Tours and programs

Whether you live nearby, you're just dropping in, or you're staying in the campground, there are lots of activities for you to enjoy in Terra Nova National Park.

These tours and programs are included in the daily admission fee, unless otherwise indicated.

• Guided walks

  Guided walks

  Experience the environment of Terra Nova first-hand with our interpreters. Taste plants, watch wildlife, or discover the secrets of this coastal, boreal forest.

  Our guided walks are over gentle terrain and are suitable for all ages.

  What to bring:

  • Appropriate footwear
  • Bottle of water
  
  
  • Snack or picnic
  • Binoculars
  
  
  • Camera
  • Sense of adventure

  July Schedule

  Day and Time	Program Title	Location	Description
  Mondays 7pm	Beaver Walk	Southwest Arm Trail	Terra Nova’s largest rodent has been working hard all winter to build a new dam! Join us as we visit the busy beavers at Southwest Arm. Walk through this living “workshop” and see evidence of their hard work.
  Thursday 9pm	Night Watch	Newman Sound Day-use Area	Watch Terra Nova come alive after dark. This walk will focus on some of our favorite nocturnal animals - bats! Learn about their unique features and adaptations, and discover the challenges bat populations are facing today.
  Fridays 3pm	Taste of Nature	Headquarter's Wharf	Experience nature in the context of traditional plant use. Our interpreters will tell stories and share secrets of how the many people who lived here before us have used this land.
  Sundays 3pm	Women's Work	Visitor Centre Heritage Trail	From preserving food, making and mending clothes, gardening and managing the family home; a woman’s work was never done. Share their stories along with toutons and tea. Additional fees required.
  Check at the Visitor Centre for times.	Explore the Shore	Visitor Centre	You never know what you might find in the intertidal zone! Join us on a journey of discovery as we uncover some of the hardy creatures and plants that call this zone home. Rubber boots are recommended but not mandatory.

• Kids stuff

  Become a junior naturalist

  Calling all kids!

  Come along to any of our Junior Naturalist programs this summer and collect a stamp for each program you attend. Get an official Junior Naturalist certificate and a prize for filling out your stamp card!

  • Programs are designed for children ages 5-13 years of age.
  • Programs take place at both the Activity Centre and the Visitor Centre.

  
  

  July Schedule

  Day and Time	Program Title	Location
  Mondays 11am	Woodland Wellness	Activity Centre
  Tuesdays 11am	Predators Above	Activity Centre
  Wednesdays 11am	Star Sheriffs	Activity Centre
  Thursdays 11am	Wild Wise	Activity Centre
  Fridays 11am	Terrific Tides	Visitor Centre
  Saturdays 11am	Wing Watchers	Activity Centre
  Sundays 11am	Spots & Dots	Activity Centre

Evening programs

Evenings in Terra Nova are all about theatrical programs, music, games, and other surprises.

Join us underneath the stars at the outdoor theatre for educational and entertaining evening programs, or gather at the Campfire Circle and sing-a-long to some good ole' campfire favourites.




July Schedule

Day and Time	Program Title	Location	Description
Fridays 9pm	Forest Idol	Outdoor Theatre	Vote for your favorite Forest Idol as they showcase their adaptations and talents to our judges! Each week, the audience will pick Terra Nova’s one and only Forest Idol.
Saturdays 7pm	Sing-a-long in the Sound	Campfire Circle (Newman Sound Day-use Area)	Find your seat at the campfire circle in Newman Sound Campground and warm up your voice. Join us for some Newfoundland songs, stories and sayings. Bring a mug for free hot chocolate!
Sundays 8:30pm	When Hairy Met Patchy	Outdoor Theatre	Two Newfoundland marten search for love in the boreal forest. Along the way, they meet a colorful cast of characters who share advice on love and life in the wild.

• Special programs

  July Schedule

  Day and Time	Program Title	Location	Description
  Mondays 10am	Grow a Garden	Activity Centre	Become a budding gardener! Drop by the garden at the Activity Centre to help water the plants and keep our garden growing. See the different plant shapes, colors and textures. Look closely and you might see a “busy” pollinator hard at work. Remember BEE safe!
  Mondays 1:30pm	Wild Rhythm	Activity Centre	Get ready to drum, strum, clap, and sing! Kids explore music through fun, hands-on activities while learning basic music skills, trying a variety of instruments and creating their own musical masterpieces.
  Tuesdays 9:30am	Plant a Tree	Blue Hill Moose Exclosure	Plant a tree and put down roots in Terra Nova National Park. Join Parks Canada interpreters and ecologists in planting trees to help increase the biodiversity of the forest. **Participants should come prepared for weather conditions, with footwear suitable for the forest floor. Fill up and bring your water bottle.
  Tuesdays 3pm	Msit No 'Kmaq	Visitor Centre	'Kwe! Come join our indigenous interpreters near the beautiful shoreline of Newman Sound as we share with you some of our culture and experiences and reconnect with each other and ourselves. ** Sign up is required for this program. Please call 709-533-3187 to reserve a space.
  Wednesdays 10am	Nature Journaling	Newman Sound Day-use Area	Ever wonder how to start nature journaling? It's easier than you think! Grab your notebook and join us as we explore how to turn moments in nature into memories on the page.
  July 9 July 23 7pm	Dark Sky Presentation	Activity Centre	Where did the stars go? Join David the “Dark Sky Defender” as he sheds light of the importance of protecting the night sky.

