Gros Morne National Park
RV Guide
Introduction
Characterized by soaring fjords and mountains towering above a panorama of beaches, bogs, forests, and barren cliffs, Gros Morne National Park is the perfect RV holiday destination. This national park, located 20 miles (36 km) northwest of Deer Lake, Newfoundland and Labrador, covers an area of 1,805 sq km (697 sq mi) and is only second to Torngat Mountains National Park in terms of size in all of Atlantic Canada. The ancient landscape in the park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The full range of activities to enjoy at the park includes tours and programs, hiking, kayaking, geocaching, ski touring, ice skating, fishing, picnicking, wildlife watching, oTENTik, cycling, mountain climbing, snowshoeing, tobogganing, swimming, boating, golfing, photography, boat tours, bird watching, mountain biking, cross country skiing, ice climbing, dog walking, kite surfing, mooring, and stargazing. Some of the facilities/amenities in the park include campsites with partial RV hookups, rustic cabins, fireplace, kitchen shelter with wood stove, flush toilets, hot water & showers, dumping station, playground, and wireless internet.
The name of the park derives from Newfoundland’s second-highest mountain peak (2,644 feet/806 meters) which is located within the park. The French meaning of the park’s name is “large mountain standing alone".
Gros Morne National Park was established in 1973 and made a Canadian National Park in 2005.
RV Rentals in Gros Morne National Park
Transportation
Driving
Gros Morne National Park, located 20 miles (36 km) northwest of Deer Lake, Newfoundland and Labrador, along Route 430 (also called the Viking Trail), is an easy park to locate and access by RVs, trailers, and other motorized vehicles. The roads within the park are paved and connect all the campgrounds and sites of interest. There are no driving restrictions within the park.
Parking
Gros Morne National Park features numerous parking areas, offering campers and visitors various options to park their rigs. Campers can park their rigs at any of the designated parking areas in the park or at their respective campsites. Overnight parking is available for RV campers at the park.
Public Transportation
A daily water shuttle service (BonTours Water Taxi) is available between Norris Point Community and Woody Point Community. Other available taxi and bus services include Pittman’s Taxi (Norris Point), Martin’s Transportation (Woody Point), Shears Bus Service (Rocky Harbour), DRL (daily motor coach service), and Deer Lake Taxi.
Campgrounds and parking in Gros Morne National Park
Campsites in Gros Morne National Park
Reservations camping
Berry Hill Campground
Berry Hill Campground in Gros Morne National Park features 69 pet-friendly campsites available for RVs and tents. 25 campsites in the campground are equipped with electric and water hookups for RVs, while the remaining campsites do not have RV hookups. RV length limit at the campground is 35 feet (11 meters), however RV vacationers with longer rigs can contact the park to know if there is space available. Amenities at the campground include laundry facilities, comfort station, drinking water, dumping station, fireplace, flush toilets, hot water and showers, playground, kitchen shelter with wood stove internet/WiFi. Otentiks and group camping as well as rustic cabins are also available in the campground. Campsites are available by reservation.
Trout River Campground
Trout River Campground in Gros Morne National Park features 42 pet-friendly campsites available for RVs and tents. Wheelchair accessible campsites are available in the campground. All the campsites in the campground do not have RV hookups. RV length limit at the campground is 35 feet (11 meters), however RV vacationers with longer rigs can contact the park to know if there is space available. Amenities at the campground include fire pit/barbeque pit, comfort station, drinking water, playground, and internet/WiFi. Otentiks camping is available in the campground. Campsites are available by reservation.
From the campground, campers can explore the Tablelands, take hikes to Green Gardens, and catch the view of Bonne Bay from Lookout Hills. Moreover, campers can visit the Discovery Center to the numerous exhibits.
Green Point Campground
Green Point Campground in Gros Morne National Park features 30 pet-friendly campsites available for RVs and tents. Electrical and water hookups are available in the campsites in the campground. RV length limit at the campground is 27 feet (8 meters). Amenities at the campground include fire pit/barbecue pit, comfort station, drinking water, dumping station and internet/WiFi. Campsites are available on by reservation. The campground is located around the traditional seasonal fishing village and overlooks the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Otentiks camping is available in the campground.
