Newfoundland's 700-square-mile Gros Morne National Park is the second-largest park in eastern Canada, so you might want to traverse the park's diverse wilderness with an expert guide. Tours of Gros Morne, or "large mountain standing alone," take you through the rocky coasts, dense forests, glacial fjords and waterfall-laden inlets that make Gros Morne a national treasure.
Boat Tours
- If you came to Gros Morne for the waterfalls -- some of the tallest in eastern North America -- sign up for a boat tour with the park's two resident boating outfitters, BonTours and Ocean Quest Adventures. Located just outside the park at the Ocean View Hotel in Rocky Harbour, BonTours offers two-hour boat tours in July and August. You can choose between sea or freshwater excursions, tours that include music or hiking, or wildlife-specific journeys that feature whale-watching, underwater sealife or cliff-nesting gulls.
Ocean Quest Adventures, located on the Trout River Pond directly within the park, provides 90-minute Zodiac boat tours from June through September. The "Geologic Adventure Tour," takes you throughout the Trout River Pond in an inflatable, rigid-hill boat.
You can purchase BonTours boat tickets directly at the Ocean View Hotel or reserve online at BonTours.ca. For an Ocean Quest Adventures boat tour, reserve online at oceanquestadventures.com.
Kayak Tours
- If you prefer to roll up your sleeves on a sea kayak, consider a kayak tour with Gros Morne Adventures. Led by expert paddlers, the 2-, 3- and 4.5-hour tours depart from the outfitter's office on the Norris Point Waterfront and head for the Bonne Bay, where guides take you through waterfalls and wildlife-viewing spots. Kayak tours are available from June through September. Book online by visiting grosmorneadventures.com.
Interpretative Tours
- For a behind-the-scenes tour of Gros Morne, consider taking one of the park's interpretive tours, which are offered from June through September. Hiking, cultural and educational tours range in price, although a few are free with your park pass. Budget travelers should check out the 2.5-hour "Walk Upon the Earth’s Mantle" tour, a free geology excursion that departs from the park's visitor center daily. A full-day, "Hike to the Top of the Bottom of the Earth" tour is also available from the park's visitor center for a fee.
Hiking and Backpacking Tours
- If you have more than one day to explore the park, Gros Morne Adventures offers multiday backpacking tours. These challenging but rewarding tours -- up to five nights -- guide you through the most off-the-beaten-path areas of the park, where you see wildlife such as woodland caribou, moose and black bears. Day-long hike tours are also available. To make a reservation, visit grosmorneadventures.com.
