Nova Scotia, Newfoundland & Labrador Trip

[Wandering]

Planning a trip to Nova Scotia, Newfoundland & Labrador in July/August. Looks like a beautiful part of the world. Appreciate recommendations for campgrounds.

Are reservations needed? Especially the National or Provincial Parks? Can you boondock up there?

Thanks !

[wana65stang]

Have not been to Labrador but have been to Newfoundland and NS, never had a problem getting camping spots , even at last min. But have to say that is a LOT!!! of ground to cover if you want to go to all three in two months. Just to let you know, the ferry boat to Newfoundland alone is either eight and half or fifteen hours depending on where you land( east or west side of the island) Beautiful scenery !!!

[Wandering]

Originally Posted by wana65stang

Have not been to Labrador but have been to Newfoundland and NS, never had a problem getting camping spots , even at last min. But have to say that is a LOT!!! of ground to cover if you want to go to all three in two months. Just to let you know, the ferry boat to Newfoundland alone is either eight and half or fifteen hours depending on where you land( east or west side of the island) Beautiful scenery !!!

Good point on mileage and glad to hear we don't need reservations. We really like to go where the wind blows us. Planning to spend 3+ days to get to Newfoundland. Then wander around for a few weeks. If we go to Labrador we would take a ferry across and just spend a few days. Kinda want to see Red Bay. Then back thru Newfoundland to wander around Nova Scotia for a few weeks. We are newly retired and can stay into September if we want. No deadlines other than joining the grandkids at Mickey's house in October.

Thanks for your comments!


Forester 2451s

[PTaylor883]

We toured this area a few years back, and I can't comment on the camping. But I can comment on the logistics. We spent far more time driving than we anticipated. The roads are not U.S. Interstates where you can average 65+/- mph.

[mduff]

For the ferry to/from Newfoundland I would recommend reservations, especially if you are towing or in a large motor home. July and August are prime time for camping, just saying. You can travel without reservations and take your chances in wait queues.

In NS the Cabot Trail is a must, plan a week if you check out the many hiking trails, and attend any local events 'Ceilidhs'.

In NL, Gros Morne is awesome! Western Pond tour of the fjord is a must see. Easy week plus of attractions.

In St. John's, NL, Pippy Park is a great place to stay and explore the city from.

Check out posts by Iggy; he did a similar trip a number of years back.

Final on reservations, is that this year is our (Canada)150 celebration with many special events to celebrate. The National parks have special discounts and therefore could be busy.


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[Ontherock]

Originally Posted by Wandering

Planning a trip to Nova Scotia, Newfoundland & Labrador in July/August. Looks like a beautiful part of the world. Appreciate recommendations for campgrounds.

Are reservations needed? Especially the National or Provincial Parks? Can you boondock up there?

Thanks !

Hi! A few things to consider when coming to the province:
As stated earlier July and August are peak travel times so make sure you do some planning if there are any particular things/places you are interested in seeing.

That is also our peak road construction time so plan on being patient when you run into delays!!!

A ferry reservation during the summer months is a must, especially now with the Canada 150 celebrations going on.

Speaking on Canada 150, the federal government is offering free Parks Canada passes this year. Just google Parks Canada to get the web address (sorry - not sure how to add links). This will give you free access to all federal tourism sites controlled by them - but it doesn't cover camping fees.

Be prepared for a lot of driving. From the ferry terminal in Port aux Basques on the west coast to the capital of St. John's on the east coast, you should budget 12 hours to get there. It's probably 10 hours from Port aux Basques to St. Anthony on the northern tip where the Viking settlement at L'anse Aux Meadows is.

A lot of the interesting places and beautiful scenery are off the beaten track just waiting to be found so like the tourism ads say don't be afraid to "get lost".

Unfortunately, due to the drastic drop in provincial revenues when oil tanked, the provincial government slapped a gas tax on us last April resulting in gasoline prices of $137.9 a litre as of today. Fuel prices are reviewed weekly with any changes up or down happening at midnight on Wednesdays, so listen to the local news when you're here to see if you should gas up on Wednesday or Thursday. It will be cheaper in places in St. John's where there is more competition (ie: Costco). Diesel is about 10-15 cents cheaper.

If you hear to wind warnings please heed them, especially if you are traveling on the West Coast where the Wreckhouse area is. This is a local area where winds can be fierce - a week or two ago they had gusts there around 180 kph. Tractor trailers getting blown off the road is a normal occurence and back when we had trains they would be blown off the tracks if they didn't stop and wait for the winds to die down.

Contact the provincial tourism office at Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada – Official Tourism Website to get order the latest travel guides and map under the "Plan Your Trip" tab on the top right (they're free). Also, a lot of the local areas mentioned in the guide have their own tourism resources, guides and maps that you can order for free.


If I think of anything else I'll post it.

[itat]

There is a KOA in the North Sydney area in NS that makes for a good place to stay both as a base for driving the Cabot Trail and the night before boarding the ferry to Nfld. The Cabot Trail is absolutely a must do. If you're up for a good hike (7 km or 4.3 miles) be sure to stop and walk the Skyline Trail for a spectacular view of the northern shoreline.

We toured NS, NB and PEI in 2013 but unfortunately couldn't take enough time off work to do NL, too. Newfoundland and Labrador are on the bucket list for after retirement. Must see destinations in NS for us were Peggy's Cove, Lunenburg and Halifax. We stayed at the Halifax West KOA and it was quite nice. Being Canadian, we're hockey fans so my oldest DS insisted that while we were in the Halifax area we had to cross the bridge over to Cole Harbour to see Sidney Crosby's hometown and arena.

