Rocky Harbour is an ideal spot to base your exploration of the Gros Morne national park and surrounding areas. As one of three small villages enclaved within the boundaries of the park, Rocky harbour serves as the commercial and supply center for park visitors. Nearby is Norris Point (8km) where a modern medical center serves the needs of locals and visitors alike. From Norris Point you can catch the water taxi across to the south side of Bonne Bay and explore the community of Woody Point and take in some of its world famous community theatre. Spend time exploring these three local communities and their surrounding natural wonders and you will soon discover a week is not long enough!
Gros Morne National Park :
Gros Morne National Park is a world of spectacular landscapes and uncrowded spaces. Declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations in 1987, the park is internationally renowned for its scenic beauty and unique geological features. The park's visitors' center is an essential first stop as you plan your hiking and sight seeing for your stay.
Phone: 709-458-2417 Website : Gros-Morne National Park Email: grosmorne.info @pc.gc.ca
Discovery Centre:
Learn more about our geology, plant and animal life, marine story and human history. Then start your adventure in the best learning facility of all; the park itself! See for yourself the vast diversity and richness of our cultural and natural heritage. The Discovery Centre is situated on the south side of Bonne Bay at the entrance to the Tablelands.
Website: Discovery Centre
Hiking:
View from near summit of Gros Morne
One of the many mountain streams.
Take some time to explore the many walking trails of Gros Morne National Park and plan for a day climbing Gros Morne. Visit the Gros Morne Visitors' Center for maps of hiking trails and information on preparation and planning for your independent walks.
Hiking and Walking Tours :
Guided tours with Gros Morne Adventures are also available for people with an average level of fitness. Tours operate out of their office at the Norris Point Waterfront and include guided tours of Gros Morne Mountain ; Tablelands; Big Lookout and Green Garden .
www.GrosMorneAdventures.com Phone: 800 685 4624 or, Local:709 458 2722
Bonne Bay Marine Station:
Interactive aquarium tours and discovery boat tours are hosted by the Bonne Bay marine Station from June through August. A marine interpreter will help you sample the deep cold waters and collect plankton – then head back to the marine station for a closer look at the creatures living beneath the waves.
www.bonnebay.ca Phone: 709 458 2874
Boat Tours :
Bon Tours operate boat tours within Gros Morne national park from June – September. Their tours reveal the natural beauty and wonder of Bonne Bay and surrounding areas. They also operate a water shuttle between Norris Point and Woody Point .
www.bontours.ca Email: Info@bontours.ca Phone: 709 458 2016
Trout River Pond Boat Tour:
Located in Gros Morne National park the Trout River Pond Boat Tour takes passengers on a “Journey Through Time” through a land-locked fiord at the base of the outstanding geological feature of the Tablelands.
Phone: 1 866 751 7500
Kayaking:
There is no more beautiful place in the world than Bonne Bay , with spectacular scenery and unique geological history which all takes a slightly different perspective when viewed from your kayak. Whether you want to rent a sea kayak to explore on your own or take a guided tour – the choice is yours.
www.GrosMorneAdventures.com Phone: 800 685 4624 or, Local:709 458 2722
Fishing:
Saltwater fishing within the protected waters of Bonne Bay, a deep saltwater fjord that leads over 20km into the interior of Gros Morne National Park. It is an ideal activity for family and friends. Try your luck at catching mackerel, herring and sea trout in a spectacularly wild and pristine natural setting with an experienced fishing guide.
www.GrosMorneAdventures.com Phone: 800 685 4624 or, Local:709 458 2722
Wild-life :
In summer and winter there is always an opportunity to sight wildlife especially Moose as you are out hiking or driving. Care must be taken when driving as Moose can be found wandering at their leisure across the main road.
Gros Morne Theatre Festival:
It is not often that such amazing theatre is found in such small communities, however, the community of Woody point is renowned for its lively mix of dinner theatre and drama. The Gros Morne Theatre Festival is held from late May through to September and visitors and locals alike delight in the performances of over 40 professional actors, musicians, writers designers and technicians who offer Newfoundland professional theatre at its finest.
Newfoundland and Labrador Crafts:
A number of craft outlets in all the Gros Morne communities will ensure that you do not leave the area without some local artefacts. Most crafts are made within Newfoundland and Labrador and you often have the opportunity of purchasing directly from the artist.
Local Seafood :
Rocky Harbour is an active fishing port with its own sea food factory so there is always fresh seafood available. A fabulous meal can be had of local lobster, scallops, mussels, cod, capelin and other local seafood delicacies. Fresh as fresh can be!
Sunsets :
Enjoy the amazing sunsets from your own veranda or take a chair and a glass of wine down to your wharf and sit and enjoy the water lapping and the sun slipping down and casting weird and wonderful colors on the horizon.
Winter Back-Country Skiing & Snow-Shoeing :
Photo # 120 from Jan. 2008 Breaking trails in fresh deep snow
Photo # 0002 from Jan. 2008. A pristine trail after 2 days of snow.
Most people seem to view Gros Morne as a place for summer holidaying so they miss the amazing winter landscapes and the opportunities for cross country skiing and snow shoeing. Spend time on the groomed cross-country trails adjoining the Gros Morne Visitors' Center or go exploring the walking trails and back-country. Opportunities to follow moose tracks abound and you will get mesmerized by the beauty of the glistening woods, heavy with snow. We have even encountered local families practising their hockey skills on the frozen lakes.
Winter Down-Hill Skiing: Marble Mountain :
Less than 90 minutes from Rocky Harbour Marble Mountain been called the best skiing in Eastern Canada and anyone who has been skiing or snowboarding at Marble Mountain knows why!
Marble Mountain lies in a snow belt that gets an average snowfall of 16 feet a year and an average daytime winter temperature of -5 degrees Celsius. The summit is 1,700 feet above the Humber River , which cuts a winding path through the majestic Humber Valley to the Bay of Islands on Newfoundland 's west coast.
Marble Mountain offers 35 trails accessible by three quad chair lifts and a platter lift. Crowds are not a problem and short line-ups mean you'll spend less time on the lifts and more time skiing or snowboarding on Marble Mountain . Trails include a terrain park, a half-pipe, seven mogul runs and a glade run. There's a little something for everyone, from the gentle slope of Country Road , to the exhilaration you'll feel when you reach the bottom of the OMJ. All terrain is open to snowboarders as well, including the terrain park and the half-pipe.
OTHERS
House Folder 24A Main St .
Our magnificent location right on the ocean offers you great beachcombing, hiking and kayaking right from your door. Sea kayak rentals, boat tour, and Memorial University 's marine biology field station are all within an easy, 3-minute stroll from your door. Also nearby, a water-taxi service to Woody Point is a fun way of accessing the south side of the park instead of driving.
For help in planning your daily pursuits, the park's main Visitor Information Centre is 4kms away. Our sister community of Rocky Harbour , the major commercial and supply centre for Park visitors, is just an 8-km drive. If you enjoy ocean fare, a variety of fresh seafood is available at the fish processing plant in Rocky Harbour . For any medical needs, Norris Point has a regional hospital and pharmacy.
