There is something about arriving at a new place by boat that immediately says “you have reached an exotic location, prepare to be amazed!” That’s how we feel boarding the large ferry that will take us to Port aux Basques in western Newfoundland. We haven’t even arrived yet and already we know this is going to be one epic adventure!
Ferry to Newfoundland
It’s a 7-hour journey across the sea, plenty of time for the anticipation to build amongst our fellow passengers. During dinner, we eavesdrop on a group of women on a bus tour talking about one of their fellow tourmates who is 94 years old and apparently does these tours all the time. They are all amazed by this woman who travels by herself and I’m silently adding my awe, mentally promising myself to be that 94 year old woman someday.
Margaree, Newfoundland
Instead of spending our first evening in Port aux Basques or driving straight to Gros Morne as so many others do, we opt for the quiet seaside village of Margaree. We are staying with Karen, sleeping in her daughter’s old bedroom which still houses her extensive book collection. I see Nancy Drew, Harry Potter, The Hiding Place and so many others that I love. Her daughter is grown now but visits every Sunday for dinner and to teach a yoga class in town. While Karen shows us the kitchen, living room and bathroom which we’ll be sharing with one other guest, we talk about hurricanes and she tells us her mom lost her home in Hurricane Fiona last year. She also has dandelion jelly, which seems to be a theme on this trip!
Karen encourages us to explore this southern section of Newfoundland but to do so before the sun sets (to avoid moose), so we hop in our car and drive to Isle aux Morts. So named because of the many shipwrecks that have occurred off its coast, Isle aux Morts puts me in mind to read some Emily Bronte. I love the stark landscape here, reminds me of Andrew Wyeth paintings, and there are some excellent trails to hike, but alas, we must return as it’s getting dark
First moose sighting
Can you believe, it’s our first full day in Newfoundland and we see a moose! She’s standing right on the side of the highway, so close I can reach out the window and almost touch her (which yes, I know would be a very bad idea). Of course we’re both so shocked that I fail to grab my phone and a photo opportunity is lost, but that’s quickly forgotten as we begin to see glimpses of Newfoundland’s Long Range Mountains. They are glorious! No words can fully describe them and no single photo can do them justice. These mountains will be our steady companion for the next 10 days, as we explore the different sections (including Gros Morne).
Stephenville, Newfoundland
We need a tire repair, so we stop in Stephenville where we meet a moose hunter at Canadian Tire. The woman has weathered leathery skin, long thin legs and a muscular upper body, and I can’t help but think that she resembles the animals she’s hunting. We eat at Domino Pizza House (no relation to the American chain), which is run by the daughters of a Swiss immigrant who opened the pizzeria in 1964. We walk a few blocks in town, stopping at Danny’s Bakery to pick up some pastries. There’s a sign on her door saying the business is for sale and that seems to be the sad state of affairs for most of Stephenville, which once housed “the largest military airport of the United States Army outside of the continental U.S.A.”
We need to kill some time before checking in to our lodging, so we stop for a quick hike at Barachois Pond Provincial Park. It’s a rare sunny day and the trail is thick with vegetation and bugs, so we don’t particularly enjoy this one. Eric fleetingly sees a young moose on this trail but once again we’re not quick enough on the draw for a photo.
Eric has done his research and mapped out the best grocery stores closest to our lodging. This is important not just for cost-saving but also for healthy eating. We’ve learned the hard way how difficult it can be to find fresh produce in small villages, so we always prepare for that. Corner Brook is a nice large town with a good grocery store so we stop here before heading to York Harbour, where we’ve rented an Airbnb from a lovely couple who lives next door.
Lark Harbour and OBIEC Trails
Holy cow, the wind here is insane! No wonder they call this the Blow Me Down region. Our hiking destination today is Lark Harbour, an adorable fishing town that boasts one really good restaurant, a small grocery store and enough trails to hike for two or three days. We begin with Cedar Cove Trail, sharing parking space with busy fishermen who are disembarking for their daily catch. It begins with scraggly cedar trees that look like a haunted forest and within a few feet we see what looks to be a large femur bone that still has cartilage attached. Apparently moose hunting occurs here and someone wasn’t tidy, or the locals like playing practical jokes on unsuspecting tourists.
Just as I begin questioning this trail, it turns into a peaceful green forest. We begin seeing flotsam and jetsam folk art, pieces of plastic and trash creatively arranged and hanging from trees. And suddenly our view opens to a vast cove, wedged between large cliffs. A wind tunnel like we’ve never experienced prevents us from walking down towards the beach. It’s so loud that Eric and I can’t hear each other and we stand here in awe of nature’s power.
