A touch of Arizona in Newfoundland

Fall 2008

Day Trip #1 - The East Coast

This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web.

To download a pdf copy of the magazine click here: > DOWNLOAD

By Keith and Heather Nicol

GROS MORNE National Park, located at the base of the Northern Peninsula in Western Newfoundland, is the largest national park in Atlantic Canada. Facing the Gulf of St. Lawrence, you can paddle down inland fjords as impressive as any in Norway, or past sea stacks and long sandy beaches.

Gros Morne is best known for its unusual geology, which has made it a UNESCO World Heritage site. A plate collision 300 million years ago thrust the ocean mantle (peridotite) on top of the land. Peridotite has an unusual chemical composition and is toxic to most plants, creating a barren appearance, and thanks to the high concentration of iron, a reddish-brown color. This tends to make this part of Newfoundland look more like Arizona than Eastern Canada. Gros Morne is known for its hiking trails but less so for its sea kayaking.

Where to Paddle

Beginners: Beginners can paddle in many places in the park but a favorite is at Norris Point. Here you can paddle in the protected waters of Bonne Bay. You can also put in at Lomond Campsite or at the Trout River Pond boat launch. The former gives you protected paddling in East Arm of Bonne Bay and the second in one of the inland fjords. In either case you can paddle for up to several kilometers (one way) along the shore with numerous beaches to stop for lunch or a break.

Intermediate: Intermediate paddlers can opt for paddling at Cowhead by putting in at the community wharf. Here you can paddle around the Cowhead peninsula or out to various offshore islands. Since this area is exposed be careful about wind and weather conditions. You can also try your hand at surf kayaking along the 4-km sand beach at Cowhead, if the conditions are right. A popular trip with the West Coast Kayak Club (if weather conditions are appropriate) is a paddle between the communities of Trout River and Woody Point (24 km), but you will need to work out a car shuttle.

Advanced: Advanced paddlers can opt for longer paddles along the shore (from Rocky Harbour to Cowhead), a distance of about 44 km. There are campsites at Green Point that can be used for an overnight trip. This route follows the coast so is not recommended in strong west or northwest conditions, since the shore faces directly into the Gulf of St. Lawrence and getting off the water could be challenging. Expert paddlers may also want to try paddling Western Brook Pond, a spectacular inland fjord with sheer rock walls as high as 600 metres in places. Attempt this only in good conditions and remember that strong afternoon winds often make the return trip more than you bargained for. There are few pullouts once you enter the fjord. You can camp at the far end, which makes this a good overnight trip.

Tips and Hazards: Tides are not large at Gros Morne, and currents are generally not much of an issue. More dangerous are the afternoon winds that often rise up suddenly, and if you are along an open stretch of coastline you may have trouble getting off the water. Get the marine weather forecast and pay close attention to it. Water temperatures are generally cool so a wetsuit is suggested, especially for any open water paddling or early or late-season paddling. Whales make a summer appearance so contact the Gros Morne National Park Visitor’s Centre to find out what people are seeing and where.

For more information: Visit www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/nl/grosmorne.