Gros Morne National Park, Western Brook Pond
Victoria Beyer
EASTERN CANADA ROAD TRIP 2019
After our stay in Labrador, we headed back to Newfoundland on the ferry, and then drove back down the coast, the same way we came up. We would have loved to have circled the island, but three weeks was just not enough time to explore as much as wanted. However, we were delighted to return to Gros Morne National Park, and see some areas we had missed on the way up. Western Brook Pond was a real highlight.
We took the Western Brook Pond boat tour through this land-locked fjord, and it was a great way to experience it. The tour guides were great, and there was even traditional music by a live performer on the way back. The kids were encouraged to join in and my daughter had a blast playing tambourine.
The scenery was stunning, from cliffs to waterfalls to verdant forests We didn’t see any wildlife, but apparently moose and bear can sometimes be seen.
The tour goes all the way to the far end of the ‘pond,’ though I’d definitely categorize this as a lake. You can see the dock in the above photo. Another way to experience this area is to take the boat to the dock and then begin hiking. They offer a guided hike as well, though it remains to be seen if it will return in 2021. It’s more strenuous than we wanted to do with an 8-year-old, but we have our eye on this for the next time we return to Newfoundland. The views from the cliffs look amazing.