Call it a form of sibling rivalry between two halves of a Canadian province known for its rugged landscapes and storytelling locals: our plane had barely touched down in Deer Lake in western Newfoundland, when we were whisked off to the ‘Best Coast’, an affectionate descriptor used by western Newfoundlanders when referring to this part of The Rock. Of course, proclaiming “the West Coast is the Best Coast” is a good natured poke in the eye to their eastern neighbours on the Atlantic side of the island and is all in good fun. That being said, western Newfoundlanders have good reason to brag: with epic hikes, dramatic landscapes 485 million years in the making, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site or two, there’s plenty to back up their ‘best coast’ claim. But don’t take their word for it: check out these western Newfoundland attractions, and the people who know them best, and then judge for yourself.
Gros Morne National Park
Any visit to western Newfoundland starts with Gros Morne National Park. For most people, the natural wonders of this place are why they chose to visit this coast in the first place. But what many people don’t realize is that unlike many National Parks, this one includes 7 communities who have lived here since before the Park got its designation, which means that the people you will meet here as guides and business owners are deeply rooted in the history and landscape of this part of Newfoundland.
Our first stop was in the Southern section of Gros Morne, with a hike to see first-hand some of the scenery that make this part of Newfoundland so famous. We started out on the Green Gardens trail with guide Brad Young, whose family’s ‘blood is in the soil’ as he described it. The grandson of a lighthouse keeper who helped build the trails we were hiking on, Brad was forced to leave Newfoundland to find work, in his case in the oil fields of Alberta, before returning to Gros Morne to work as a guide 8 years ago. His is a story that mirrors so many other Newfoundlanders’ who have had to reinvent themselves and their livelihoods following the shuttering of the fishing industry with the 1992 cod moratorium.
Brad has taken to his new career like the survivalist expert he is (literally, since he taught survival training as well). He reads his audience well and in between pointing out some of the native plants and geographic features along the 4.5 km trail, he entertained our group of hikers with amusing anecdotes and slightly risqué jokes.
A few kilometres into the hike, what had begun as a treeless rocky trail got progressively greener with more vegetation and trees the lower and closer we got to the coast. Finally, the trail spit us out atop a grassy cliff edge (we began to understand the name “Green Gardens”) with fantastic views of the beach, the offshore sea stacks, and the rugged, undulating coastline.
This was some of Newfoundland’s most beautiful scenery, much greener than its nickname, The Rock, would suggest, and more than what we had imagined when we first set out on this particular trail. Some people have actually compared this to the Napali Coast of Kauai, and I could definitely see why.
After a must-do photo stop at Parks Canada’s iconic red chairs, we took the staircase down to the rocky beach, walking along to where a waterfall spilled out onto the shore amidst a tangle of driftwood and boulders.
After enjoying a packed lunch on the beach, it was time for our return trip back up to the trailhead to follow up our Green Gardens hike with a visit to a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the world-renowned Tablelands.
TIP: The Green Gardens trail is about 9km return on an out-and-back path that gradually descends to the coast from the trailhead. Although not difficult terrain, the return is all uphill, but easily managed if you take it slowly. Bring water and snacks, or even lunch to enjoy on the beach. And if you want to book a guided hike with lunch provided, check out Tour Gros Morne who can organize it all for you.
“The Bones of the Earth”: The Tablelands in Western Newfoundland
Eight kilometres or so from the Green Gardens trailhead lies one of Newfoundland’s (and the planet’s) natural wonders: the Tablelands. In stark contrast to the green of its neighbouring hills and valleys, these rust-coloured, mesa-like ridges stand out like the anomaly that they are. In fact, the Tablelands shouldn’t be here at all. Or rather, they shouldn’t be visible. These formations are part of the earth’s mantle, and normally lie buried miles deep below the earth’s crust where the mantle belongs, not rising 700 metres above the ground.
The Tablelands in western Newfoundland are one of the very rare visible examples of planetary tectonics, where one continental shelf collided with another, pushing its underside (mantle) upwards in a geological smashup that took place over 485 million years ago. That same collision helped form the Appalachian mountains and the supercontinent known as Pangaea. Millions of years later, the Tablelands have eroded and softened their contours, but still remain as lifeless as ever, thanks to their highly toxic mineral content that prevents almost all life from taking root here. Or does it?
