Western Brook Pond Tour by Boat in Newfoundland
If you’re in western Newfoundland, then the one must-do trip is the Western Brook Pond boat tour in Gros Morne National Park. John and I had to do the boat tour on Western Brook Pond out of necessity – as the boat dropped us off at the start of our four day Long Range Traverse – a backpacking trip. But this is one boat tour you’re going to want to do for pleasure.
I did the tour while biking the Viking Trail many years ago and I think the Western Brook Pond boat tour is one of the top things everyone visiting Gros Morne National Park in Newfoundland should do.
Because it takes place in a national park, you will need a Gros Morne National Park Pass.
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Getting to the launch point for the boat tour on Western Brook Pond
To even get to the start of the Western Brook Pond boat tour, you must walk a 3 kilometre flat, easy path that is part dirt, part boardwalk. Allow about 45 minutes to an hour to do this.
When you arrive at Western Brook Pond, there’s a sheltered waiting area where you can purchase gifts and food. There are also scattered chairs and picnic tables so even if you aren’t doing the boat tour, the hike in and out is extremely worthwhile.
Golf cart transportation
For those with mobility issues, there is now a golf cart shuttle.
The golf cart shuttle leaves every half hour on the hour from 8:30 until 2:30 PM to line up with Western Brook Pond tours. The returns are 12:45 every hour until 3:45 and the last one is at 5:15. The cost is $10 return paid in cash in the parking lot.
Make a reservation with Bon Tours
You need to make a reservation with Bon Tours – either online or by calling 1-888-458-2016 0r 1-709-458-2016. The actual Western Brook Pond boat tour is two hours in length. It takes you to the far end of Western Brook Pond and back – with stops along the way to learn about the area – and to take photos. It is one of Canada’s Signature experiences!
Billion year old cliffs tower above you for much of the boat ride – reaching over 700 metres above the lake. They are an awe-inspiring sight in themselves. You’ll see waterfalls tumbling 600+ m (2,000 feet) often ending in mist. Cliff-nesting gulls may also be seen.
Western Brook Pond has some interesting features
The “Pond” is 16 km long and 165 m deep.
The only outlet of the lake is Western Brook – so it takes about 15 years for the water to completely change over.
Western Brook Pond is home to some of the world’s purest water.
More than 20 streams empty into Western Brook Pond; many of them are seasonal.
The pH of the pond is close to neutral – mainly because the largest feeder stream is buffered by limestone.
It’s considered to be one of the last wild, oligotrophic lakes in the world. I had to look that up and what it means is:
“(of a lake) characterized by a low accumulation of dissolved nutrient salts, supporting but a sparse growth of algae and other organisms, and having a high oxygen content owing to the low organic content.”
When do the Western Brook Pond boat tours run?
The boat tour runs from mid-May until October 3rd. They are weather dependent and require 15 people to run. Its $79/adult, $49/youth and children in 2024.
Should you be hiking the Long Range Traverse, check in with Bontours to get up to date one way pricing. It’s a different high-speed boat than is used for regular tourists.
Most of the Western Brook Pond boat tours are two hours in length. We took just 25 minutes to whip down the pond as we were more a shuttle than tour.
Location map of Western Brook Pond
Where to stay near Western Brook Pond
Rocky Harbour is a great place to use as a base – and it’s less than a 20-minute drive from the parking lot used to access Western Brook Pond. There are lots of restaurants and accommodation options – along with plenty to do.
Other communities offering accommodation options include Cow Head, Glenburnie, Norris Point, Trout River and Woody Point. I particularly like Cow Head – and in summer you can enjoy the Gros Morne Theatre Festival here.
Rocky Harbour places to stay
Wildflowers Country Inn is rated as exceptional. Some rooms enjoy a patio and garden view.
Bambury’s Hillside Chalets are also rated as exceptional. Some rooms have a dining room, fireplace and oven. There are family rooms as well.
The Fish Sheds are a beach front property that are exceptionally rated. The holiday home features a fully equipped kitchen and a patio with sea views.
Further reading on Newfoundland
- A Guide to Hiking the East Coast Trail
- Things to Do in Twillingate, Newfoundland
- The North Head Trail in St. John’s, Newfoundland
- Hiking the Alexander Murray Trail in King’s Point
- What to do on a Trip to Fogo Island, Newfoundland
- Hiking the Skerwink Trail near Trinity, Newfoundland
Click on the photo to bookmark to your Pinterest boards.
What times do the golf carts go from the parking lot to the Dock Side Cafe or how frequent are they? How much before the boat tour should we arrive in the parking lot?We are taking the boat tour on Sun Sept 22 at 12:30 pm. Thanks.
Hi Geraldine, The golf cart shuttle leaves every half hour on the hour from 8:30 until 2:30 PM. The returns are 12:45 every hour until 3:45 and the last one is at 5:15. The cost is $10 return paid in cash in the parking lot.
Hi,
So did you rent the boat for $56/person and hike it yourselves?
I see on Bon Tours that the guided tour is like $250 a person so we are thinking of just doing it ourselves?
@Meghan We organized a boat ride that drops off hikers only so it takes you right to the end of the “pond” with no sightseeing stops along the way. Then we did the full Long Range Traverse by ourselves – and took the required navigation test. That price for a guided hike sounds about right. It’s not hard to follow the trail to get the awesome view of the fjord but after that it gets tricky.
Hmm, I could have sworn I responded to this already! I would love to take the boat ride and even more so be the boat driver for a job! Maybe you guys went on similar trip that had boat trip like this that I was thinking of. Gorgeous regardless, Leigh! 🙂
@Mike I had a few pictures of the boat ride in a previous post that included the first day of the hike on the Long Range Traverse. Great memory Mike. It is a magnificent boat ride that most people do as a tour and not as a shuttle.
Beautiful photos, Leigh – exactly what I picture when I think of Gros Morne National Park!
@Lisa Hope you get the chance to go; it’s a great place for families.
Hey man, all the shots are fab. Keep clicking and sharing these
beautiful moments with full of adventure.
@Jennifer Thanks for your great comment.
Spectacular! The colors are so intense! I am so glad you share info about destinations I most likely will never see in person. I loved this!
@Suzanne Thanks for your enthusiastic comment. It’s too bad you don’t think you’ll make it to Gros Morne National Park. It’s one of Canada’s jewels.
My gosh what a beautiful place. My thoughts: Unspoilt, pristine, clean, towering, colourful – indeed saturated with colour, and somewhere I’d love to visit one day. The boat ride looked glorious too.
@Johanna I do think you would enjoy this part of the world. It’s a UNESCO site and very interesting to see plus everyone is super friendly
@Lilea It’s an exceptional part of the world.
What a gorgeous day you had for that boat ride. The cliffs with the blue sky are out of this world gorgeous. Let’s hope they work on keeping the lake pristine.
@Nancie The boat tours only operate for two months which puts less stress on the lake.