Newfoundland and Labrador is an amazing destination for active adventurers and it’s the perfect place to camp for free. In this Locals Guide to Free Camping in Newfoundland, we want to share with you all the places you can camp, the etiquette of free camping and some handy resources to make your trip easier.
There are many reasons Newfoundland is the best free camping spot in Canada. The main reason is that much of the island of Newfoundland is classified as crown land/public land – still wild and undeveloped. With small rural communities, a camping culture and small private properties there is so much space and too few people to care who camps were. Newfoundlanders also have maintained their rights to have access to the land for recreational activities and having a place to wild camp is critical.
Free camping in Newfoundland is the best way to travel affordably through this big island, especially in peak season, July & August. Tent and RV camping is fine anywhere that’s crown land, including gravel pits, with the exception of provincial or national parks, protected areas or private property.
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Best Practices for Free Camping in Newfoundland
- Stay off land with signage that says “private property”, “no trespassing”, or “no overnight parking”
- Practice Leave No Trace so everyone can keep free camping
- Be quiet and respectful
- Do not feed wild animals
- Leave the space as nice or nicer than you found it
When it comes to free camping, there is a place for everyone. Below are all the types of places you can free camp in Newfoundland.
Best Resources for Free Camping
- Backroad Mapbook for NL
- freecampsites.net
- explore-mag.ca
- iOverlander
- truckstopsandservices.com
- Hikes of Newfoundland {Trail Guidebook}
On the Beaten Path
Truck Stops and Rest Areas
There are numerous rest areas located throughout Newfoundland. These areas offer free camping for travellers and typically have some amenities close by. They can be a bit loud due to traffic and the occasional idling truck, but at night the highway is pretty quiet due to low traffic and everyone’s fear of hitting a moose. This site has the full list of truck stops in NL including what amenities each has.
Here is a list of some of the best rest areas in Newfoundland:
Rest Area in Gambo – Joeys Lookout
Located on Route 1 (Trans Canada Highway), 2-km west of Route 320, Gambo (48.7591, -54.2348), this picturesque lookout provides a birdseye view of the town of Gambo and the surrounding area. With spacious parking, there is room for RVs and vehicles of all sizes. Images and reviews via inspirock.com.
A gravel parking area beside the A&W provides space for RV’s and vehicles of all sizes. Within walking distance of all amenities, this is a great place to spend a night in Gander. Be sure to explore the Gander Aviation Museum (across the road) and walk the local trails beside the lake.
Deer Lake Big Stop by Irving Rest Area
This place is well lit, very clean & well laid out. Parking for big vehicles is around the back and there is access to washrooms, showers, a restaurant and a dump station. The Visitors Info is next door, so you can gather maps and details for your next stop.
The gravel parking lot in the bottom left of the image is the spot to park. It is behind the Tim Hortons and Georges SKi World and serves as the trailhead parking for the Steady Brook Falls hike trailhead. Tim Hortons has a single public washroom and the area is often quite busy. We recommend using public washrooms over at Marble Mountain (when open) or the Corner Brook Tourist info Centre.
La Poile Pull Off – Wreakhouse
The Port Aux Basques Rest Area is only a place to stay if it’s not windy! If it’s windy, just pay the Provincial Park fees and stay at J.T. Cheeseman Park instead.
The area is called the ‘Wreakhouse’ as the notorious winds have flattened houses, blown trains off the tracks and still blow RVs and tractor-trailers off the highway.
Walmart’s
Walmart’s are a great place to camp overnight. Almost every Walmart has a large parking lot and allows RVs and trailers to park there for free. Being in town they are close to all the amenities. Plus, they are well-lit and have security patrolling the lot at night. The major downfall is Walmarts are only located in the larger city centers (Corner Brook, Gander, St.John’s etc.)
Click here to see the location of all Walmarts on the island.
Tourist Info Centres
Tourist information centres are a great place to stay/find free camping spots in the area. Normally, if there is no signage saying otherwise, it is fair game to stay in the parking lot overnight. While you are there, be sure to ask the staff at the centre for their recommendations on good places to camp in the area. They will likely have maps and other information that can help you plan your trip.
