Horseshoe Falls Niagara with tourists on viewpoint overlooking powerful waterfall and turquoise river

🇨🇦Gros Morne National Park

Gros Morne National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Newfoundland with fjords, tundra, wildlife, and trails for every family. Plan your visit here.

Your family guide

Gros Morne National Park with kids

“Walk on exposed mantle rock while waterfalls vanish into mist: geology made visible, made tangible, made unforgettable for kids.”

— San & Jo

Gros Morne National Park is one of those places that genuinely stops you in your tracks. Spread across 1,805 square kilometres on Newfoundland's Great Northern Peninsula, this UNESCO World Heritage Site packs glacier-carved fjords, rust-red tundra, thundering waterfalls, and boreal forest into one extraordinary landscape. And the best part? It offers brilliant adventures for both adults and children.

What makes Gros Morne special for families is the sheer range of experiences on offer. You can take an easy lighthouse stroll in the morning, hop on a boat tour through a freshwater fjord in the afternoon, and finish the day with a moose burger in a cosy Rocky Harbour restaurant. There is no single way to do this park, which means you can shape it entirely around your family's pace and energy.

The surrounding communities of Rocky Harbour, Woody Point, and Cow Head add real warmth to the trip. Newfoundland hospitality is legendary, and you will feel it everywhere from the festivals and live music to the locally sourced seafood on every menu. This is not just a hike-and-leave kind of place. Families who give it four days or more leave with memories that genuinely last.

Newfoundland, CanadaWest coast of the island

1,805 km²UNESCO World Heritage Site

Late May to mid-OctoberBest time to visit

Best things to do

Best things to do in Gros Morne National Park

Western Brook Pond boat tour

This is the one experience every family should do in Gros Morne. The boat glides through a 16-kilometre glacier-carved freshwater fjord with towering cliff walls on both sides and waterfalls that cascade from heights of up to 2,000 feet, sometimes dissolving into mist before they even reach the water. It is breathtaking for adults and utterly jaw-dropping for kids.

Book your boat tour in advance, especially in July and August when spots fill fast

3-4 hours including walk-in

Tablelands Trail

Walking the Tablelands feels like landing on another planet. The landscape is barren, rust-red, and eerily quiet because the ancient mantle rock is so mineral-rich that almost nothing grows on it. This is one of the few places on Earth where you can walk on exposed rock from the planet's mantle, and it is the site that helped scientists confirm the theory of plate tectonics. A brilliant conversation starter for curious kids.

The trail is mostly flat and easy underfoot, making it accessible for a wide range of ages and fitness levels

1-2 hours

Lobster Cove Head Lighthouse

Near Rocky Harbour, this historic lighthouse sits on a bluff above Bonne Bay with sweeping coastal views. There are interpreter talks, exhibits inside, and short bluff trails that are easy for the whole family. It is especially popular at sunset, and if you visit in July or August, keep your eyes on the water for whale spouts.

Arrive around an hour before sunset for the best light and the best chance of spotting whales offshore

1-2 hours

Baker's Brook Falls Trail

This 9.1-kilometre forest trail winds through beautiful boreal woodland to a series of impressive waterfalls with multiple viewpoints along the way. It is one of the park's most rewarding hikes for families who want a bit of distance without the intensity of a mountain summit. Pack a picnic and take your time.

The trail is well-marked and shaded, which makes it a great option on warmer days

3-4 hours

Wildlife watching for moose and caribou

Gros Morne is home to moose, caribou, and a remarkable variety of rare plant and bird species. Moose sightings are extremely common, particularly in the early morning and evening near wetlands and forest edges. Spotting one in the wild is a genuine highlight for kids and something they will talk about long after the trip.

Drive slowly along park roads at dusk. Moose are most active near water and forest edges

Ongoing throughout your visit

Kayaking in Bonne Bay and Shallow Bay beach

For families who want to get out on the water beyond the boat tour, Bonne Bay offers calm, sheltered kayaking with stunning mountain scenery all around. Shallow Bay beach on the park's northern edge is a beautiful stretch of sand that is perfect for a relaxed afternoon with younger children who need space to run and explore.

