For travelers seeking untamed wilderness far from the crowds, Gros Morne National Park in Newfoundland and Labrador offers an awe-inspiring alternative to the popular Banff National Park. While Banff welcomes more than 4.5 million visitors a year, Gros Morne remains a largely undiscovered wonder, despite being one of the country’s most breathtaking and diverse parks.
Nestled on the western coast of Newfoundland and Labrador – Canada’s easternmost and one of its least populated provinces – Gros Morne is a destination for those in search of solitude and natural beauty. Newfoundland and Labrador covers an astonishing 405,000 square miles but is home to just under 600,000 people, making it a paradise for nature lovers. Interestingly, the province is also home to over 120,000 moose, a species introduced in the early 1900s from New Brunswick for hunting. Today, it boasts one of North America’s largest moose populations, sharing the land with the park’s lucky visitors.
Despite its remote feel, Gros Morne is surprisingly accessible. Travelers can fly directly into Deer Lake Regional Airport from Toronto, then reach the park after just a 25-minute drive. Once there, visitors discover a vast expanse of nearly 700 square miles filled with towering mountains, glacier-carved fjords, surreal barren landscapes, lush forests, and rugged coastal trails. Outdoor enthusiasts can stroll along the Gulf of St. Lawrence, take on the challenge of scaling Gros Morne Mountain for sweeping views of the fjords, or set out on backcountry hikes that require expert navigation and sometimes even a boat to reach the starting point.
Among Gros Morne’s most extraordinary features is the Tablelands, a mysterious, glacially sculpted valley shaped by a rare geological event that pushed parts of the Earth’s mantle to the surface. This billion-year-old landscape is one of only a handful of places on the planet where visitors can witness this phenomenon up close, making it a must-see for geology buffs and curious travelers alike.
Best of all, the crowds are nowhere to be found. With annual visitor numbers under 250,000, chances are high that you’ll have the sweeping views, unique geology, and maybe even a few moose all to yourself.
