to Barachois Falls, we turned around (the trip to Rose Blanche is a dead end), drove back to Port aux Basque, and started a slow journey working our way up the West Coast.  Along the way we saw endless rugged coastlines, amazing fjords, and eyepopping views of icebergs.  We spotted our first iceberg near West Point and Eddies Cove.  All told we think we saw somewhere between 30 to 40 icebergs during our travels along the West Coast.

One of the highlights of the West Coast is Gros Morne National Park.  It was here that we saw the most wildlife in one place including moose, caribou, fox, and bald eagles.  Newfoundland boasts a very high concentration of moose, estimated to be between 120,000 and 150,000 animals, possibly the densest population in North America.  Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Gros Morne is also one of the few places on Earth where you can see the Earth's mantle exposed at the surface (see Tablelands).  We even got to walk on it.  Also within the national park is Green Point Geological Sites, easily described as a secret place not yet ruined by major tourism, which boasts world-renowned layers of rock that provides the scientific basis for the boundary between the Cambrian and Ordovician periods in the geologic timescale.  The tilted orientation of the rock layers at Green Point are a result of the powerful forces of plate tectonics and a sight you will not want to miss.

We highly recommend the newly renovated Lomond campground located within Gros Morne National Park on the shores of Bonnie Bay.  This campground it well appointed with clean toilets, hot showers, solar charging stations for phones and tablets, playground, and a wonderful common area with tables, a community wood burning stove, and a place to clean your dishes.  It was here that we met a lot of friendly fellow travelers from all over the globe.  They include a set of jovial, enthusiastic, and downright fun Germans and a firefighter from Saskatchewan who had poor axe skills and a proclivity for burning ill-gotten firewood ;-)  

The boat ride on Wester Brook Pond through the fjords of Gros Morne is in our opinion well worth the money.  While the tickets are not cheap ($79 per adult), the approximately two hour tour features stunning views shaped by ancient glaciers, opportunities to see numerous wildlife, and guides who make this trip informative and fun.  The boat tour is extremely popular, so be sure to book your tickets early.  Also, be warned, getting to the boat from the parking lot is a roughly 3 km (1.85 miles) walk on a gravel path.  This will add time to your visit and, if you don't plan for it in advance, you could miss your boat's departure time.  A golf cart ride to the dock is available for an extra fee -- money my wife claims was well worth the expense.

From Gros Morne, we continued heading North on Route 430 (Viking Trail) up the West Coast towards St. Anthony and L'Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site.  Along the way we stopped at Flowers Cove and walked among Thrombolites -- 600 million to 3.5 billion year old critically endangered microbial structures.  These rare rock formations  can only be found in two places on earth: Flower's Cove, Newfoundland, Canada, and in Australia.

Further North on Route 436 in Saint Lunaire-Griquet we visited The Dark Tickle Company.  Like most of rural Newfoundland establishments, this is a family run business comprised of a charming café (Café Nymphe), gift shop, traditional Newfoundland wild berry jam production facility, and iceberg, whale, and seabird touring boats.  It was from here that we took an incredible ocean tour of icebergs.  From small "growlers" and "burgee bits" to colossal "ice islands" of 10,000 year old frozen freshwater,  the icebergs we visited in the North Atlantic that day were fascinating and awe-inspiring.

The furthest point North in Newfoundland’s Great Northern Peninsula and third UNESCO World Heritage Site we visited is L’Anse aux Meadows.  This archeological site includes 1,000 year old remains of the only known site of Viking settlement and the earliest European settlement in North America.  Nearby is a recreated Viking village and living history museum called Norstead.  Both are worth the long drive North to see.   At the end of a long day, we were lucky enough to again meet up with our newfound German friends at The Norseman Restaurant in the Harbour Front area of L’Anse aux Meadows.  The restaurant is across the road from the statue of Leif Erikson.  Our meal was delicious and the sticky toffee pudding warrants a special shoutout.

The next day we briefly visited St. St. Anthony before heading South 

Getting to Newfoundland

We travelled up the East Coast of the United States, through New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, to get to Newfoundland.  The final leg, from North Sydney, Nova Scotia to Newfoundland, is an eight hour ferry crossing the Gulf of St. Lawrence.  Newfoundland has its own time zone, so we moved over clocks ahead 1.5 hours when we arrived.