If you can afford the time, take a trip to Hopewell Rocks in New Brunswick on the north shore of the Bay of Fundy where they have the highest tides in the world. Absolutely amazing.

My background is civil engineering so the bridge from New Brunswick to Prince Edward Island was something I had to do.

And finally, the folks in the Canadian maritime provinces are well known for their friendliness. You'll enjoy their hospitality. You're sure to have a great trip.

[wana65stang]

Originally Posted by wana65stang

Have not been to Labrador but have been to Newfoundland and NS, never had a problem getting camping spots , even at last min. But have to say that is a LOT!!! of ground to cover if you want to go to all three in two months. Just to let you know, the ferry boat to Newfoundland alone is either eight and half or fifteen hours depending on where you land( east or west side of the island) Beautiful scenery !!!

One thing I forgot to say is that reservations for the ferry are VERY!!! highly recommended and be prepared its NOT!!! cheap. But the island scenery does make up for it!!

[rsdata]

It has been awhile since I went to Nova Scotia, but I was surprised at the amount of "mom and pop" run campsites we found. Nothing more than a place to park our trailer, a firepit or fireplace and a pile of firewood, with few electrical hookups, but very reasonably priced. We would ask where locals bought seafood out of the tourist areas and had some wonderful, inexpensive, home cooked seafood while there. I agree it took much longer to travel from spot to spot than I was used to due to speed regulations and scenery. Most every town in NS was a good place to stop and see the local attractions.

While in the area consider driving the bridge to PEI... lots to see there.

[allanrhamilton]

I have been here for 10 years and was a little surprised with the number of campers near roadside. When we were travelling through back roads on quads, and trails we saw many more by ponds and lakes.

It's called gravel pit camping and it's ok to do. Many fueling stations have free dump sites.

There are beautiful parks here as well as many have stated in the thread. Free passes for Canada's 150th birthday celebration to National Parks.

Plenty of pay camping as well.

Try this link! Nice video by Jacob Hogart of Hedley.

https://www.facebook.com/NewfoundlandLabradorTourism/videos/10155834535253782/

You do need to make a ferry reservation. Two different routes available from June to September. One for the rest of the year.

[HESN22]

Hello ... you will not be disappointed... Cranberry Campground and Cove Park in Nova Scotia ... don't forget to get your free parking pass to Canada's National parks in celebration of our 150TH birthday ...
http://www.commandesparcs-parksorder...atalogId=53407

If you have time should visit Prince Edward Island ...

Serving and retired Canadian military get a discount on the ferry from NS to NFLD ... not sure if extended to other countries ...

Book ferry early ...

Have a wonderful trip!

Cheers

[papakilo]

Originally Posted by Wandering

Planning a trip to Nova Scotia, Newfoundland & Labrador in July/August. Looks like a beautiful part of the world. Appreciate recommendations for campgrounds.

Are reservations needed? Especially the National or Provincial Parks? Can you boondock up there?

Thanks !

We went to Newfoundland Labrador a few years ago. We made no reservations other that the ferry.
We left for got to Newfoundland in the latter part of August and stayed 3 weeks. We were told by experienced people that is when you find the driest weather. Indeed we encountered only a little rain.

Pete

[wnelsonfl]

We have been to Halifax west in August. worked for us. We also stayed at Page Gagnon beach in NB. It is close to the PEI bridge and was nice but crowded in early August. A pleasant surprise was the St John NB municipal park called Rockwood park. Very nice and inexpensive.
Nova Scotia is accessible by ferry or road. The Ferry is expensive and the road is nice. done both.
Can't comment on Labrador, we headed up to Quebec.

[GerryW]

We followed the coast line most days, dipping in to many small villages and towns. Where there were no convenient campgrounds we would just ask a local," where can we park to see the sun come up or go down". Sometimes it was on the local wharf, another time next to the graveyard! Always great views. Don't be shy, be ready to joke (no newfie joke please) and people will be as nice as you are. We took a month and enjoyed it all.

[wana65stang]

If and when you are heading to the ferry port at Port a basque to exit the island , just as you are going into Wreckhouse if you see all the transports parked at the Esso gas station and its windy out , DON'T go any further til the wind dies down , sometimes strong enough to blow you off the road!

[palmetto rogue]

Be sure to see Ludenben in NS. NS is entirely different end to end so be sure to cover as much as possible.

[phillips]

Originally Posted by Wandering

Planning a trip to Nova Scotia, Newfoundland & Labrador in July/August. Looks like a beautiful part of the world. Appreciate recommendations for campgrounds.

Are reservations needed? Especially the National or Provincial Parks? Can you boondock up there?

Thanks !

We looked into going to Newfoundland this year but was a little to pricy for us..maybe it's no issue for you but the cost for fairy alone for is was 750 each way for just the truck and trailer then I believe it was 150-175 per person each way. We couldn't justify spending $2000 just on fairy costs to just spend 3 or 4 days. Maybe if we had a cpl weeks to spend there it may be worth it for us.

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[Jim in Halifax]

Originally Posted by Wandering

Planning a trip to Nova Scotia, Newfoundland & Labrador in July/August. Looks like a beautiful part of the world. Appreciate recommendations for campgrounds.

Are reservations needed? Especially the National or Provincial Parks? Can you boondock up there?

Thanks !

Travelling from where???

[reddiver]

Since you will be going by, think about going over to PEI. It is really gorgeous that time of the year. See Green Gables.

[149252]

Been planning trip to Cabot trail NS and leave 5er in North Sydney.Ferry truck to NL and hotel it for a week. We will be leaving western Canada June 1 and plan on taking 3 months.