National Parks Of Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is Canada’s most easterly province and is divided into the Labrador and Newfoundland by the Strait of Belle Isle. The former is part of mainland Canada while the latter is an island in the Atlantic Ocean. Here we discuss the prominent features of the existing and proposed national parks of this Canadian province.
4. Dungeon Provincial Park
Dungeon Provincial Park is located near Bonavista, Newfoundland, on the island's east coast. Although the park is small, it features a small hiking trail and a sheep pasture. The landscape features stunning cliffs and a rugged shoreline. The lighthouse at Cape Bonavista is a provincial historic site.
3. Torngat Mountains National Park
The Torngat Mountains National Park is nestled amidst the landscape of the Torngat Mountains on the Labrador Peninsula. The name Torngat is derived from the Inuit word meaning "place of spirits”. The national park was officially established on July 10, 2008, to become the first national park in Labrador. The Torngat Mountains National Park encompasses an area of 9,700 square kilometers, stretching from Cape Chidley to Saglek Fjord. Polar bears, peregrine falcons, caribou, and golden eagles are some of the notable fauna inhabiting the park. Tourists visiting the national park can enjoy various activities including kayaking, scrambling, and hiking.
2. Terra Nova National Park
Located on the east coast of Newfoundland, the Terra Nova National Park is a national park of great beauty and unique biodiversity. The terrain of the national park is highly rugged and undulating. Several rocky “fingers” jutting into the Bonavista Bay features in a part of the park’s seacoast. Cliffs, sheltered inlets, exposed headlands, and coves feature in different sections of the coast of the Terra Nova National Park. Newfoundland’s prime boating locations lie within the boundaries of the national park. Rolling forested hills, bogs, ponds, and rock faces constitute the varied landscape inland.
Various species of mammals, migratory birds, and marine life live in the Terra Nova National Park. Black bears, moose, minks, Newfoundland martens, bald eagles, black ducks, red squirrels, lynxes, snowshoe hares, ospreys, etc., are some of the mammals and birds inhabiting the park. Marine life features minke whales, fin whales, orcas, dolphins, humpback whales, harp seals, and others. Black spruce trees, white pine, mountain ash, maple, balsam fir, etc., are some of the trees growing here.
1. Gros Morne National Park
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Gros Morne National Park is located on Newfoundland’s west coast. It is Atlantic Canada’s second largest national park at 1,805 square kilometers. The second highest mountain peak in Newfoundland from which the park derives its name is located within the Gros Morne National Park. A booming population of moose is a notable feature of the park. Black bears, Arctic foxes, snowshoe hares, river otters, beavers, harbor seals, whales, etc., are some of the wildlife found on land and in water in the Gros Morne National Park. Several species of birds including shorebirds, birds living in interior forests and wetlands are also found here. Several interesting and challenging hiking trails offers tourists a great way to explore the scenic landscape of the national park.