We walk a short bit along Little Port Lighthouse, a more difficult trail that connects to Cedar Cove. Just enough to get a good view of the fishing docks.
With wind burnt cheeks and childlike delight on our faces, we head to Bottle Cove Trail just up the road. This one seems to be more popular but it’s still off-season so we only see a few people. It begins at a beach with a boardwalk and replica of the Grenville Schooner used during James Cook’s explorations of Newfoundland.
The wind is strong here too and I have to cinch my coat hood tightly over my ball cap so it doesn’t fly away. The views on this trail are completely different yet equally amazing. We continue on along the Southhead Lighthouse Trail but turn around as the weather deteriorates.
We have to leave York Harbour today but we sneak in one last hike. The Cape Blow Me Down Trail is part of the International Appalachian Trail and while it’s a moderately difficult trek, requiring ropes in some sections, the views at the summit are spectacular! Just as I think we’re going to stop, Eric keeps walking and says “just a little further” and I’m so glad he does because we might have missed the alpine lake and snow waiting for us at the top. We are a muddy mess by the time we arrive at our Airbnb to pack up and leave. Our gracious host allows us to check out late so that we can take a shower. Blessings upon you Joan, for all eternity!
Glenburnie and Gros Morne Trails
We stop for groceries in Deer Lake on our way to Glenburnie where we’ll be for a week. We’re staying in an old school house that’s been converted into an Airbnb. While it’s still under renovation and has some quirks that need to be worked out, we LOVE our time here! Large windows in the kitchen and living room give us clear views of Bonne Bay, which separates the north and south sections of Gros Morne National Park.
There’s only one major issue with the old school house, the ancient gas stove. I’ve seen my husband put himself in uncomfortable situations throughout this trip and not once has he complained, but the thing that finally breaks him is this stove. It takes several meal preps and a slew of cursing that would have made Captain Cook and his crew proud before Eric adapts to a new way of cooking. Peace reigns once again and I can return to writing and whale watching.
I don’t want to hike the Tablelands Trail but Eric makes me. There are too many people here and I see tour buses [insert look of horror]. Shame on me, however, because there’s a good reason for this trail’s popularity. It’s short and easy and the terrain is unlike anything you’ll see in the world. It’s an alien landscape, made up of serpentine rocks and turmeric-colored rocks that were pushed up from the earth’s mantle 500 million years ago. We can honestly say we’ve now “journeyed to the center of the earth.” We spot caribou off in the distance and marvel at how excited people are over what most would consider ugly rocks.
Speaking of ugly rocks, the Green Gardens Trail begins with said ugly rocks and I’m scratching my head at why on earth they named it such. The first half of this trail feels like a desert in Arizona, then it evolves into terrain reminiscent of Colorado’s Rocky National Park. It’s all downhill, rocky and exposed, which has me thinking the return will be a nightmare.
As we reach the ocean, we are suddenly transported to an Irish landscape, complete with boggy paths covered in sheep poo and fascinating rock formations. Down on the beach, Eric and I pass the time naming the different rock formations. We have the entire trail to ourselves, only seeing one couple early on at the beginning of the hike and several groups arriving as we leave.
Driving down into Woody Point, I spot what looks like a whale moving slowly through the bay, and sure enough there is a pod of minke whales! We pull off with other cars and enjoy our first whale sighting while visiting with a couple from Nova Scotia.
It’s raining so today is a work day for us, but we need snacks. So we head to Roy Young Convenience Store to grab some poutine flavored chips. We visit with Roy, who is selling his shop and hoping someone younger will purchase it and keep it going. When we tell him where we’re staying, he says he went to school there and Eric can verify because the old school registers are still in the house.
We rise early this morning because we’re heading to the north section of Gros Morne and want to hike as many trails as possible in one day. The landscape changes dramatically as we arrive at the northern side of the bay. We stop for a potty break at the Mill Brook rest stop, which has picnic tables, an indoor kitchen, nice bathroom and a serene rocky beach with a dock and gorgeous views.
Preferring trails without crowds, we head to Western Brook Pond hours before the boat tours begin. It’s raining and foggy so we’re skipping the boat tour and just hiking to the boat launch, taking the side trail on our return which winds through a peaceful thicket and a wide stream.
