Mountains, Fjords, Icebergs, and Vikings: Explore Western Newfoundland and Southern Labrador

The Trip

With ancient mountains, fjords, and miles of coastline, the rugged west coast of Newfoundland is the Western Hemisphere’s counterpart to the coast of Norway. This trip will include easy to moderate level hikes on multiple trails in the Gros Morne National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. This park features the towering Long Range Mountains, unique Tablelands, and gorgeous fjords. We will have two guided hikes to learn more about the area from an expert and take a guided boat tour of Western Brook Pond, the most spectacular fjord in the park. On other days we will hike as a group on our own, on well-marked trails and perhaps take in some local live entertainment. In addition, we will travel to the north end of Newfoundland to visit L'Anse aux Meadows National Heritage Site, where Vikings established the earliest known settlement in the New World.

Finally, we will spend two days in southern Labrador, accessible by ferry, where we will hike a portion of the famous Labrador Pioneer Footpath and visit two historic sites.

Day 1: The trip begins on Day One with pick up at 9:00 a.m. at the Deer Lake airport. While aboard our bus, we will have an orientation meeting before stopping at our first lodge in Rocky Harbor to drop off our luggage. We will then drive to the trailhead of the 45 minute walk to the boat that will take us on a 2 hour cruise of Western Brook Pond, a land-locked fjord in Gros Morne National Park. Following the cruise, we will hike on another short trail within the National Park. (e,g, Cow Head Lighthouse Trail (rated Easy/Moderate, 2.0 miles roundtrip, minimal elevation gain). Dinner will be at a restaurant in Rocky Harbor and will be covered by the trip price.

Days 2-3: Depending on the guided hikes schedule, and the weather, the leaders will choose our daily activities from these options:

• Guided hike on the Tablelands Trail (rated Easy, 2.5 miles round trip) and on The Little Lookout Trail (rated Moderate, 3.4 mile round trip, 1,108 ft elevation gain). Both trails are in the National Park.
• Guided hike on the Green Garden Trail to sea stacks and volcanic cliffs (rated Moderate, 5.5 miles round trip, 850 feet elevation gain)
• Visit the Discovery Center and the Lobster Cove Head Lighthouse
• Visit the Gros Morne Wildlife Museum

Dinners for these two days are “on your own” and not covered by the trip price.

Day 4: We will travel north by bus, stopping along the way to view sea arches at Arches Provincial Park, hike 1.5 miles to the Salmon Interpretive Center in Hawkes Bay, and visit the Port au Choix National Historic site where we will learn about 6,000 years of human culture in that area. We will stay overnight in a lodge in St. Barbe. Dinner tonight is on your own and not covered by the trip price.

Day 5: Today we will take the morning ferry to southern Labrador and then drive along the coast to the Red Bay National Historic Site, where there was once a Basque Whaling Station. We may also visit the Right Whale Museum in Red Bay. We will stay overnight in a lodge in L’Anse au Clair, Labrador. Dinner is on your own and not covered by the trip price.

Day 6: We will spend the morning visiting the lighthouse at Pt. Amour National Historic Site and hiking on the Labrador Pioneer Footpath (distance is variable, rating is easy to moderate). We will leave Labrador on the mid-afternoon ferry and then drive to St Anthony, stopping along the way to hike the very short, but geologically interesting, Thrombolites Trail before arriving at our lodge in St Anthony. Dinner is on your own and not covered by the trip price.

Day 7: Today we will tour the famous L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site , a UNESCO World Heritage Site,where vikings once had a temporary settlement over 1,000 years ago. In the afternoon, we will visit Norstead—A Viking Port of Trade and if time allows, we can hike the short Iceberg Alley Trail. We will spend another night in St. Anthony where we will have our “farewell dinner” which is covered by the trip price.

Day 8: In the morning, we will take a boat cruise in Iceberg Alley, in hopes of spotting icebergs. After the cruise we will head back to Rocky Harbor, stopping at short trails along the way, as time allows. After checking into our lodge, you are free to go to dinner on your own.

Day 9: The trip ends after breakfast (approximately 9:00 a.m.) when we will check out and head to the airport. Do not make any flight arrangements for earlier than noon if you wish to be transported to the airport in our bus. For earlier flights , you will need to book your own transport to the airport from Rocky Harbor.

Getting There

The nearest airport to Gros Morne National Park is at Deer Lake, Newfoundland (airport code: YDF). You may have to fly first to St. John’s International Airport on the east coast of Newfoundland and then take a domestic flight from there to Deer Lake. Alternatively, you can fly to either Toronto or Montreal in order to get a connection to Deer Lake. The leaders will arrange one airport pickup time on day one and one airport drop off on day nine. Please note that the pick up on Day One is at 9:00 a.m. This will require participants to arrive the day before and stay overnight in Deer Lake on their own. Based on past experience with this trip, we found that it is very difficult for participants to get to the Deer Lake airport from most places in the U.S. by mid-afternoon in order to check in at our lodge by 3pm. We regret the inconvenience and additional expense created by this arrangement. 

Drop-off at the airport on Day 9 will be at approximately 10:30 a.m., as we plan to leave our lodge in Rocky Harbor around 9:00 a.m.

Please do not make non-refundable travel arrangements until notified to do so by the trip leader.

Accommodations and Food

For the first three days we will be staying at a comfortable lodge in the nearby village of Rocky Harbor, Newfoundland. On Day 4, we will stay in a lodge that is close to the terminal for the ferry to Labrador, and on Day 5, we will stay in a lodge in southern Labrador. For Days 6-7, we will stay in St Anthony and then return to our original lodge in Rocky Harbor on Day 8. The trip price includes a welcome dinner on day one and a farewell dinner on day seven at local restaurants. On the other days, participants are free to eat at a restaurant of their own choosing and at their own expense. Breakfast will be provided by the lodges and are covered by the trip price. Sack lunch fixings will be provided by the leaders and participants will make their own lunches.

Trip Difficulty

Trail lengths vary from 4 km (about 2.5 miles) to 9 km (about 5.6 miles). All are rated easy to moderate, but some will have elevation gains of up to 1,100 feet. Trails can be rough, rocky, and rooty. Hiking poles are recommended. A program of conditioning done prior to the trip will assure you'll be able to do all the hikes.

Equipment and Clothing

A detailed equipment and clothing list will be sent to all approved participants. Basically, you will need good rain gear, waterproofed and well-broken-in hiking boots, layers of clothing for changing conditions, and hiking poles for rough, uneven trails. You will be expected to carry a day pack with water, lunch, snacks, personal first-aid items, rain gear, and clothes to layer with if needed.

References

Websites:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gros_Morne_National_Park
• https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/nl/grosmorne
• https://www.newfoundlandlabrador.com/top-destinations/gros-morne
• https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/lhn-nhs/nl/meadows

Books:

• Burzynski, Michael, Gros Morne National Park.
• Marceau, Anne and Michael Burzynski, Rocks Adrift: The Geology of Gros Morne National Park. Gros Morne Cooperating Association.

Conservation

The Sierra Club is actively involved in both conservation and sustainability of resources, both locally and globally. Our work is accomplished by volunteers and salaried staff, and encourages grassroots involvement. Our outings seek to empower participants toward greater understanding, advocacy, and participation in the goals of the club. While Sierra Club is largely an American organization, Canada does have a Sierra Club counterpart. The conservation emphasis for this trip will focus on boreal forest preservation, the state of the provincial fishery, and the role of Canada’s National and Provincial Parks in addressing these issues.

Sierra Club National Outings is an equal-opportunity provider and when applicable will operate under permits obtained from Parks Canada.