Target 1:  Our route will took us through Maine on I-95 into New Brunswick crossing the boarder at Calais, Nova Scotia

Destination: 20 St Stephen Dr, St Stephen, NB E3L 0B5, Canada

45.16416, -67.30772

Target 2: from King St/NB-170 travel New Brunswick Route 1 (E/NB-1 E) to the Trans-Canada Hwy (NS-104/NS-105) in Port Hastings to the ferry terminal

Destination: North Sydney Ferry Terminal, 149 Prince St, North Sydney, NS B2A 3V2, Canada

46.21410, -60.24702 (check-in booth)

Considerations During Your Trip

Because of its maritime location , surrounding ocean currents,  and diverse geology, Newfoundland experiences a fascinating combination of climatic conditions and unique landscapes.   Below is a list of things you should consider prior to visiting "The Rock" for the first time:

• Plan Ahead.  Plan your trip before you arrive in Newfoundland.  It's a really big island with a lot of natural and manmade obstacles that will get in your way if you do not plan ahead.  For example, the weather in Newfoundland varies dramatically, so its easy to get caught without the right clothing.  Tickets for the ferry, lodging, boat tours, local attractions, and car rentals sell out early in the season.  

• Unpredictable Weather.  Situated at similar latitudes to Great Britain and the Kamchatka Peninsula, no part of the island of Newfoundland is more than 100 km (62 miles) from the ocean. This means Newfoundland has a rainy climate that can be heavy throughout the year, with a peak in November.  Westerly winds are common and can be strong at times, gusting around 60 mph -- think sideways rain.  A cool summer humid continental climate across most of the island can be expected.  With that said, frequent dense fog, particularly over the Grand Banks, should also be expected.  Winters can be harsh with snow and cold temperatures which might limit your travel options.

• Bugs!  Be prepared with bug spray and windshield washer fluid.  The black flies can be unbearable at times in late May and early June.  We also started to see mosquitoes in early June near the ocean and next to marshy areas.  Fortunately, when its breezy -- which it usually is -- the bugs aren't so bad.

• Finding gas stations in Newfoundland is generally easy along major routes like the Trans-Canada Highway (TCH) and in larger towns. With that said, while you will find gas stations along the TCH, they are not at every exit.  This is due to the sparsely populated nature of the of the island.  Major fuel vendors like Irving Oil, Ultramar, North Atlantic, and Western Petroleum are common along the TCH.  Off the main road gas is usually available at local convenience stores.   So, if you are hauling a trailer, be warned.  Fill up every chance you get.  Some routes, like the Burgeo Highway (NL-480) and Western parts of the Avalon Peninsula, may have longer stretches without stations. Gas prices are regulated in Newfoundland, and while they tend to be highest in St. John's, you'll see an increase the further you travel from the capital. 

• Icebergs and Whales.  If you want to see icebergs, plan your trip for May or June along the eastern and northern shores, know as "Iceberg Alley".  We highly recommend taking a boat tour to visit icebergs up close.  July and August are the busiest tourist months, with warmer weather, longer days, and fewer, if any, icebergs. July and August is also a great time for whale watching, so remember to bring binoculars and telephoto lenses. 

• Cell coverage is generally good in towns and along highways, don't expect to have cell service elsewhere.  The cell service available in more remote places of Newfoundland is (if available at all) typically 3G, which is not suitable for data-intensive mobile applications.  The lesson here is download maps when you can and consider having a paper backup just in case.

• Closures.  Many attractions and smaller businesses that rely on tourism do not open up until the first or second week of June.  For example, when we arrived at the archaeological site in L'Anse aux Meadows in May 30 it was closed.  The same was true at the Norstead Viking Village.   Both did not open until June 4, 2025.   Fortunately, you can still visit the area and walk around.   The Gros Morne Mountain Summit Trail is closed in the Spring to protect wildlife during a critical reproduction period.  It usually opens at the end of June.   While the ferry from North Sydney to Port-aux-Basques runs year round , the ferry from North Sydney to Argentia, NL does start running until mid-June and runs throug. 

• Camping next to a lighthouse is charming, however; be advised most lighthouses have fog horns and they are not afraid to use them.

Useful Links

• Arcgis

• Automatic Data Retrieval System (ADRS) Web Mapping Application

• Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)

• Google My Maps

• Marine Atlantic Ferry

Resources for Free Camping

• Backroad Mapbook for NL

• freecampsites.net

• explore-mag.ca

• iOverlander  (best resource in our opinion)

• truckstopsandservices.com

• Hikes of Newfoundland {Trail Guidebook}