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Stargazing in Gros Morne National Park

Last Updated: November 23, 2022 ¡ Canada, Newfoundland & Labrador

Stargazers prepare! Stargazing in Gros Morne National Park in western Newfoundland is one of the best places for observing a dark sky. Thanks to its remoteness and wild mountains, forests, and lakes, the park enables us to enjoy stargazing at its finest.

After our road trip through the Maritimes, we ventured over to Newfoundland and Labrador by ferry, precisely to marvel at the beauty of Gros Morne National Park!

Luck would have it that during our time near The Tablelands, Parks Canada was hosting, for the first time, a stargazing event at Trout River.

Parks Canada hopes to turn this event into an annual festivity for locals and tourists alike. What’s more, they are hoping to turn Gros Morne National Park into a Dark Sky Preserve.

So if you wish to stargaze in Newfoundland, here’s why the Gros Morne National Park is the perfect spot!

Table of Contents show
Stargazing in Newfoundland and Labrador
Why Stargaze in Gros Morne National Park?
A Dark Sky Preserve VS Stargazing
Stargazing with Parks Canada at Small-Town Trout River
Trout River
What to Bring & Wear for Stargazing in Gros Morne National Park
Other Locations in Newfoundland to Stargaze

Stargazing in Newfoundland and Labrador

Stargazing in Gros Morne National Park with Parks Canada #stargazing #newfoundland #canada #astronomy | Bucketlist Bri www.bucketlistbri.com
Stargazing at Boutte du Cap, Newfoundland | Bucketlist Bri

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links that may earn me a small commission should you decide to click through and make a valid purchase (at no extra cost to you). Thanks so much for your support!

Newfoundland and Labrador, being the most easterly province and having a population density of just 1.4 people per square km, is an exceptionally ideal place to stargaze.

While there are a couple of places to stargaze, one, in particular, is in the Gros Morne National Park.

Why Stargaze in Gros Morne National Park?

The Gros Morne National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site affording its spectators’ incredible beauty.


Soaring fjords and moody mountains tower above a diverse panorama of beaches and bogs, forests and barren cliffs. Shaped by colliding continents and grinding glaciers…

-Parks Canada


Indeed, Gros Morne offers outdoor enthusiasts everything imaginable. Grueling hiking adventures, kayaking, boating, wildlife viewing, and of course, stargazing.

The park is a massive wilderness area, and that means there’s little to absolute zero light pollution.

Light pollution clouds cities and larger towns, and quite literally, puts a wall between us earthlings and the infinite universe above.

While Gros Morne does have its fair share of small towns, they’re hardly able to affect a dark sky.

A dark sky is a perfect opportunity to see a full sky of stars. The Milky Way is even vastly visible to the naked eye under the right conditions.

A Dark Sky Preserve VS Stargazing

Stargazing in Gros Morne National Park with Parks Canada #stargazing #newfoundland #canada #astronomy | Bucketlist Bri www.bucketlistbri.com
Parks Canada is trying to make Trout River area a Dark Sky Preserve | Bucketlist Bri

So what’s the difference between a Dark Sky Preserve and stargazing?

Dark Sky Preserves are designated dark sky places (by a designating body such as the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada). Their purpose is multifold: protect natural dark skies for wildlife and plant species; reduce harmful light pollution; to promote astronomy and share the love and curiosity of our planet and beyond.

For a location to be classed a Dark Sky Preserve, it must first satisfy a rigorous number of standards and protocols.

Stargazing can be done from anywhere, technically speaking, but it’s best when the night sky is clear and more importantly, dark.

Stargazing usually is practiced by astronomy enthusiasts who monitor and observe celestial occurrences and study far-off planets. While stargazing can be done with the naked eye, a stargazing chart or map and a set of tools such as a red laser and binoculars are used. Advanced stargazers or astronomists will have telescopes.

Stargazing with Parks Canada at Small-Town Trout River

Parks Canada Stargazing in Trout River
Stargazing with Parks Canada at Trout River | Bucketlist Bri

So where should you go to stargaze in Gros Morne National Park? The Western Brook Fjord Pond and The Tablelands are great areas where you can enjoy an unhampered dark sky free from urban noise and light pollution.

However, if you venture to the very west of the park to small-town Trout River, you’ll have splendid views of the Milky Way from the lakefront park!

