Top 8 things to do in Terra Nova National Park

Terra Nova National Park, on the east coast of Newfoundland, is Canada’s easternmost national park: a land of deep, fjord-like sounds reaching in from Bonavista Bay, rolling boreal forest, bogs and ponds, and rocky headlands. In early summer, icebergs sometimes drift into the bay, whales feed offshore, and moose and black bears roam the woods. The park is also a Dark Sky Preserve. These are the eight outings we would put first. The order starts with what the park is known for, then goes by what an outing gives back for the time and effort it takes. Distances are approximate; times are our estimates and do not include stops.

Moose are a real hazard on the Trans-Canada Highway through the park, especially at dusk and at night, so drive slowly. The weather changes fast on the coast, with fog, wind and rain, and the sea is cold all year: paddle only with experience or a guide, and stay close to shore. Black bears live in the park, so store food properly when you camp.

1. Visit the Salton’s Brook visitor centre on Newman Sound

At the head of Newman Sound, the long, sheltered inlet at the heart of the park, the visitor centre has exhibits on the sea and the land, including aquariums and a touch tank where children can handle sea stars and sea cucumbers from the sound. From here, boat tours head out into Newman Sound and Bonavista Bay, and the park’s most popular trail begins at the door.

Allow: 1 hour
Start: the park visitor centre at Salton’s Brook, off the Trans-Canada Highway
When: summer for the exhibits
Suits: everyone

2. Walk the Coastal Trail

This trail follows the shore of Newman Sound between the visitor centre and the Newman Sound campground, through forest and along rocky shoreline, with views over the water and the chance to see seabirds, seals and the occasional whale. It is the park’s most popular walk, easy and varied.

Distance: about 3 miles (4.5 km) one way
Allow: 1.5 to 2 hours one way
Start: the visitor centre or the Newman Sound campground
When: May to October
Suits: most walkers

3. Take a boat tour or paddle Newman Sound

The sounds and coves of Terra Nova are best seen from the water. Boat tours run from the visitor centre in summer, looking for whales, seabirds, bald eagles and, in early summer, icebergs, and guided sea kayak trips explore the sheltered inlets. For paddlers with experience, Newman Sound offers days of exploring among the coves and islands.

Allow: 2 hours to a day
Start: the visitor centre at Salton’s Brook
When: June to September; June for the best chance of icebergs
Suits: everyone on a boat tour; experienced paddlers on their own

4. Climb Ochre Hill for the view

One of the highest points in the park, Ochre Hill has a fire tower and a lookout with a wide view over the forests, ponds and sounds of the park, from Clode Sound to Bread Cove. A trail leads to the top, and the views are at their best in fall, when the blueberry barrens turn red.

Allow: 1 to 2 hours
Start: Ochre Hill, off the Trans-Canada Highway
When: May to October; September for colour
Suits: most walkers

5. Swim and paddle at Sandy Pond

Sandy Pond, a sheltered pond in the forest with a sandy beach, is the park’s best place to swim, with warmer water than the sea. A trail circles the pond, canoes and kayaks can be rented in summer, and it is one of the park’s dark-sky viewing sites at night.

Allow: half a day
Start: Sandy Pond day-use area, off the Trans-Canada Highway
When: July and August for swimming
Suits: everyone

6. Walk out to Malady Head

Beside the Malady Head campground, a short trail leads through the forest to a rocky viewpoint over Southwest Arm and the islands of Bonavista Bay. It is a fine place to watch the sunset and, in early summer, to look for icebergs out in the bay.

Allow: 45 minutes
Start: Malady Head campground
When: May to October
Suits: most walkers

7. Backpack the Outport Trail

This backcountry trail follows the shore of Newman Sound far beyond the end of the road, to the sites of old fishing outports where families lived until the mid-1900s, now overgrown with forest. Primitive campsites along the way make it a fine two- or three-day trip, with quiet coves, beaches and views over the sound.

Allow: 2 to 3 days
Start: the Newman Sound campground; register with the park
When: June to September
Suits: experienced backpackers

8. Stargaze in the Dark Sky Preserve

Terra Nova is a Dark Sky Preserve, far from big city lights, and on a clear night the Milky Way spreads across the sky above the forests and sounds, with the northern lights sometimes dancing to the north. Sandy Pond and the open shores of Newman Sound are good places to watch, and the park holds dark-sky programs in summer.

Allow: an hour or two after dark
Start: Sandy Pond, or the campgrounds
When: all year, near the new moon
Suits: everyone

Before you go

This list covers what stays the same from year to year. Closures, fire bans, trail conditions and tour schedules change, and Parks Canada posts them on its own site. The link is on our Terra Nova National Park guide, with the map and how to get there.