• Special events

  Terra Nova National Park commemorates a number of special days throughout the summer season.

  June 8
  World Oceans Day

  Celebrate Oceans Day at Terra Nova National Park! Stop by the Visitor Centre to explore the touch tank and get up close with some fascinating ocean creatures.

  • Time: 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
  • Location: Visitor Centre

   

  June 21
  National Indigenous Peoples Day

  Come join our Indigenous interpreters as we share with you some of our culture and experience.

  • Time: 11:00 am - 2:00 pm
  • Location: Visitor Centre

   

  July 1
  Memorial Day / Canada Day

  Celebrate Canada Day with an afternoon concert.

  • Time: 2:00 pm
  • Location: Outdoor Theatre
  • Free entry

  July 19
  Parks Day

  Take a hike along one of the many scenic trails, explore the shoreline or come for a picnic with friends. Stop by the Visitor Centre to enter to pick up your hiking trail passport and enter to win a parks day prize pack. 

  August 8 to 9
  Music in the Sound

  Nestled in the boreal forest, in the heart of the park, our unique outdoor theatre provides a magical setting for Music in the Sound.
  
  On August 8th young rising stars will light up the stage.
  On August 9th we are excited to welcome Kitchinparti to the outdoor theatre stage!

  • Location: Outdoor Theatre
  • Tickets will go on sale July 15 at the campground kiosks or by calling 709-533-2801.

  August 22 to 23
  Night Sky Celebration

  Terra Nova National Park is designated a Dark Sky Preserve – the first in Newfoundland and Labrador. Join Parks Canada staff and members of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, St. John’s Centre to celebrate the night sky with indoor activity stations at the Activity Centre at Newman Sound Campground and outdoor night sky observation sessions (weather permitting) at Sandy Pond.

  • Location: Activity Centre and Sandy Pond
  • Equipment for viewing is provided but people are welcome to bring their own.
• School programs

  School programs

  National Parks are amazing classrooms, offering a variety of learning opportunities for students to connect with nature. Fun and educational hands-on programs and field trips are available from late-May to mid-October.

  Mix and match your classroom experience by choosing two of the following activities or contact us at the Visitor Centre to build a classroom experience that's just right for you!

  For cost per student, please see our fees page under the Heritage Presentation Special Programs heading.

  

  Touch tank tour - super sea squad

  It’s a hard life in the Intertidal Zone but lurking along this ever changing expanse are some amazing animals – the Super Sea Squad! These marine marvels have formed some super-hero level adaptations to survive, and thrive!

  Join your interpreter at the Touch Tank as we get up close with these outstanding ocean critters and uncover their super adaptive abilities.

  

  Trail tales

  From the mossy ground to the crown of the trees, this forest has a story to tell.

  Join your interpreter as we walk the trail to explore the secrets of the unique boreal forest of Terra Nova National Park.

  

  More bees please

  Bees are incredible insects - and cute too! But it’s not all flowers and honey. Bees are also extremely hard workers and they go through a pretty fascinating lifecycle.

  Join your interpreter as we explore the amazing world of bees.

  

  Whale tales

  Did you know that the Blue Whale is the biggest animal to EVER live on Earth?! Whales are fascinating and mostly mysterious marine mammals.

  Join your interpreter for a fun learning journey as we uncover the truly unique world of these amazing animals.

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  To book:

  Phone number: +1 (709) 533-2942
  Email address: terranova@pc.gc.ca

  These programs are only available during visitor centre hours of operation.

• Explore on your own

  Explore on your own

  Discover Terra Nova at your own pace with these self-guided activities.

  Lichen hikin'

  

  Witch's Hair? British Soldiers? Trumpets? Explore the Heritage Trail in search of tiny mysterious organisms. Wee wonders await!

  Stop by the visitor centre to pick up your "Lookin for Lichens" kit before heading out on the trail to explore on your own.

  Only available during visitor centre hours of operation.

  
  
  
  

  Club Parka

  

  Visiting with young children? Explore with club Parka!

  With the Club Parka booklet kids can explore, learn and have fun! The booklets are available on site. With the Photo Missions App, kids are invited to help Parka and Chirp find and photograph specific items found at our place! Download the app for free before visiting. Once one or both activities are completed, they will receive a reward!

  Learn more about Parka and download other activities!

  Xplorers program

  Hey Kids! Do you like exploring, having adventures and lots of fun? If so, you can be a Parks Canada Xplorer! Pick up your Terra Nova Xplorers booklet at the Visitor Centre, Activity Centre, or at a campground kiosk and get started on your first challenge. Complete the required number of tasks to receive a collectable souvenir.

  The Parks Canada Xplorers program is currently offered in more than 70 national parks, national historic sites and national marine conservation areas across the country.

  

  Share your adventures with us on social media!
  Take a photo and share it with #TerraNovaNP

  Facebook: @TerraNovaNP

  Twitter: @ParksCanadaNL