Things to do in Terra Nova National Park, a Newfoundland gem

No drive across the island of Newfoundland is complete without a visit to Terra Nova National Park. It encapsulates so much of what makes Newfoundland beautiful. There are so many things to do in Terra Nova National Park, from sea life viewing to birdwatching, fantastic hiking and kayaking, stargazing and more.

Terra Nova National Park is the easternmost national park in Canada. Its location just over two hours north of St. John’s and an hour south of Gander makes it the most accessible national park for the majority of Newfoundlanders. The Trans-Canada Highway, the only highway that connects all of Newfoundland, acts as the park’s main road and runs through its entire length. All of its major points of interest are reachable within a short drive of the highway, making Terra Nova a great destination on any road trip across Newfoundland.

Here’s a look at some of the best things to do in Terra Nova National Park, an essential stop on your Newfoundland summer road trip.

Our visit to Terra Nova National Park was hosted by Adventure Central Newfoundland and Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism. Have questions about planning your own Newfoundland road trip? Join our Facebook community!

Take one of the best sea kayaking tours in Atlantic Canada

What is special about Terra Nova National Park? Among Canada’s national parks, Terra Nova’s Newman Sound is a unique geological feature. No other Canadian national park offers such easy and direct access to exploring an ocean inlet.

The best way to explore this on your Newfoundland summer road trip is to book a sea kayaking excursion with Happy Adventure Tours. If the weather cooperates and you have strong paddlers in your party, you can depart from the park’s visitor centre and head into The Narrows. There, a guide will point out some spectacular sea life. We spotted sea stars, crabs, urchins, anemones, and three types of jellyfish, including lion’s mane jellyfish and tiny comb jellies that glow!

We even had a chance to scoop some moon jellyfish out of the water and hold them in our hands. Don’t worry — their sting isn’t strong enough to penetrate skin and they don’t have brains or central nervous systems, so picking them up briefly is safe for us and harmless to them. Once they’re gently placed back in the water, they continue about their business.

This kayaking tour is one of the best we’ve found in Atlantic Canada. Be sure to book in advance, and keep an eye on the weather forecast so you can try to rebook if it’s not favourable. You can find Happy Adventure Tours at the kiosk across from the entrance to the visitor centre.

Learn more about the family-run business at Happy Adventure Inn and Tours >

Check out the Terra Nova’s impressive visitor centre

In all our travels to national parks and national historic sites across Canada, we find the visitor centre at Terra Nova National Park to be a standout. You’ll find local wildlife exhibits, aquariums and kid-friendly touch tanks, a classroom area for events, and a well-stocked gift shop. Even if you’re otherwise passing through the park, this is a great place to stop for a picnic lunch, especially with kids!

While you don’t need to buy a day pass if you’re driving straight through Terra Nova National Park, you do need to display one if you plan to make any stops, including here at the visitor centre. If you’d like to check out the visitor centre, don’t forget to stop by the kiosks as you enter the park along the Trans-Canada Highway to pay the entry fee.  

Bird watching is one of the best things to do in Terra Nova National Park

Bird watchers, this one’s for you! The innermost section of Newman Sound up until The Narrows is designated as the Terra Nova Bird Sanctuary. Southwest Arm, near Malady Head campground, is also part of this protected space. This important sanctuary protects the habitats of the many migratory birds that frequent the area.

Terra Nova National Park is visited by greater yellowlegs, common goldeneye, and common merganser. The Arctic tern also stops here along its 30,000-kilometre annual migration, one of the longest of any creature on the planet! You may also spot bald eagles since several mating pairs nest here. In late 2024, the park made headlines when it received a rare visit from a Steller’s sea eagle, a bird typically only seen in Asia. Bring your binoculars — you never know what you might find!

Turn your kids into Parks Canada Xplorers

The Parks Canada Xplorers program helps kids and families engage with Parks Canada places and instills a mindset of curiosity and conservation. It’s inspired us to visit national parks and national historic sites across the country!

Terra Nova National Park has some unique Parks Canada Xplorers activities. Kids can track what they find in the visitor centre’s touch tanks, find out how moose are impacting Newfoundland’s forests, try making a model birch bark canoe, and learn about the carnivorous pitcher plant, Newfoundland and Labrador’s provincial flower.

Don’t forget to take your completed activity booklet to the visitor centre, activity centre, or a campground kiosk to pick up your souvenir collectible medallion to take home!

Stargaze in Terra Nova National Park, a Dark Sky Preserve

Terra Nova National Park has been designated as a Dark Sky Preserve by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada since 2018 and was the first such area established in Newfoundland. A Dark Sky Preserve is an area with controlled amounts of energy use and light pollution. This makes these spaces ideal for stargazing!

According to Parks Canada, the best places in Terra Nova National Park for stargazing are at the visitor centre, atop Ochre Hill or Blue Hill, and at Sandy Pond. All of these spots can be reached easily by car. During the summer, you may also be able to join a stargazing interpretive program.

Continue on to the Road to the Beaches

Follow Newfoundland Route 310, the Road to the Beaches, toward the Eastport Peninsula and the magical summers you remember!

Head eastbound along Route 310 from the Trans-Canada Highway for just 15 minutes to reach the communities of Eastport, Happy Adventure, and Salvage. You’ll find beautiful soft sand beaches, spectacular hiking, whale watching, swimming, ice cream and more!

Learn more about Newfoundland’s Road to the Beaches >

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