Trout River

Trout River is a small community surrounded by picturesque mountain and lake views. Perhaps which is why Parks Canada chose this location to host their first annual stargazing event!

We met that night at 7 sharp on the flat lawn in front of the lake; far from any residential lights.

The event flyer, which we discovered earlier that day while shopping in Corner Brook, read:

Come enjoy an evening of star-gazing with Parks Canada and Dr. Svetlana Barkanova of Grenfell Campus — learn about the night sky & the stars, their legends and how life depends on darkness. Bring your own blanket!


The evening started off with some explications from Dr. Barkanova about what to expect, what we will see, and some rules. One thing I didn’t know before this event was that ”white light” (such as from our cell phones, street lamps, or car lights) ruins night vision. And that’s why red lasers are used instead.

We were given star charts to pinpoint out the stars and constellations above. Parks Canada provided hot chocolate for everyone, and Parks Canada entertained us with an interactive legend above the seven sisters in the sky. Those who volunteered to play the part danced around in a small skit.

We were able to pinpoint out Jupiter and Saturn, and even get a “close” look at Saturn’s rings through the enormous telescope on hand.

What to Bring & Wear for Stargazing in Gros Morne National Park

Van Life Journal Week 6: Newfoundland! Bucketlist Bri
After it got dark we were told not to use our white lights from phones, etc., because it ruins your night vision. | Bucketlist Bri

There are a few items that can make your stargazing experience more delightful. For one, as the flyer stated, bring a blanket!

  • Red lasers or red flashlights
  • Blanket
  • Star chart or cheat sheet
  • A warm coat
  • Scarf, hat, or gloves
  • Binoculars
  • Tripod and camera for night photography
  • Foot/hand warmers

Other Locations in Newfoundland to Stargaze

Stargazing will be fantastic wherever there are dark, clear skies and no light pollution.

Considering that Newfoundland and Labrador are wildly remote with most people living in the capital city of St. John’s, there are plenty of places to stargaze.

Here are some recommendations of places to stargaze in Newfoundland and Labrador:

  • Terra Nova National Park (Newfoundland’s first Dark Sky Preserve)
  • The Torngat Mountains on mainland Labrador
  • Boutte du Cap, Saint George (Port au Port Peninsula)
  • L’Anse aux Meadows
  • Stargazing in Gros Morne National Park
  • Fogo Island

Have you ever been stargazing? If so, where and when? As for me, I can’t wait to visit more Dark Sky Preserves around the world!

Stargazing in Gros Morne National Park with Parks Canada #stargazing #newfoundland #canada #astronomy | Bucketlist Bri www.bucketlistbri.com
Stargaze Bucketlist Bri
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By: Bri ¡ In: Canada, Newfoundland & Labrador

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The strength of women 💛 These ladies were lau The strength of women 💛 

These ladies were laughing so sweetly while filling up their water jugs at the Manga Hiti fountain in Patan. I watched them for a while and then plucked up the courage to ask if I could take their photos, which only made them giggle more. 

I've always felt that not being able to communicate in the same language makes for even more interesting encounters. Without words, we have to touch each other's humanity with eyes and gestures, and most of the time it leads to unspoken mutual understanding, acceptance, and love. We three walked away with the biggest smiles on our faces. I yelled out "Dhayabad!" (Thank you!) as they hoisted their jugs up the stairs, laughing all the way. I won't forget this shared moment between us 🙏 

Check stories for the landscape orientation for some of these photos ✨ 

#nepal #nepalnow #nepalphotography #nepaliculture #nepalisbeautiful #natgeoyourshot #patan #kathmanduvalley #lifetimeexperiences #photonepal #nepaltravel
Did you feel it? Nepal’s ancient wisdom, its swi Did you feel it? Nepal’s ancient wisdom, its swirling spirituality, its raw humanity? ✨🇳🇵❤️

#nepal #visitnepal #nepalnow #travelstories #localtravel #mindfultravel #slowtravel #natgeotravel
When you say “yes” as a solo traveler and stay When you say “yes” as a solo traveler and stay open to the randomness of life and the kindness of strangers, really wonderful memories can be made. Thank you Lama family and my new Tibetan friends for such a fun and insightful sequence of experiences 🙏 💛

#solotravel #localtravel #nepaltravel #nepaldiaries #nepali #solofemaletravel #kathmandunepal #thamel #tibetanfood #solotraveldiaries
My first week back in the chaos of Kathmandu, 💛 My first week back in the chaos of Kathmandu, 💛 

Being back after 7 long years away has jolted my body, brain, and spirit. At first, I felt overwhelmed with the recurring thought of, "I don't know what to do with myself." It was only when acceptance knocked on my door, and I finally decided to let it in, that things began to shift and flow.
 
