The Complete Gros Morne National Park Guide: Hikes, Food & Local Spots
I used to live here.
Gros Morne isn't a place I visited once and fell for from a distance. I lived here, and out of every place I've travelled to since, nothing has come close to it. This guide is everything I know firsthand: the hikes I actually did, the cafés I actually sat in, the shops run by people I actually know, and the little pub where you'll find me the second I'm back in town.
Consider this less of a listicle and more of a locals' map, handed to you by someone who used to call it home.
What's inside
- Before You Go — passes, timing, and what to pack
- Hikes — 6 trails from easy boardwalks to the summit
- Lookouts & Things To See — 7 spots the views are worth stopping for
- Restaurants & Cafés — 7 spots where I actually eat, every visit
- Shops & Local Culture — 9+ spots, small, local, and worth your time
Go in order or skip around — this isn't a system to follow step by step, just a map of a place that means everything to me.
Start Here
Before You Go
Park Pass
You need a park entry pass to stop at trailheads, lighthouses, the Discovery Centre, or Western Brook Pond (you don't need one just to drive through on Route 430/431).
- Daily Adult — $12.25
- Daily Senior — $10.75
- Youth (17 and under) — Free
- Family/Group (up to 7 in one vehicle) — $24.50
Buy at: Rocky Harbour Visitor Centre, Woody Point Discovery Centre, Gros Morne Entrance Kiosk in Wiltondale, or most large motels.
Tina's tip: Parks Canada's Canada Strong Pass gives free admission June 19 – September 7, 2026 — check parks.canada.ca before you go in case it's active on your dates.
Getting Around
The park stretches about two hours north to south. Rocky Harbour is the main hub in the central region; Norris Point sits right on Bonne Bay; Woody Point and Trout River are across the bay to the south. The Norris Point ↔ Woody Point passenger ferry saves an hour of driving and gets you some of the best photos of the Tablelands from the water.
Best Time To Visit
Late June through September is peak season — everything is open, trails are clear, and Western Brook Pond boat tours are running. Gros Morne Mountain itself is closed to hikers May 1 to June 27 each year to protect wildlife, so plan around that if the summit is on your list.
What To Bring For Hiking
- Sturdy, broken-in hiking shoes — boardwalks get slick and muddy sections are common
- Layers + a windproof/rain shell — weather flips fast, especially up high
- Bug spray — blackflies and mosquitoes are real June through August
- Water and snacks — very few services once you're on trail
- Sunscreen and sunglasses — the Tablelands have zero shade
- Offline maps downloaded — cell service is spotty to nonexistent in most of the park
- Cash — some small cafés and gift shops don't take cards
- Your park pass, visible on the dash if driving
Get Outside
Hikes
Baker's Brook Falls
MODERATE · ~9–10 km return · 2–3 hrs
Mostly flat wooden boardwalk through bog and balsam fir forest, ending at a wide, tiered waterfall over limestone. Trailhead at Berry Hill Campground. Watch for moose.
Tablelands Trail
EASY · ~4 km return · 1.5 hrs
Flat, exposed trail across the eerie, rust-red rock of the Earth's mantle — thrust to the surface by colliding continents 480 million years ago. No shade, so bring water and sun protection.
Green Gardens
MODERATE–DIFFICULT · 9–17 km depending on route · 3–7 hrs
Starts on the Tablelands barrens and descends through boreal forest to a volcanic coastline of sea stacks and cliffs. One of the most dramatic, least crowded hikes in the park.
Gros Morne Mountain (James Callaghan Trail)
DIFFICULT · ~16–17 km loop · 6–8 hrs
The big one. A steep, rocky ascent up a gully onto the alpine plateau, with panoramic summit views over Ten Mile Pond and the Tablelands. Closed to hikers May 1 – June 27 for wildlife protection.
Western Brook Pond Trail
EASY · 3 km one-way · ~45 min
Flat gravel trail from the parking lot to the boat dock for the fjord cruise. Golf cart transport available for those with mobility needs.
Lookout Hills Trail
MODERATE · ~5 km return · 2 hrs
Starts right in Norris Point and climbs to sweeping views over Bonne Bay and the Tablelands — a good pick if you're already staying in town and short on time.
Take It In
Lookouts & Things To See
Western Brook Pond Boat Tour
A 2-hour catamaran cruise into a cliff-lined, landlocked fjord with 1.2-billion-year-old rock walls and waterfalls dropping 650m. Books out days ahead in summer — reserve online. ~$99/adult (2026 pricing).
