Rocky Harbour

From the Trans Canada in Deer Lake, take Route 430 (Viking Trail) to Rocky Harbour. The main exit for Rocky Harbour is Harbour Drive. Take this down into town and the first thing you’ll come to on your right is Fisherman’s Landing Restaurant. It was our first stop on our first trip to Newfoundland. They’ve got a nice restaurant, gift shop and liquor store. Rocky Harbour lies in the heart of Gros Morne National Park and features several restaurants, gift shops, accommodations and hiking trails.

On our first trip to Rocky Harbour we went west (left) on Main Street from the Fisherman’s Landing Restaurant right to the end. The road ends at a fish plant with a fish store on your right and a cemetery on your left. Here we were approached by two very young gentlemen on their bikes who wanted to know if we were visiting and where we were from. They directed us to go to the top of the hill above the cemetery for a great view.

There’s a gravel road that we did not have the nerve to drive up with our rental car. We parked at the bottom of the hill and walked to the top and were treated to an amazing view of Bonne Bay on the other side of the hill. On a later trip, we found out this was Salmon Head Lookout. It’s a great trail with views across the harbour to the lighthouse.

Take Main Street the other way in Rocky Harbour to go to Lobster Cove Head Lighthouse. Like most lighthouses, it’s in a very pretty spot. They have several hiking trails you can follow and a nice little interpretation centre manned by Parks Canada staff.

In the heart of Rocky Harbour, you’ll find the Ocean View Hotel which hosts a show called Anchors Aweigh. It’s a must see if you are staying in Rocky Harbour. Many visitors will tell you the show was one of the highlights of their Newfoundland vacation.