Gros Morne National Park opens a window into Earth's past

On the western side of Newfoundland is a national park refreshingly absent of crowds. It’s also one of the most unique and beautiful places on Earth, showcasing an impressive display of rocks from a long-lost ocean destroyed in a collision of continents.

Designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its geological significance, Gros Morne National Park is a place I’ve wanted to visit ever since I saw a photo of the famous majestic fjord towering over Western Brook Pond (I later learn the fjord is actually a gorge).

Now here I am, sitting in a speedboat with 11 people gazing in awe at the grey cliffs rising more than 600 metres above the clear dark water. Waterfalls plunge through cracks in the massive granite and gneiss rock faces that are twice as old as any other rocks in the park. It looks like a fairytale world. Being here is surreal.

“This is the Galapagos of geology,” says Nathaniel Evans, our guide for the hike to the famous viewpoint overlooking Western Brook Pond. “We can look back further in time here than anywhere else on the planet.”

According to Evans, taking a boat tour on Western Brook Pond is the most popular activity in the park, but getting to the viewpoint at the end of the gorge requires some serious effort – a challenging 18 km hike with an elevation gain of 450 metres and a few sections of scrambling.

The first three kilometres is on an access road that passes through a bog separating the gorge from the Atlantic Ocean (this is why it isn’t a fjord). Once at the boat dock, it’s time for a 30-minute scenic boat ride to the end of the pond, where the rest of the rough trail through the backcountry is located.

The trail takes us through a meadow often frequented by moose and a dried up river bed dotted with boulders the size of tiny homes. Along the way, Evans stops to point out moose tracks in the mud and talks enthusiastically about moss, lichens and berries, noting the trail looks a lot different in May when the water is hip deep in some places.

Two hours later, we arrive at the magical viewpoint that showcases the winding gorge surrounded by steep cliffs. And the hiker’s photo frenzy begins.

“The first time I saw the view, it was breathtaking, and it still is every day,” says Evans. “There’s just so much to the hike than just the viewpoint. A lot of people forget that they are actually there for the view because we have the interpretation and the geology and the background story of how significant Gros Morne is to modern geology.”

While hiking to the viewpoint is among the most popular activities in the park, there are many other ways to immerse yourself in Gros Morne’s unique plants, geology and wildlife that includes iconic species like moose and woodland caribou. More than one third of the park is arctic-alpine habitat, making some trails feel dramatically different than anywhere else.  

On Gros Morne Mountain, the highest point in the park at 806 metres, rock ptarmigan and Arctic hare live among low-growing tundra plants. This is the only place in North America where these plants and animals are so easily seen this far south.

Conquering the barren mountain’s summit that’s coated with pink quartzite formed from ancient beach sand is among the top three hikes in the park, even though it’s a 17 km slog with a total elevation gain of 1,000 metres. But like most national parks, there’s a variety of trails to choose from, ranging from rocky coastal paths overlooking the Atlantic Ocean to relaxed walks around ponds lined with boreal forest. One of the most unique areas to explore is the Tablelands.

Geologists had long wondered about the origin of the Tablelands, which looks like a massive block of barren wasteland coated with rusty orange rocks and boulders. But during a mobile guided hike along the 4 km trail, I learn the area is a rare place where the Earth’s mantle is exposed at the surface. The rock was pushed up and through the crust during a collision of ancient tectonic plates and gave key evidence to help explain how moving plates destroyed oceans and build mountains.

Walking on the rocks to the Tablelands summit, it’s hard to wrap my head around the significance of the ground beneath my feet, which is sprinkled with patches of ankle-high juniper shrubs and the odd pitcher plant that’s trapped insects for dinner. You don’t have to be a geologist to enjoy Gros Morne’s natural treasures.

“To me, Gros Morne is special because of its diverse landscapes and unique geology,” said Parks Canada Promotions Officer Julia Endicott, who’s lived in Gros Morne her entire life. “Another defining part of Gros Morne is the way the park embraces seven enclave communities. Each has its own character, with homes set against dramatic backdrops, harbours with fishing boats and trails leading to fjords, valleys and coastlines. Beyond the scenery, it’s the warmth of the people that make the park feel not only like a natural wonder, but also like a welcoming home.”

If you go: Gros Morne Park receives more than 65,000 visitors every year and is divided into four areas that have a total of five campgrounds. Cabins and oTENTiks are available in most campgrounds and accommodation is also available in some communities. The guided Western Brook Pond day hike is provided by Out East Adventures. For more information visit https://bontours.ca/tour-item/western-brook-hike/

- published in the Edmonton Journal in March 2025: https://edmontonjournal.com/travel/travel-gros-morne-national-park-newfoundland

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