Combined Northern and Long Range Traverse

At 60 km (37.3 miles) one way, this five-to-seven-day point-to-point traverse starts at the Western Brook Pond trailhead, reaches the Long Range plateau through Snug Harbour and the Northern Traverse, then follows the Long Range south to Ferry Gulch and exits down the Gros Morne Mountain Trail to Route 430. This is the combined through-route, not a loop or the separately listed Snug Harbour day hike. The payoff is a crossing of ponds, rocky ridges, open valleys, bog, and wind-shaped spruce and fir called tuckamore. The Long Range has no built trail: this is wilderness navigation, not a marked route with a continuous tread.

This is for physically fit backpackers who already know how to navigate with a map, compass and GPS in remote terrain. Low cloud can cut visibility, and animal tracks can resemble beaten lines; no one in the group should be learning these skills on the traverse. Near the start, Snug Harbour sits on Western Brook Pond below the Long Range escarpment. After gaining the plateau, the Northern section crosses rocky ridges separated by narrow bands of dense tuckamore and bog. Natural landmarks are sparse, some scrub is nearly impassable, and campsites are limited. Views of Western Brook Pond come at the eastern and western ends of the Northern route; much of the middle is open sub-arctic country. Do not assume a visible path will lead you through.

The southbound section crosses rocky ridges, open valleys, bog and ponds, with few landmarks to keep you oriented. At Green Island Pond, avoid the tempting well-worn shoreline track: it leads toward an unsafe cliff. A brook crossing here can be difficult when the water is high. Bakeapple Pond gives a long view over Ten Mile Pond, a good place to stop and frame the water and high rim from a safe position. The route descends into Ferry Gulch, then follows 7.7 km of the Gros Morne Mountain Trail to the highway. This is the trail exit, not a climb to the summit. Campsites act as route waypoints; tent pads, bear boxes, pit toilets and other facilities vary from site to site.

Allow five to seven days. Reservations are recommended, with one departure group per day and a maximum of four people; collect the backcountry permit at the Visitor Centre by 2:30 p.m. the day before departure to keep the reservation. Access is seasonal, and the Gros Morne Mountain exit has its own spring wildlife closure, so confirm the exact dates for your year. No food service or potable-water point is listed along the route; carry food and a way to treat water. Pets are allowed on leash under park rules, but not on the Western Brook Pond boat tour or the top of Gros Morne Mountain; neither is part of this combined route. Arrange transport between the Western Brook Pond start and the Gros Morne Mountain trailhead before setting out. For a shorter outing, the separate 15 km Snug Harbour hike visits the cove without crossing the plateau.