Canada Guide
Newfoundland and Labrador
Gros Morne National Park
Beginning about 30km from Deer Lake, the southern section of the Long Range Mountains has been set aside as the Gros Morne National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that incorporates a large chunk of the peninsula's finest and most approachable scenery. Indeed, the imposing beauty of the park can be almost overpowering, its bays, scrawny beaches, straggling villages and wizened sea stacks backclothed by bare-topped, fjord-cut mountains, whose forested lower slopes are home to moose, woodland caribou and snowshoe hare. It's possible – weather permitting – to drive into the park at any time, but from mid-May to mid-October there's an entry charge of $9 per car.
The best place to start a visit is the main visitor information centre (daily: late June to Aug 9am–9pm; mid-May to late June and Sept to mid-Oct 9am–4pm; 
709/458-2417, 
www.pc.gc.ca ), situated beside Route 430 as it approaches Rocky Harbour, just 70km from Deer Lake. The centre has a series of excellent displays on the geology, botany, biology and human history of the park, and also issues free maps, brochures on the park's key hiking trails and details of local boat excursions. It also runs a programme of guided walks and has all the gubbins on the park's five campsites (advance reservations on 1-877/737-3783, www.pccamping.ca ). The park also has a number of backcountry primitive campsites dotted along the longer trails and for these you have to register here first. If all this sounds too much like hard work consider Gros Morne Adventures ( 709/458-2722, www.grosmorneadventures.com ) which offers a wide-ranging programme of guided hikes, cycling, sea kayaking and winter sports.