Coastal and Mountain Hiking in Gros Morne National Park

Program Registration: 4:00-5:00 p.m. After you check in and have your room assignment, join us at the Road Scholar table in the lobby to register with the program staff, get any updated information, and confirm the time and location of the Orientation session. If you arrive late, please locate your Group Leader and let them know you have arrived.

At the hotel restaurant.

Orientation. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. You are embarking on an adventure in one of Canada’s most celebrated National Parks: Gros Morne. We will be staying in two small towns, Cow Head and Rocky Harbour, located right in the park, giving us easy access to many of the attractions, historically and culturally, that this World Heritage Site has to offer. Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding. Prepare for check-out in the morning.

At the hotel.

In a presentation at the Discovery Centre with a Parks expert, we’ll learn why Gros Morne has been called the “Galapagos of Geology” and was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987. The park is a grand scale illustration of plate tectonics, and we will be walking on and touching evidence of the collision and separation of continent-sized plates of the earth's crust over millennia, including the 1.5-billion-year-old rock that forms the cliffs at Western Brooks Pond. After the presentation, we'll hike on the internationally known Tablelands, a rare outcrop of the Earth’s mantle pushed skyward half a billion years ago. The landscape here, with its peridotite and serpentinite rock, is similar that of Mars and what looks like a barren landscape is actually home to plants normally found in the Arctic. The trail ends in the glacially-carved Winterhouse Brook Canyon.

At a local restaurant.

This afternoon we will be hiking on Woody Point community trail and through the historic community on the shores of Bonne Bay. Woody Point is a Registered Heritage District and has many heritage buildings. The trail provides spectacular vistas as it meanders through the hills of Woody Point, past the iconic Woody Point Lighthouse, and ending on the tranquil beaches of Woody Point. Many wild plants are featured on this walk including fields of pitcher plants. We will then transfer to the motel.

At the hotel.

At leisure.

At the hotel.

We’ll follow the trail to the shores of Western Brook Pond and its impressive backdrop of spectacular cliffs, fjords, and the Long Range Mountains. Along the way, we’ll cross the bogs and forested ridges of the parks’ coastal lowlands, once located below sea level. We will then embark on a boat excursion on Western Brook Pond. The “pond” is the largest lake in the park. Aboard the boat, we will see the spectacular, landlocked Western Brook Pond fjord. The fjord is just one of numerous glacially carved fjords in the Long Range Mountains, the northernmost extent of the Appalachian Mountains. Waterfalls cascade from a height of 3,000 feet, and we may spot some of the local wildlife. The lake is home to an unusual colony of cliff-nesting gulls.

At the dockside at Western Brook Pond, there are a sheltered waiting area, indoor washroom facilities, canteen services, and a gift shop as well as several beautiful picnic areas where we will enjoy our boxed lunches.

We’ll hike the limestone coastline near Cow Head. Enjoy spectacular coastal views, look for fossils buried in this ancient rock, and learn of a journey from hundreds of meters below the ocean to its present day location. The trail winds through a thick medieval looking forest with tunnels of tuckamore lining the sides in between open areas. There are a couple of viewing platforms built along the way offering views of the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the expanse of the inland coastal lowlands and the Long Range Mountains. After the trail crests the top of the head, it turns back towards the ocean and the lighthouse.

At the hotel.

At leisure.

At the hotel.

We’ll head to Hawke’s Bay to hike the John Hogan Trail. The trail was built to commemorate the remarkable courage of Newfoundland Ranger John Hogan, who for over 50 days, survived in the wilderness and cared for a totally incapacitated companion. The boardwalk meanders along the Torrent River and ends in a spectacular waterfall. We’ll also visit the Torrent River Salmon Ladder and hear from a local expert about Newfoundland and Labrador’s most successful salmon enhancement project.

At a local restaurant.

North of Gros Morne National Park is the fishing community of Port au Choix. The rich fishing grounds made this area an important source of food for Maritime Archaic Indian, Dorset and Groswater Paleoeskimo groups and other, more recent Indigenous peoples. The Dorset people also hunted seals on passing ice flows for food, clothing and shelter. Walk in their footsteps along the trail and see a full-scale replica of one of their subterranean dwellings at the Port Au Choix National Historic Site. Explore the limestone barrens looking for rare plants and fossils. Keep an eye out for sculptures offering glimpses into ancient Indigenous ways of life.

At the hotel.

At leisure.

At the hotel.

We’ll head out to hike across the coastal lowlands to an impressive waterfall at Baker’s Brook. The trail offers great views of the Long Range Mountains and leads through balsam fir forest to the falls, a series of cascades over limestone ridges. This boreal forest is in several stages of regeneration, recovering from the natural effects of winds and insects. Heavy moose browsing has limited its regrowth in many places.

At a local restaurant.

After lunch, we’ll hike Burnt Hills Trail, which is located on the waterfront of Norris Point. This trail will lead us to scenic views of Norris Point, The Tablelands, and the eastern arm of Bonne Bay. This trail is a popular spot for photographers.

At the hotel.

Enjoy a performance at the Gros Morne Theatre Festival by a theatre troupe featuring Newfoundland stories, song and music, celebrating the Island's heritage and most importantly her people.

At the hotel.

We will hike to the base of Gros Morne Mountain. It dominates the skyline and stands apart from the Long Range Mountains. Hikers are rewarded with spectacular views of Bonne Bay and the Long Range Mountains. Listen for songbirds and look for moose along the trail. The first 2.5 miles of trail wind through forest to a viewing platform at the mountain base. There are frequent stairs and a boardwalk from which we will enjoy amazing vistas.

At a local restaurant.

After lunch we head for the Lobster Cove Head Lighthouse - an historic lighthouse and one of the best places in Gros Morne National Park to spot whales! We’ll learn from a local expert how local residents fought to have these lighthouses built in order to protect loved ones out at sea fishing, see the lighthouse keepers’ tidal clock, and then hike the coastal trail.

On your own.

At leisure.

At the hotel.

Today we will hike in the Trout River area. We’ll follow the trail to a spectacular coastline of cliffs, sea stacks, and the meadows of Green Gardens. We will cross serpentine barrens, descend through forest, and reach the shore at Old Man Cove.

Boxed lunch shoreside or at a scenic spot.

Hiking continues at the Tablelands with great panoramic views. At our conclusion, we’ll transfer to Rocky Harbour by motorcoach in time to freshen up for dinner.

At the hotel. Share favorite experiences and enjoy camaraderie with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.

At leisure.

At the hotel.

We’ll transfer as a group via motorcoach to Deer Lake Airport after breakfast; approximate arrival at airport is 9:00 a.m. for those staying on independently. This concludes our program. If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!