10 Things to Know Before You Visit Western Brook Pond

Thinking of visiting Western Brook Pond? I did and I loved it, but read this article before you plan your trip, because there’s 10 things you need to know which I wish I did prior to going there.

Some of these 10 things were unpleasant surprises for myself and the friends I went with and we had to adjust the then eastern Canada road trip we did, and in ways we weren’t exactly happy with. In the process, critical things we wished to see in this location (like the iconic view from a top the Western Brook Pond hike which everyone wants to do) couldn’t be done, or would cost too much to do and this was not very well explained in the sites we researched this topic on, before we went here:

Thus after the trip and knowing what we now know, I’ll share all the surprising info I learned about Western Brook Pond, so you can be better prepared when you’re ready to go there and perhaps even have a much better time than we did (even though we did enjoy ourselves for the most part).

There are a lot of things we learned about Western Brook Pond after the fact that we’ll apply if we happen to next time. And honestly, it’ll be the exact 10 things I’ll be sharing with you right now:

1. You need to hire a guide to hike the Western Brook Pond trail.
2. You can hike without a guide, but you’ll need to get approval first.
3. There is another hike called “The Long Range Traverse” and it goes on the top of the Fjords at Western Brook Pond.
4. To to do Western Brook Pond boat tour requires you first get to the dock and that’s requires 2 kilometer walk (one way).
5. You need to reserve a spot on the boat before going (there are usually long lines year round).
6. The Western Brook Pond boat tour is about 5 hours long.
7. The boat docking area of Western Brook Pond provides food.
8. It can get really cold on the boat ride, so if you go there, be prepared.
9. Hiking the other Fjords is nearly impossible unless you go hire the guide and go the main route.
10. Taking the boat ride might be more than enough for most people to see the beauty of Western Brook Pond.

These are the 10 lessons I learned from visiting Western Brook Pond and I will explain them in detail coming up in this article, to help you better prepare in case you’re planning a trip there. Let’s start:

Details on hiking the Western Brook Pond trail:

There is no fee to actually hike the Western Brook Pond trail (to that famous overlook known as Western Brook Pond Gorge), but there is a requirement to hire a guide who will lead you there. The cost? $250 (CAN) per person! And if you don’t know which spot I am referring to, let me explain:

Western Brook Pond, and Gros Morne National Park in general have 1 iconic spot everyone wants to visit and that is the scenic hike that takes you to the overlook which allows you to see basically the whole pond (You know, the one which looks like you’re in Norway).

The fact that my group consisted of 3 people meant we could have to pay (in advance by the way) the guide $750 in order to do it. Now this was Canadian dollars, but it would still be about $500 for all 3 of us, which at this point was too much AND we had to schedule this hike a day or more ahead of time. Plus, you can only start that hike if you get on the boat tour.

How much is the Western Brook Pond boat tour?

It cost us $65 Canadian dollars per person. So if you plan to really do this hike:

• Reserve the boat ride and guide in advance.
• Be prepared to pay upwards of $300 (CAN) per person to go.

So keep this in mind as I did not see this info on the sites I was researching.

You can hike there without a guide, but:

To do the Western Brook Pond hike without a guide, you need to reserve it many weeks in advance and basically prove that you’re a competent hiker who basically:

• Understands directions
• Compasses
• How to survive
• How to navigate
• Learn more here

And all those other sorts of things, including how to deal with wildlife, particularly the mass amounts of moose that live there (they are very dangerous). Now going alone has it’s own set of fees involved, and I don’t know the specific numbers but keep in mind that you do need to experienced to do the hike, without a guide. 

This specific trail is a day hike, but tough to navigate which is why you have all of these rules. I used to think this was money grab, but when I started hiking more remote spots around the world like Coyote Gulch, my position on that changed. In that spot, I wish I had a guide, because getting lost was easy. That experience reminded me of Western Brook Pond and how getting a guide would be worth it if I ever return, but I still wouldn’t charge so much for it though.

Details on the Long Range Traverse (an alternative):

While Gros Morne National Park itself has many hiking trails to check out and while the Western Brook Pond trail is the most popular there is another that you may want to consider and that is called the Long Range Traverse. That one actually takes you a top the very cliffs of Western Brook Pond and you basically hike around (and top) of Western Brook Pond.

Yes, this means you can literally camp out on top of the pond and get some great views. But again, these hikes require either a guide or special permission to do. Also that hike is much longer than any other in Gros Morne (I think it’s about 20 miles) and most people who do it are advanced hikers or campers that usually do it as an overnight trip (or even 2 nights or more). At the same time, you have to be careful with moose in the area as they are common in Western Brook Pond as well as other animals. But this is still one of the most scenic hikes available in the area that ironically not many people actually know exists!

Boating details:

One of the best ways to enjoy the beauty of this area is to do the Western Brook Pond boat tour. In fact, most people who visit this area do just that (myself included). But to reach the dock requires you park your car and then walk 2 km to the dock beforehand. This is actually pretty common information, but for anyone who has injuries or is handicapped, you need to consider this extra walk before you actually reach the dock and the boat (not to mention the walk back to your car afterwards).