Shallow Bay beach can feel surprisingly warm on calm summer days, making it a great unexpected swimming spot

Half day

Discovery Centre and Lookout Trail near Woody Point

If your family wants to understand what makes this park so scientifically remarkable before heading out on the trails, the Discovery Centre near Woody Point is the perfect starting point. Interpretive exhibits explain the park's geology and ecosystems in an engaging way, and the nearby Lookout Trail offers easy scenic views without a big physical commitment.

Great option for a slower morning or a rainy day when bigger hikes are not on the cards

1-2 hours

Our verdict

How Gros Morne National Park scores for families

Kids

With wildlife, waterfalls, boat tours, and trails at every difficulty level, there is genuinely something here for every child. The park rewards curiosity and energy in equal measure.

Nature

World-class. Fjords, tundra, coastal cliffs, boreal forest, and alpine terrain all within one park. This is nature at its most dramatic and most diverse.

Adventure

From easy lighthouse walks to challenging summit hikes and multi-day backcountry traverses, the adventure dial goes as high as your family wants to push it.

Food

The local seafood and foraged ingredients are genuinely excellent, and restaurants like Java Jack's and Taste at the Gros Morne Inn are well worth seeking out. Dining options are limited in number but high in quality.

Budget

Park entry fees apply, and boat tours add up, but accommodation and dining in the surrounding communities are reasonably priced compared to most major Canadian destinations.

Planning your visit

How long should you stay in Gros Morne National Park?

2 days

Quick visit

Fit in the Western Brook Pond boat tour, the Tablelands Trail, and the Lobster Cove Head Lighthouse. You will get a real taste of the park but will need to move at pace.

sweet spot

4 days

Sweet spot

The recommended minimum to experience the park's highlights without rushing. You have time for a longer hike, the boat tour, wildlife watching, a beach afternoon, and a proper meal in Rocky Harbour or Woody Point.

7 days

Deep dive

A full week lets you explore the park's quieter corners, tackle the Baker's Brook Falls Trail, take in a local festival, kayak Bonne Bay, and truly slow down into the Newfoundland pace of life.

Fun facts

Things to know about Gros Morne National Park

You can walk on the Earth's mantle

The Tablelands are one of the only places on the entire planet where ancient rock from deep inside the Earth has been pushed to the surface and you can actually walk on it. The rust-red colour comes from iron in the mantle rock reacting with oxygen over millions of years.

Waterfalls that vanish into thin air

Some of the park's waterfalls are so tall, cascading from heights of up to 2,000 feet, that they turn completely to mist before the water ever reaches the ground below. Standing near one and watching it disappear is genuinely surreal.

Named after a British Prime Minister

The main trail up Gros Morne Mountain is officially called the James Callaghan Trail, named after the former British Prime Minister who visited the park in 1976. He was honoured for his support of conservation efforts at a time when the park's future was still being shaped.

Taste Gros Morne

What to eat with your family in and around Gros Morne

Bakeapple cheesecake

Must try

Various restaurants in Rocky Harbour and Woody Point

Bakeapples are wild-harvested berries with a tart, honey-like flavour unique to Newfoundland and Labrador. The cheesecake made with them is a regional signature dessert that tends to be popular with children and adults alike.

Moose burger

Local favourite

Java Jack's Restaurant and Gallery, Rocky Harbour

A true Newfoundland experience. Moose is a local staple and moose burgers appear on menus throughout the park area. The flavour is richer and slightly gamier than beef, and trying one feels like a genuine part of the Gros Morne experience.

Local scallops and fresh greens

Safe choice

Java Jack's Restaurant and Gallery, Rocky Harbour

Java Jack's in Rocky Harbour is one of the park's most loved restaurants, known for sourcing fresh greens from its own garden and serving beautifully prepared local scallops. It is the kind of place that reminds you how good simple, fresh food can be.

Lobster bisque and seafood risotto

Must try

Taste at the Gros Morne Inn, Woody Point

The Taste restaurant at the Gros Morne Inn in Woody Point uses Ocean Wise certified seafood and locally sourced ingredients throughout its menu. The lobster bisque and seafood risotto are signature dishes that showcase just how good Atlantic Canadian cooking can be.

Fresh cod, halibut, and salmon

Daily treat

Various restaurants across Rocky Harbour and Cow Head

The park's culinary scene is built around locally caught seafood. Cod, halibut, and salmon appear on menus throughout the area, often alongside foraged mushrooms and berries. For families who love fresh fish, this region is a genuine treat.

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