Click here to see all the tourist info centres around Newfoundland.
Municipal Parks
Small communities often have little parks or playgrounds and few by-laws around overnight parking or camping. This makes rural community parks a great option for free camping in Newfoundland. If there’s no signage, it’s fair game and the worst that will happen is someone will ask you to leave.
In larger centres, free camping is harder to come by in municipal parks. These parks can offer a variety of amenities, such as playgrounds, BBQ pits, washrooms, and drinking water. However, many municipalities have strict rules about camping in their parks and will evict campers who are not staying in a designated campsite.
Pro-tip; sleep here during the day or take rest breaks at these places instead. You won’t get kicked out for sleeping while the park is ‘open’.
Slightly Off the Beaten Path
Trailhead Parking Lots
If you are looking for a free place to camp in Newfoundland, look no further than the trailhead parking lots. These areas can be found near many of the province’s hiking trails and offer a quiet, dark place to sleep for the night.
Most of these parking lots are large enough to accommodate all sizes of RVs, but typically don’t have amenities (outhouses or power etc.). So if you are looking for a free place to stay while exploring and hiking in Newfoundland, be sure to check out the trailhead parking lots.
For help finding the many hundreds of trailheads throughout Newfoundland grab a copy of Hikes of Newfoundland and/or the Backroads Mapbook for NL.
Beaches
You can use the beach almost anywhere you can get to it and have your motorized vehicle parked safely off the road. Many of Newfoundland’s rural communities are staggered along the coastline. Good parking is usually available near the warf/dock or a random gravel track that leads out to the beach. We do not recommend trying to drive on beaches as they are often loose and it’s very likely you will get stuck. Just park nearby and walk your overnight items out to camp.
Our favourite free beach camping spot is in Bellburns, north of Gros Morne National Park. There is a nice little parking spot and then a few options for camping depending on the weather and winds. Access to the beach provides a great place for a campfire with driftwood in excess while the meadowed bluff provides a soft camping spot. Tuck into the trees if it’s windy to protect your tent from direct onshore winds. These types of small communities all have little beach access points and you often just have to carry your tent down over the bank to find a secluded spot to camp out. Just mind the tides and winds!
Off the Beaten Path
Back Country & Crown Land Camping
The off-road camping in Newfoundland will require you to have 4×4 and high clearance but the views and peacefulness are worth it! You will need Hikes of Newfoundland and/or the Backroad Mapbook of NL to assist you in finding all the backcountry camping in Newfoundland as many are not in iOverlander. You will be driving active or old logging roads to find amazing spots to camp on crown land such as parking lots, gravel pit, pull off or end of the road area to stay.
In NL, many of these 4×4 roads are still active logging roads, so always obey posted signs, be sure to camp well off the road and out of the way of any heavy machinery and transport trucks.
And always pack out what you pack in! You will see lots of garbage off these roads, it’s kind of a local problem but please don’t add to it. If you’re camping with your dog, be mindful that lots of hunters clean kills on the sides o these roads, so there will be bones drawing the attention of wildlife.
Often along old logging roads, you will see gravel pits with campers in them. This is a common local practice but there are a few things to keep in mind when camping in these areas. First, these are people’s weekend getaway camps, so please respect their campers and surrounding areas. Secondly, if you’re thinking of staying the weekend, be aware that things might get loud – quads, dirtbikes, generators, music etc. and may not be the most peaceful free spot.
A few of our favourite locations are places are 30-50km from the highway like; Lewis Hills via Cold Brook road and Serpentine Lake via Logger School road.
Get a copy of the Newfoundland & Labrador Backroads Mapbook and hit the gravel!
Will and I (and everyone we know) have free camped in Newfoundland. It’s very easy to find beautiful places to pitch a tent or park an RV for a night and thoroughly enjoy the rugged wilderness. All we ask is that you leave the place as nice or nicer than you found it and be respectful to the locals (both people and animals) since this is their home and you are the visitor. Happy camping!