The hike from the parking lot to the dock at Western Brook Pond is very easy to navigate, but it’s the distance that can be annoying if you’re already tired or injured. Just keep this in mind before you go. My buddies and I were unprepared and had to do this walk twice. Another thing to know is that the “hike” to the dock isn’t on concrete, but off road kind of gravel and dirt and so you may want to wear hiking shoes (but it’s not required).

As far as I’m concerned the boat tour is a must (I did it), but I didn’t know the number to reserve the tour until we got there (this is the reason we had to walk on the 2 KM path twice). You can do the tour without a reservation but that will only work out if there aren’t enough people already reserved to fill up the boat and since this place is popular, I wouldn’t risk it. Otherwise, you’ll have to wait until the next tour starts. Call in advance and make a registration. Here is the Google business number and location for the Western Brook Pond boat tour area.

And just as well, the reviews for this attraction are very high, including from myself and the 2 friends I went with. I normally like to explore more places on my own vs taking tours, but in this case, I was very happy with the boat ride we did. In fact, my review and rating for it is a 5 out of 5 and I would do the tour again (maybe with the hike this time).

The boat tour is 5 hours long:

It takes about an hour to reach the dock, another hour to wait for everyone and get on the boat, 2 hours for the tour to get done and another hour to get back, and being that the whole region has other places to see, set aside 5 hours on this and plan your other hikes/trips accordingly. I would recommend (if you are doing a multi day trip in the area) to get this tour out of the way first and to plan it as your first activity on whatever day you’re planning to do it at, then with whatever time is left to do the other activities around the area.

You can bring your own food, but the docking area has it: The dock doesn’t just have a marina with boats, it also has some fast foods and a cafeteria where you can eat. I don’t recommend bringing food on the boat. Enter it on a full stomach. 

Wear warm clothing for the boat ride:

I went there in September, a season where in that region, it gets to be around 50 degrees Fahrenheit at best, but at night that place can fall to below 0. Either way, know that while you are on the boat, that it does get windy and VERY cold, like it did when we were there.

There are inner areas on the boat to walk into if you get cold, but because crowds can fill up the boat quickly, you may not always have space. My advice if you don’t already have a warm winter jacket is to get one and if you want suggestions, the REI Co Op Stormhenge 850 Down Jacket is a top recommendation (speaking from experience). I wish I had it when I went there, but I only ended up getting it a few months after this road trip. It definitely would have kept me very warm on this boat ride.

There is also a good chance that even if you go in Spring or Summer, and early in the morning that this area might still be very cold, especially in the Fjords so just in case, bring warm clothing as most of the seats on the boat are on the outside anyway.

Thinking of hiking the Western Brook Pond Fjord in secret? Think again:

There are some truly beautiful areas on the shore, but the landscape of this place is such that there’s almost no way one can hike through it, unless you actually take the boat ride to the trail. I actually considered going around the dock and looking for some path to hike the Fjords myself. Looking at it from a distance, I thought how hard could it be?

Well after going on the boat ride, I saw it was nearly impossible, at least without proper gear and experience. There aren’t even any beaches in the gorge and the mountains are so steep, that it is impossible to hike. This is what MOST of the Fjords at Western Brook Pond look like. Other than the area you disembark on when you do the hike, or do the one on top of the gorge, there’s no way to actually get down to the gorge and hike there, even though it looks possible. Plus it would be extremely dangerous if you tried.

What to wear:

If you’re just doing the regular tour (nothing overnight, just a day hike), expect the trip to be about half a day, wear decent hiking shoes,  warm clothes and bring some food that doesn’t smell and you should be fine.

Common questions:

How long is the Western Brook Pond hike?

3-4 kilometers one way and it is strenuous to reach the top and get to the overlook.

Can you swim in Western Brook Pond?

Not officially inside as there are no beaches since the landscape is nearly impossible to disembark on from a boat, but outside Western Brook Pond there are official beaches.

Are there fish in Western Brook Pond?

Yes there are many different types of fish in Western Brook Pond.

Can you kayak Western Brook Pond?

According to some sources yes, but due to the strong winds in this area, kayaking in Western Brook Pond can be highly dangerous. It’s better to take the boat tour instead.

Things to do nearby:

1. You can explore the greater Gros Morne National Park, including Tablelands.
2. You can head further north to St. Anthony’s which is the largest town north of New Foundland. 
3. If you have time to head east along the only road there, you will also be able to see icebergs and the official airport of New Foundland, which is St. Johns, a place I wish I knew about prior to visiting this province, because the Ferry ride there from Nova Scotia was very unpleasant (both ways) when I did an eastern Canada road trip there with my friends.
4. And speaking of Nova Scotia, if you do plan to visit that area before or after New Foundland, check out the Bay of Fundy and the Cabot Trail.