It Takes Tenacity to Survive Here
Life will find a way, but in a place as hostile as the Tablelands, only certain types of plant species have what it takes to survive here – the kind of plants found in another inhospitable environment: the arctic. Walking along the flats at the base of the Tablelands, we had the company of Valerie, a Parks Canada interpreter who shared fascinating details about the unique geology and flora of this place.
One of the first things Valerie pointed out were arctic birch ‘trees’, one species that has gained a foothold here among the red peridotite rocks, but these plants look more like woody, twisted ground vines than actual trees. Yet these low-growing plants are actually old-growth specimens, some of which have survived for 275 years despite the howling winds that ravage them come winter.
The tiny Pitcher Plant is another native species that has managed to survive at the Tablelands (it is also the national flower of Newfoundland & Labrador). This gritty little plant is actually carnivorous and eats insects that it traps in its tiny bucket-like pouch. Similarly, the insect-eating Butterwort also finds a foothold here beside small rocks that act as a windbreak for its delicate stems and blue star-shaped flowers.
Life may be small here, but the views are anything but. While there are no marked trails and visitors are free to wander the Tablelands, there is a popular path that follows an old roadbed to the Winter House Brook Canyon, one of the best viewpoints in the Park.
As bucket-list items go, walking on the Earth’s mantle has to rank right up there, and the opportunity to do so at the Tablelands in western Newfoundland certainly helps support the ‘best coast’ claim. Apparently UNESCO concurs.
TIP: Informative guided walks are available for visitors to the Tablelands. For tour schedules, visit the Parks Canada Tablelands website.
Two Arms and a Tickle in Bonne Bay
You’ve got to love the Newfoundland way of naming places. Because only here at Bonne Bay in the central region of Gros Morne National Park will you find the coastline configured in such a way to be described as “two arms and a tickle”. What this actually refers to are two narrow sea inlets (‘arms’), between which is a distinctly Newfoundland term: a ‘tickle’, a short narrow strait big enough or deep enough to get a small boat through.
The description alone can’t help but make you smile, and the beauty of Bonne Bay only adds to this charm, especially on a calm evening when the water is still and the evening light illuminates the colourful buildings on the shore. Better still is the view from the water, where on one side Gros Morne mountain rises like a guardian in the distance, and on the other, the flat-topped plateau of the Tablelands sits perfectly framed between the green hills flanking the bay.
Just ask Becky O’Keefe or her partner Alex Chafe who operate Wild Gros Morne Adventures here, who regularly take out visitors to take in these million-dollar views. There’s no place they’d rather live, and no place they’re happier to share with others.
Their business started with zodiac tours in 2017, but Becky and Alex have since expanded their offerings to include all kind of land and water-based excursions, as well as accommodations and a market on the Bay. Best of all, they often host ‘boil-ups’ for their guests, another Newfoundland term that refers to putting the kettle on ‘to boil’, a metaphor for sharing a bite to eat with friends or family, whether that’s on the shoreline with fresh lobster in a pot, or enjoying a multi-course group meal in Becky and Alex’s fishing shed-inspired gathering space.
We were treated to the latter, enjoying a variety of elevated traditional Newfoundland dishes that use many of the vegetables and ingredients Becky grows herself. The moose crostini? Becky harvested the moose herself. Mussel pizza, why not? Then there was cod au gratin (proving that fish and cheese DO go together well), and finally a dessert made with bake apples, a local berry that is notoriously labour-intensive to gather because only a single berry grows on each branch, and these are low to the ground. Kudos to the pickers, because they were delicious.
Of course no Newfoundland gathering would be complete without a little music, in this case provided by Ellie, a young woman who works for the company, who brought out her guitar and played a few favourite songs that got everyone joining in (“I’se the b’y” for one).
But it was when Ellie sang a few soulful songs by musician Ron Hynes that we could see how the story of Newfoundland plays out through its music. The lyrics are poetic and many of the songs speak to the disappearance of the fishing industry on the island, and the loss of a cultural identity as a result. One song in particular, Sonny’s Dream, has become anthemic for many Newfoundlanders. Even for Ellie, who wasn’t even born when the cod fishing moratorium was imposed, these songs have a special place in her heart.
