Gros Morne is buzzing with tourists this summer, says Parks Canada
Spokesperson Kate Power says this summer is busier than 2024
Parks Canada doesn't have the numbers yet to confirm visitation is up at Gros Morne National Park this summer — but it certainly seems that way, according to spokesperson Kate Power.
She said the campgrounds on the province's west coast are full and sites booked up early.
"We're at pretty much 100 per cent capacity in our campgrounds already, which has happened about a month earlier than last year," Power told CBC in an email.
Tourists have noticed the hustle and bustle.
Sebastian Basualto and Peter Grant from Toronto are staying at the Shallow Bay campground. Before taking on the province's west coast, they visited Labrador and noticed some people were taking the same trip.
"We noticed that there was a lot of people that were in the park ... in Pinware in Labrador coming over as well. It seems like there's a migration east as well," Basualto said. "I think most campsites that we saw were booked, and a lot of people just kind of going on the same journey."
Paige Dudley and Caleb Heald from Maine booked their vacation three months ago. They're staying at the Lomond campgrounds, where they say everything is full.
"We're staying in our rooftop tent that we got specifically for this trip," Dudley said.
Both are impressed by the scenery.
"The mountains are just so sheer, you know, it's different from the mountains that we have back home. A lot more dramatic," Heald said.
Suzanne Deschenes from Ottawa said she booked her trip months in advance. It's her second time visiting the island. The first time, Deschenes visited for seven weeks and stayed in a trailer. This year, she's staying in cabins.
"I tried to book everything last November but ended up booking most of it in January, February," Deschenes said. "You had to book in advance, and it is very busy just about everywhere we're going."
Boat tours, hiking, sightseeing, and fishing are among the activities on tourists' itineraries.
Deschenes called her time in Newfoundland the trip of a lifetime.
"You wake up in the morning, you look out your window and there's an iceberg saying 'good morning.' And not little ones, humongous icebergs," she said. "Just about everything about Newfoundland is worth it."
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With files from Colleen Connors