The route
The Viking Trail is the name for Route 430, which leaves the Trans-Canada Highway at Deer Lake and runs north along the west coast of the Great Northern Peninsula, through Gros Morne National Park, to St. Anthony. L'Anse aux Meadows is a short drive beyond.
Approximate distances, from official sources:
- Deer Lake to St. Anthony: about 418 km, roughly five hours of driving without stops (provincial tourism driving table).
- Deer Lake to L'Anse aux Meadows: about 433 km (Parks Canada).
- St. Anthony airport to L'Anse aux Meadows: about 51 km (Parks Canada).
Five hours of driving is the minimum. With stops, most people treat it as at least a full day, and many spread it over two or three.
Before you go
- Fuel and services. Communities are spread out along the peninsula. Fill up when you can, and don't count on services being open late.
- Wildlife. Moose are common near roads across Newfoundland. Take extra care at dusk, at night and in fog.
- Season. Most attractions on the peninsula are seasonal, roughly June to early autumn. The road is open year-round, but plan a winter drive carefully.
- Book ahead in summer. Accommodation near St. Anthony and L'Anse aux Meadows is limited, and July and August are busy.
Stops along the way
Gros Morne National Park. The trail runs through the park soon after Deer Lake. If you are not stopping for a few days, at least break the drive at Rocky Harbour or Western Brook Pond. See planning a visit to Gros Morne.
Arches Provincial Park. A short stop north of Gros Morne, with sea arches eroded into the rock right by the highway.
Port au Choix National Historic Site. Parks Canada protects evidence of thousands of years of Indigenous and Palaeo-Inuit occupation here, including a Maritime Archaic burial ground and Dorset sites. The visitor centre displays artifacts, and walking trails cross the limestone barrens. A good place to break the drive roughly halfway.
St. Barbe. The departure point for the seasonal ferry across the Strait of Belle Isle to Blanc-Sablon, Quebec, just over the border from southern Labrador. The provincial government lists the crossing at about 90 minutes. Red Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its Basque whaling history, is about 78 km by road from Blanc-Sablon. Check the current ferry schedule and reserve ahead.
Flower's Cove. A short walking trail leads to thrombolites, rare fossil-like formations left by ancient microbial life.
L'Anse aux Meadows
L'Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site is the first authenticated Norse site in North America, dating to around AD 1000. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Parks Canada runs a visitor centre with artifacts, a path to the excavated building outlines, and reconstructed sod buildings with costumed interpreters.
- Season: the site is generally open in summer into early autumn. In 2026, Parks Canada listed the Viking encampment as open daily from June 1 to October 2. Check current hours before you go; there are no scheduled services outside the season.
- Time needed: allow at least half a day.
- Pass: a Parks Canada admission fee or Discovery Pass applies.
Nearby, Norstead is a separate living-history site recreating a Viking-era port of trade, generally open in summer. It is about 2 km from the Parks Canada site.
St. Anthony
St. Anthony is the largest town at the top of the peninsula and the usual base for the area. It has services, a regional airport and boat tours. The coast here sees icebergs in late spring and early summer in many years, and whales in summer. See when to see icebergs and whale watching in Newfoundland.
Suggested pacing
- Two days: Deer Lake to Port au Choix or nearby on day one, then on to St. Anthony and L'Anse aux Meadows on day two. Tight if you also want Gros Morne.
- Four to five days: two or more in Gros Morne, a night along the coast, then two nights near St. Anthony for L'Anse aux Meadows and a boat tour.
- With Labrador: add at least a day or two for the ferry from St. Barbe and Red Bay.
Remember the return. Unless you fly out of St. Anthony, you will drive back down the same road, so build in another day for it.
Plan it
Browse lodging, attractions and boat tours in the Western region, or use the trip planner to contact operators along the route.