Shallow Bay Campground
Shallow Bay Campground in Gros Morne National Park features 62 pet-friendly campsites available for RVs and tents. Wheelchair accessible campsites are available in the campground. All the campsites in the campground do not have RV hookups. RV length limit at the campground is 35 feet (11 meters). Amenities at the campground include fire pit/barbeque pit, comfort station, drinking water, playground, dumping station, internet/WiFi, as well as an accessible sandy beach. Campsites are available by reservation.
First-come first-served
Lomond Campground
Lomond Campground in Gros Morne National Park features 29 pet-friendly campsites available for RVs and tents. All the campsites in the campground do not have RV hookups. RV length limit at the campground is 35 feet (11 meters). Amenities at the campground include fire pit/barbeque pit, comfort station, drinking water, playground, dumping station and internet/WiFi. Campsites are available on first-come first-served basis. The campground sits on the shores of Bonne Bay and offers beautiful ocean views and stunning mountain ranges.
Seasonal activities in Gros Morne National Park
In-Season
Hiking
Featuring 20 fascinating trails that add up to over 100 km (63 miles), Gros Morne National Park offers RV campers amazing opportunities to enjoy hiking where they can see some of the most interesting wildlife and scenery in eastern Canada. These hiking trails vary from easy to strenuous, with the easy trails passing along flat to gently rolling terrains with less than 100 meters (328 feet) elevation gain. The moderate trails possess short steep sections and can have as high as 500 meters (1,640 feet) of elevation gain. The difficult trails in the park are packed with many steep sections that extend for long areas with more than 500 meters (1,640 feet) elevation gain.
Wilderness hiking is also available for hikers that want to physically and mentally stretch or test themselves on the Long Range Mountains in the park.
Geocaching
Gros Morne National Park offers geocaching opportunities for RV campers through the Great Gros Morne Geocaching Challenge. Campers get to enjoy traditional geocaching by finding exact locations of caches through provided GPS coordinates. This involves hiking on more than five of the trails in the park, over a total distance of 20.5 km (13 miles) to find the caches. A limited-edition Gros Morne National Park trackable geocoin is the reward for campers who find all five caches in the park with proof of find.
Cycling
The fact that there are no designated bike trails in Gros Morne National Park does not in any way prevent campers from enjoying biking the park. Mountain biking is allowed on the Stuckless Pond Trail, and the 11 km (7 miles) of looped ski trails around the Visitor Centre. Local riders as well as campers enjoy biking on the Eastern Arm Pond cabin access road across the highway from the Visitor Centre because the path offers amazing views of the Long Range Mountains and Gros Morne. Long stretches of wood roads are also available north and south of the park for riding/cycling.
Off-Season
Swimming
Gros Morne National Park offers indoor and outdoor swimming opportunities for RV campers. Campers can enjoy swimming in the 25 meters (79 feet) indoor pool in the Recreation Complex in Rocky Harbour. Besides, campers can engage in unsupervised swimming at the Shallow Bay (saltwater), Lomond (saltwater), and Trout River Pond (freshwater) in the park. The ocean currents and low water temperature make it necessary for swimmers to exercise caution in the ocean. Swimming off the beach at the mouth of Western Brook is not recommended at the park.
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiers love Gros Morne National Park because of the abundant snowfall, beautiful scenery, and moderate winter temperature in the park that make it a perfect skiing spot. The park features 27 km (17 miles) of groomed cross-country ski trails, most of which are tracked for classic skiing, with only a few tracked for freestyle skiing. The groomed trails include 10.8 km (7 miles) of Visitor Centre Trails, 5 km (3 miles) Trout River Pond trails, 12 km (7.5 miles) Wigwam Pond to Stuckless Pond Trails, and 6.8 km (4.2 miles) Shallow Bay Trails.
Interpretive Programs
Gros Morne National Park features various interpretive programs and events that provide exciting ways for RV campers to explore the special features in the park. Park interpreters offer informative and fun programs about the wildlife, plants, geology, and history of the park, as well as the culture of the people in the area for the enjoyment of campers. At Gros Morne National Park, there is just so much to discover.