Hungry and a little cold, we stop at Whales Back Grub Hub for grilled cheese sandwiches which are the saddest sandwiches we’ve ever eaten. Should have ordered the burgers, which people rave about. But the coffee, muffins and people are great! We enjoy visiting with the owner who tells us about growing up here and living in Ontario where he worked in the tech field for 25 years before returning home. We stop at the SS Ethie shipwreck, which has stairs taking us down to a beach where the corroded remains of the ship have rested since 1919.
Green Point is another excellent viewpoint, even though it’s so windy we have to cover our ears with our hoods. Green Point’s 500 million year old rock wall is used by geologists as a reference point for dating our planet. A colorful fishing village with some functional art is just icing on the cake.
Our next trail today is the Coastal Trail which provides us with an incredibly windy but gorgeous view of the coastline. We begin from the south trail entrance and walk north towards Green Point Campground. A young woman and child are playing in the tide pools where we spot fresh coral and so many seashells I can’t even begin to count them. My eyes don’t know where to settle as the ocean is on my left, ancient cliffs in front, marshland teeming with birds and possibly caribou to the right and all this with the mountains as backdrop. This trail is interesting from beginning to end!
If parking at south entrance (not Green Point), a few miles into the trail look for a grove of trees and some boards leading into it. Walk into this, it’s a hidden forest of tuckamore trees, so named for the creepy formation they take by tucking themselves away from the wind over time. People have built forts inside here and it’s amazing how quiet it is inside this tightly woven glen.
Our last viewpoint for the day ends up being almost 2 miles of trails. Lobster Cove is a delightful surprise, with its lighthouse and meandering pathways. We climb over rocks and hunt for treasures. I feel lighter, as if old skin is being shed, decades of adulthood forgotten as I reclaim the adventurous child I used to be.
Eric is curious what Norris Point has to offer in terms of food and lodging (since we almost stayed here), so we drive around and stop at C & J Rumbolt bakery for snacks and bread. They have a good selection of sandwich bread, cereal, crackers, sweets and frozen goods. Pretty much everything a bachelor would need to survive.
We’ve discovered some Norris Point community trails, but alas, not enough time to hike them! I take notes for our Trips to Walkabout site and we proceed to our last trail of the day. Southeast Falls is a quick climb to a convergence of waterfalls. It’s impressive but I’d love to see it from the ground below. The viewpoint here is just enough to tease but not enough to capture the entire grandeur of these falls.
We pass the big hike, Gros Morne Mountain, because the summit is closed in May and June, but we stop at a viewpoint to capture the peak for which this park is named. It means “big lone mountain” and is the second highest peak in Newfoundland.
Maybe we’ve been in the woods too long, because the next day we begin rewriting the lyrics to Garth Brooks’ “Friends in Low Places.”
I’ve got fronds in low places, where the river flows and the moose chases our hopes away. But I’ll be okay. I’m not big on social places. Think I’ll slip on into my boots and laces. Oh I got fronds, in low places.
I blame the trail we just attempted to hike, Lomond River Trail, which was impassable unless we had gaiters and fully waterproof boots. We did get a lovely view of the water from that trail but now we’re exploring Stuckless Pond and apparently getting a bit loopy.
We hang out for quite some time at the bridge crossing Lomond River and turn around shortly after this, as we only came prepared for a short hike today. Pity, because Stuckless Pond is a fantastic trail (at least what we’ve seen so far).
Our last night in western Newfoundland, we hear a moose walking around the house. Eric flies out of bed to try and see it but it’s too dark. When we wake the next morning, there are hoof prints everywhere. Once again, the moose eludes us.
Thoughts on Western Newfoundland
- Eating healthy is a challenge, especially the further you get from Corner Brook. Finding leafy greens and protein that’s not fried takes work.
- Gros Morne is certainly worth visiting, but our favorite area of western Newfoundland is Corner Brook and the Outer Bay Islands. If you’re planning an itinerary and have to shorten your visit to Gros Morne by a day or two in order to fit this area in, do it!
- Book the Western Brook Pond boat tour or one of the guided hikes that takes you further into this area – it’s the only way you’ll get those impressive fjord views that everyone loves to post. (I regret that we didn’t do this.)
- If your heart is set on hiking to the peak of Gros Morne Mt, don’t visit in May or June. We were willing to forego this trail in order to hike without crowds and to be here during peak iceberg season, but it’s a personal choice.
Stay tuned for part two of our Newfoundland trip, in which we explore the northern outports where icebergs and people take center stage and we learn firsthand why the East Coast Trail is famous worldwide.