Shining a Light on Rocky Harbour
The largest community in Gros Morne National Park is Rocky Harbour, and many visitors who come to western Newfoundland make this their base for exploring the region. One of the major historic sites here is the Lobster Cove Head Lighthouse, the very one where George Young, the grandfather of our Green Gardens guide Brad, worked as lighthouse keeper for 29 years until the light was automated in 1969.
It’s worth a visit here to learn more about the history of the community and how the residents of Rocky Harbour were instrumental in pressuring the government to install a lighthouse here in 1897 to help protect their fishermen.
The Lobster Cove Head lighthouse acts as a self-guided museum with artifacts and exhibits, but there are always staff on hand to answer any questions about the history of this site, as well as the community it serves.
While the exhibits help educate just how lighthouses were used as a communication network for sailors, the Lobster Cove Head museum also gives visitors a glimpse into the lifestyle of men like George Young, whose lighthouse served not just a sentinel to warn sailors, but as a community hub for sharing news with locals over a cup of tea. That ‘Cup o Tea’ tradition is still honoured today with baked goodies occasionally offered to visitors along with a tale or two about Rocky Harbour and its lighthouse.
FUN FACT: There are two sets of ‘original’ Parks Canada red chairs located on the trails near the Lobster Cove Head lighthouse. These chairs are placed at particularly beautiful spots within Canada’s National Parks, a concept that actually started here in Gros Morne National Park, and was adopted nationally for the country’s 150th birthday.
Anchors Aweigh!
If you are in Rocky Harbour on a Monday, Wednesday or Friday night in the summer months, definitely include the Anchor Pub in the Ocean View Hotel on your must-go list. It’s here that you’ll be treated to an evening of Newfoundland songs, stories and humour courtesy of the Anchors Aweigh Band. Fronted by Wayne Parsons, who acts as lead singer/guitarist/emcee for the evening, this musical group will have even the most cynical, world-weary traveller clapping and smiling by the end of the evening.
All five band members are talented musicians (when they aren’t running boat tours or managing boutique hotels as their day jobs) and after 27 years, it’s clear that they love what they do on stage, putting their heart and soul into the songs they perform. Whether it’s a lively sea shanty-type jig, or a quiet ballad, the songs express Newfoundlanders’ relationship with the sea, their island’s wide open vistas, and the love they have for the communities and families they hold so dear. With a healthy dose of good-natured, often self-effacing humour thrown in, there’s no better way to get a sense of what makes Newfoundlanders who they are, beyond the clichés. This is a thoroughly entertaining evening that will have you laughing, clapping, and singing along, when you aren’t listening intently to the more soulful lyrics of their ballads.
Western Brook Pond: A Bucket-List Cruise Into a Fjord-not-Fjord
Continuing our journey north into Gros Morne, Henk and I were eagerly anticipating what we hoped would be the highlight of our visit to the Park: a boat excursion on Western Brook Pond, the most famous ‘fjord that isn’t’ in the Park. This ‘pond’ (Newfoundland-speak for ‘lake’) is actually a land-locked, glacier-carved body of water that may once have opened to the sea like a true fjord, but today is a 100% fresh-water lake. Semantics aside, this Pond has all the characteristics of an ocean fjord with 2000-foot high cliffs rising straight up from both sides of this 16-km long stretch of dark water.
The day we visited was a particularly moody one, with rain falling and low clouds blanketing the Pond and threatening to cancel the cruise altogether. But these boat captains are Newfoundlanders who know their weather (one of the captains is Anchors Aweigh manager and performer Reg Williams, who is pushing 80 and still going strong), and before long the sky began to lift and our boat set out.
With the fog rising off the lake and the mist swirling around the rocky crags of the cliffs high above our heads, it felt like we were in a scene from Lord of the Rings as our boat made its way into the depths of the fjord. Past a cleft in the stone cliffs was a waterfall cascading down to the surface of the lake, beginning who-knows-how-high-up in the cloud-obscured peaks.