Lobster Cove Head Lighthouse
Easy grounds to wander with tide pools below and one of the best sunset spots in the park. Exhibit open daily 9am–5pm, mid-May to mid-October.
Discovery Centre (Woody Point)
The park's geology and cultural exhibit — good rainy-day stop and worth doing before the Tablelands so the rocks actually mean something.
Broom Point
A preserved 20th-century fishing premises with the original family's boat and gear left in place — a quick, easy stop in the park's north end.
Jenniex House Lookout — Norris Point
The restored 1926 saltbox house has one of the single best views in the park — Bonne Bay, Norris Point, Woody Point, and the Tablelands all from one cliffside spot.
Bonne Bay Lookout / Norris Point Waterfront
The classic wide shot of Bonne Bay with the Tablelands behind it — best around golden hour.
S.S. Ethie Wreckage
Rusted remains of a coastal steamer wrecked in 1919, sitting right on a multicoloured pebble beach near Sally's Cove.
Eat & Drink
Restaurants & Cafés
The Old Store Café — Norris Point
Cafe / Lunch
A cozy, colourful little cafe on Main Street, bright inside and full of local art. Great coffee, paninis, soups, and baked goods. My go-to morning stop, every time.
The Cat Stop Waterfront Pub — Norris Point
Pub
Dockside pub right below the Tablelands with a patio over Bonne Bay, cold drafts, and live local music. My favourite spot for a pint after a hike.
Java Jack's Restaurant & Gallery — Rocky Harbour
Dinner / Seafood
A Gros Morne institution since 2000 — fresh seafood, local produce from their own garden, and an art gallery on the walls. Reservations recommended for dinner in summer.
The Black Spruce Restaurant — Norris Point
Dinner
Local, unfussy dining right in Norris Point — a solid family dinner option without leaving town.
The Old Loft Restaurant — Woody Point
Dinner
Sits in a restored heritage building in Woody Point with views over Bonne Bay. Good option if you're spending the day on the south side of the bay.
Anchor Pub — Rocky Harbour
Pub / Live Music
The liveliest pub in Rocky Harbour, with live traditional entertainment most nights in summer including the Anchors Aweigh Band and kitchen parties.
Bonne Bay Market — Norris Point
Bakery / Grab-and-Go
Boutique bakery treats, picnic and hiking lunches, plus local art and hiking supplies. Good stop to build a trail lunch, with a deck overlooking Bonne Bay.
Support Local
Shops & Local Culture
Jenniex House — Norris Point
An 85-year-old restored saltbox house that's part museum, part craft shop, with a mug-up (tea/coffee and muffins) on the porch and the best view in town. Donation-based entry.
Old Buoy Apparel Pop-Up — Norris Point
A Newfoundland coastal apparel brand — tees, hoodies, and hats built around the working-coast look. Pops up in Norris Point periodically; check @oldbuoyapparel to see if they'll be around.
The Old Store Gift & Ice Cream Shop — Norris Point
Right next to the Old Store Café — local gifts, crafts, and ice cream for after a hike.
Molly Made Fibre Art Studio — Bonne Bay/Woody Point
A cozy craft shop of locally made pottery, hand-dyed yarns, soaps, jewelry, and rug hooking kits. One of the best browses in the whole park.
Galliott Studios — Woody Point
Local art gallery worth a stop if you're already across the bay for the Discovery Centre or the Woody Point of View show.
The Glass Station — Rocky Harbour
Locally made glass art — jewelry, ornaments, and home pieces, all handblown.
Java Jack's Gallery — Rocky Harbour
Doubles as a gift shop and gallery of local artists' work, alongside the restaurant.
Julia Ann Walsh Heritage Centre — Norris Point
A small museum in the former cottage hospital, with artifacts from the era of Newfoundland's outport medical system.
Gros Morne Wildlife Museum — Rocky Harbour
A small local museum of taxidermy and natural history — a fun, quick stop with kids.
Live Music & Shows
- Neddy Norris Night — informal, pop-up traditional folk music and storytelling in Norris Point, part of the Gros Morne Theatre Festival
- Gros Morne Theatre Festival (Cow Head) — professional theatre, music, and dinner theatre, running seven nights a week June–September
- Woody Point of View — Thursday-night show in Woody Point with occasional daytime pop-ups too
- Anchors Aweigh at the Anchor Pub — live traditional Newfoundland music most nights in summer, Rocky Harbour
- Trails, Tales & Tunes — a ten-day festival every May in Norris Point with concerts, storytelling, and boat tours