In Nepal, particularly Kathmandu, everything around me swarms like a hive. I have nowhere else to go but inside myself. I've discovered through years of slow traveling (and solo travel) that peace awaits me there -- a sense of independence, power, and knowing that is still, comforting, and safe. And I can tap into it whenever I need to.

Chaos and peace reside in all of us, and Nepal has a cosmic, ancient way of reminding you of just that. 

📍 Patan Durbar Square, Lalitpur

#nepaltravel #patan #durbarsquare #nepalphotography #slowtravel #nepal #solotravel #lalitpur
They ask, “Why?” I was 29 when I embarked on They ask, “Why?” 

I was 29 when I embarked on the plane on the 21st, and 30 when I disembarked on the 23rd. How fitting. I spent all of my 20s abroad (except for my two final semesters in undergrad), and moved to Nepal when I was 21. 

What better way to say goodbye to my twenties than by returning to the start? I felt the desperate urge to start my 30s this way—alone on a one-way ticket with no concrete plans. I have both feared and longed to come back all these years. You see, I had made a promise to one of my closest Nepali friends that I’d see her again, but the reality is that I no longer can. 

She, along with another dear friend, passed away from cancer a couple of years back. The thought of returning to my old life here without my friends made me, well, incredibly sad. I had thought that, upon landing in Kathmandu—or taking a bite of my first momo—after so long, I’d find myself bursting into tears of both grief and gratitude. But I didn’t. Instead, I found familiarity in the chaos and chaos in the strangeness. 

Just being here—and the decisions and actions it took to get here—has reminded me of the preciousness of this one very short life. And that, by choosing to celebrate mine—at the exciting turn of a decade no less—by coming back to Nepal on a solo trip that would force me into daring discomfort when I could instead retreat to the comforts of family or my partner, is how I want to live it.

Truth is, a couple of months ago the thought of Nepal felt out of reach. It felt risky, unattainable. But the idea itself pushed open, just a crack at first, a door that had been otherwise closed. I could have more easily ignored my “what if?” daydreams—calling them off as too hard, too uncomfortable, or too far-fetched to actually pursue—and kept it shut.
But sometime in mid-July, I decided to look at flights. And I found one (truly, just one) option that could work. And it just so happened that it would fall on my birthday, or rather bridge my birthday. The idea of getting on a plane at 29 and getting off it at 30—back in Nepal—sold me. I fell in love with the story, the adventure, the unknowingness of it all. 

So, yeah. That’s why. Or as I prefer, “Why not?”
Rebuilt, it is indeed different now, but at the sa Rebuilt, it is indeed different now, but at the same time just as I remember: the swirl of incense, spice, sweat, and candle smoke peppering the air; the pigeons cooing and flapping overhead; the Tibetan devotees and tourists melodically shuffling clockwise around the dome; the street dogs curling up in corners; the monks humming and drumming inside monastery halls. 

I’m both at home and a foreigner in a strange land, once more, discovering it all over again with new eyes—just like those of the reborn stupa.

The last time I saw Boudhanath—one of the largest Buddhist stupas in the world—was in 2016. It remained under reconstruction after the deadly 2015 earthquakes, so I never got to see it in all its magnificent wonder—until today! 🙏 

And wow, Boudha under the rain this afternoon was just what I had been dreaming of ever since I left Nepal after one year living/studying/working here. 

It’s so good to be back 🥹🇳🇵

📍 Boudhanath Stupa (northeast Kathmandu) — you can catch the local bus here from the airport for only 20-40 Nepalese rupees instead of paying 900 Rs for a taxi 😉 

Save this reel to your Nepal folder and follow along @bucketlistbri 💛

#nepal #boudhanath #kathmandu #lifetimeexperiences #nepaltourism #visitnepal #kathmandunepal #nepalnow #nepalviaje @nepaltourism #nepalnow
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