And as we motored slowly past, one of the crew pointed out a face on the opposite cliffs, a guardian that has watched over these waters for millennia, long before visitors started coming here.
Had the weather been clearer and fairer we might have seen more detail in those cliffs, got more sun on our faces, and even enjoyed more of a party vibe on our boat. But the grey day that shrouded Western Brook Pond in fog and silence seemed to command our respect and gave this place a mysterious ambiance that felt appropriate for a 25,000 year-old remnant of our last Ice Age. We loved it.
Gros Morne National Park Does Western Newfoundland Proud
Our visit to western Newfoundland only focused on one region of this amazing island: the attractions and highlights of Gros Morne National Park. There is of course, much more to see both north and south of the Park, but even exploring just some of the coast and its resident communities gave us insight into why the locals feel their coast is the best. From the ‘bones of the earth’ at the Tablelands to the people who live here who are the salt of the earth, western Newfoundland offered us experiences you can only find here.
Which is the best that any visitor could hope for.
Special thanks to Newfoundland & Labrador Tourism who hosted Henk and I on our visit to Western Newfoundland.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION: WHERE TO STAY IN GROS MORNE NATIONAL PARK
BONNE BAY/WOODY POINT: The Bonne Bay Inn
Beautiful sea views from every room make the boutique Bonne Bay Inn a great option, but it’s just one of the reasons why this property is consistently given top ratings by its guests. The 10 rooms are stylish and comfortable, the staff is friendly and attentive, and everything you need is on-site including a full dining room and pub-style bar. Grab a cocktail after a day of hiking and settle into the lounge to watch the sunset or look for whales in the bay. A hot, hearty breakfast is also included in your stay.
Neddies Harbour Inn
An award-winning boutique hotel on the shores of Bonne Bay, this 16-room property offers large, comfortable rooms with all the amenities you would expect in a 4 1/2 star property. There’s a large sunroom perfect for enjoying a cup of coffee or tea or glass of wine while reading or playing a board game. Off the lounge is an expansive outdoor deck, offering panoramic views onto the Bay. Neddies also boasts one of the area’s best restaurants, the Black Spruce Restaurant, offering exceptional dining.
ROCKY HARBOUR: Gros Morne Cabins
As soon as I laid my head on the pillow in our cozy 2-bedroom cabin, I recognized a scent from my youth: clothesline-dried linens! It’s not very many places where you can experience this kind of nostalgic luxury, but the personal touches at Gros Morne Cabins don’t stop there: the quilts on every bed are made by locals (ours was sewn by 81 year-old Lillian), giving each cabin its own unique personality and a feeling of being at a family cottage. The location of these colourful ocean-front cabins can’t be beat, and each one has fully equipped kitchens with everything you might need for a longer stay. There’s even a handy general store right on the property.
WHERE TO EAT IN GROS MORNE
BONNE BAY/WOODY POINT: Galliot Studios and Cafe
Stop in for an espresso or hot beverage of your choice prepared by owner and ceramics artist Jenny, or shop a little for a locally-made craft in this pottery studio/cafe. There’s a pretty deck out back facing the water, too.
The Black Spruce
Chefs Jason Lynch and Joy Newman offer fine dining options using seasonal, locally-sourced ingredients whevever possible. Some of our late spring dishes included a delicious and refined potato and leek soup, cod with sun-dried tomato risotto and a lemon cheesecake with partridgeberries, all of which were stellar.
NORRIS POINT: Sugar Hill Inn/Chanterelles Restaurant
Another upscale option recommended by foodie friends (from Newfoundland’s ‘other coast’), the menu at Chanterelles is very seafood-focused particularly in their appetizers, but also provides a good variety of entrées for those who love meat or fowl as well.
ROCKY HARBOUR: Oceanview Restaurant
Located in the hotel where Anchors Aweigh performs, this is the perfect option for dinner before taking in the show. The menu offers plenty of variety from fresh seafood to meat dishes, all of which are generous and tasty.
Fisherman’s Landing
A popular choice for breakfast or any meal, you won’t leave hungry after visiting this casual Rocky Harbour family restaurant. Think diner-style menu items, with everything from hot turkey sandwiches (remember those?) to moose burgers and fries.
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