All you need to know about our top family-friendly trail picks on the west coast of Newfoundland, Canada.
Hiking was a big part of our everyday while staying in Gros Morne. With so many beautiful trails, we would choose a hike and spend the afternoon seeing where it took us. Travelling to Newfoundland was an adventure in itself, now it was time to explore one of the most popular places in the province, maybe even all of Canada. Our hikes in the national park led to destinations like beautiful hidden waterfalls, lookout points in high up places, and our favourite, a coastal trail that had mountains, rolling hills, rocky beaches, all in one 6km loop. Find out why the Coastal Trail was top of our list, as I share about the hike and show photos I took along the way. I’ll also let you know about a few other trails our family loved. Top Trail Pick: Coastal Trail 6.0km return This trail had a starting point located right in our campground! Green Point Camping is open year-round. Reservations open May 20th each year, but if you visit any time before this date, the park is first come, first serve. Most of our hikes within the national park began with a short drive to the trail. The coastal trail however was only a 5-minute walk from where our trailer was camped, making it super convenient.
With a quick glimpse of the ocean before we headed into a wooded area, we were on our way. The path began in a forest that was super moody. I always love when the trees create a dark tunnel with specs of light trickling in between the blowing branches. We were off to a good start with this trail. Portions of the path under the trees had a boardwalk, keeping our feet dry and making for a comfortable trek.
Once the trees began to disappear, we emerged into an open area, oceanside. We got our first look at the path before us. Mountains in the distance, small bodies of water to the left of us, and rocky shoreline to our right. The views were nothing like I had seen before, and to make it even better, the sun was low in the sky, casting a beautiful soft light on everything in sight.
We walked along the ocean, passing over a few wooden bridges and through some grassy hills. We found a few nice walking sticks laying alongside the path and picked them up as walking with a stick seemed to be the norm in this part of the world! As we neared the end of the first half of the loop, we could see a small fishing village tucked in on the beach ahead. Once we got closer, a river stood between us and the humble houses on the shore. The water was rapidly raging into the ocean, with the currents fighting each other. Beautiful to watch but we dare not cross. We were at the halfway point and had gone as far as we could go!
We turned around and headed back, just in time to witness the sunset and the mountains develop a pink glow. Once we returned to the starting point, we sat on an old wooden bench and watched as the sun made its way below the water line. Seals played just a few feet out, splashing and diving together. The perfect ending to our favourite hike in the park.
Close Second: Gros Morne Mountain Summit Incomplete Disclaimer: We did not hike too far into this trail, but the little we did do was worthy of a close second on our top trail picks.
The Summit has a level of elevation that was greater than some of the other hikes we took as a family. We were up for the challenge.
We quickly became acquainted with the overall nature of this hike –up! Once the entrance way portion of the trail wore off, we were climbing consistently will a few places of reprieve where our calves and thighs got a break. The climbing hills ran alongside a fast-moving river. We could hear it as we walked and eventually came upon a glimpse of the rolling water. We stopped and had a look but quickly left it behind as we continued upward.
As we went up, the views became more and more vast. We crossed paths with a few other hikers who had turned around due to the seemingly never-ending climb. We pressed on, debating when our family should turn back. Two of our family members sat on a big rock for a break near what seemed to be the top. They did not get back up for quite some time, so my son and I walked a bit ahead, curious about what might be just around the bend if we push on a little further. We were so glad we did as we stumbled on the most beautiful waterfall with an old wooden bridge that gave us a front row seat. We called the others to come join us and hung out at the falls as we recouped from the climb and soaked in all the sights. It was at this point that we were satisfied with how far we had come and turned back around to make the trek to the car.
As hard as the climb was at times, the way back down felt even worse. This is where we forged for hiking sticks to assist in the slow decent. Once back to the car we were hot and sweaty and our feet hurt, but we left with a memory of a lifetime. Thirdly: Bakers Brook Falls 9.2km return For this hike, my son and I went, just the two of us. When I say we went it alone, there was one car in the parking lot. The owners of it passed us shortly after we began, then we knew we were the only ones on the trail. This was a bit an eery feeling for such a long hike that went far into the mountains and the bush, but we followed the trail anyway – just us and the moose.
The scenery was ever changing, from long boardwalks, portions of wooded areas, and wide-open spaces that made you realize just where exactly you are… Newfoundland! There were signs every kilometer to let you know where you were along the way.
Due to walking in moose territory, we were on the lookout. We eve passed a moose sanctuary. Our hearts were beating a little fast then normal being on alert for these very large, majestic animals. At the 4km mark, I took a step off a small rock and rolled my ankle. Luckily, I was able to stand and keep it moving. Around the 5km mark we made it to our destination – a three tier waterfall in the middle of nowhere, just Jonah and I there to witness it’s beauty!
It was a long hike out, but we walked swiftly. I would definitely leave around 3 hours for this hike, especially if you want to stop and take in the views. Hiking Tips: After a few hikes in Gros Morne National Park, I started learning what worked and what didn’t work for me. So here are my tips and tricks! Layers. Before locking up your car, think about that top layer you have on. My first few hikes I always had one too many layers and ended up carrying my top layer with me. Keep your layers light! Your body will heat up fast, and 5km into the hike you may not want to be lugging extra weight. Shoes. Starting out with my city runners, I quickly went and purchased hiking shoes. With the rocky unlevel terrain this was a much-needed improvement. Walking Pole or Stick.
Find yourself a good walking stick or pole. I found this helped immensely when tackling the steep climbs and especially when climbing back down.
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