ABOUT NOTRE DAME PROVINCIAL PARK: There are 100 campsites located in the woods by a lake just off the Trans-Canada Highway. This is a very popular campground, probably due to its convenient location. It is not-too-far from Gander & Grand Falls-Windsor and only 11 km from Lewisporte. Only about a quarter to a fifth of the campsites have hook-ups & those sites are often fully booked; they are also less private & closer together than the sites without hook-ups.
We stayed at this Park before in 2019, and had a different experience than at this 2023 visit. Previously, we were there in late July, it was hot & humid, and we had site #7. It was a good site as far as size, but because it was during high season, the Park was extremely busy. To get to the swimming area, which was at the Lake below our site, everyone had to walk or drive right by our site, and they did that continuously even into the evening. All day long in the screened tent or with the RV windows open due to the heat, there were many screaming, excited children and equally-noisy adults below us at the swimming area, and walking or running by. Our site was on the camping road near to the entrance; all campers had to drive by and the water spigot was across from us, more noise. And in addition, we were close to the TCH and traffic noise was continually heard.
Now, for this year’s opinion: we had site #67 with no hook-ups; no hook-ups usually mean it’s less busy in that campground loop – everyone wants electric hook-ups at least. Although we couldn’t drive in forwards and had to back in, it was an excellent site with privacy, other sites weren’t easily seen due to the trees and the way the campsite slanted. We were farther away from the Highway and the traffic noise was much less. We were away from the popular swimming area, and even though we could still hear screaming children, they weren’t that close to us. We still had a lake view through the trees, and it wasn’t the busy section of the Lake. We were visiting early in the camping season and the unserviced sites were mostly not occupied; just the sites with hook-ups were full. And the weather was 40 degrees cooler.
We would come back here again, being careful which campsites we booked. In fact, we’re already booked for another short visit here (at this campsite) at the end of July/early August. It’s location makes it a great place for a stopover between destinations. We’ll see what it’s like here then in the quieter section. When driving through the campground, we saw a few other sites that might also be decent, all without hook-ups, in addition to site #67: sites #46 and #84.
Amenities include swimming, angling, boating, a beach, comfort station (showers & restrooms), drinking water (water should be boiled before usage), dumping station, a firepit/BBQ/picnic table at each site, internet, laundry, play area, unserviced sites & serviced sites. It cost us $60.45 for 3 nights (Canadian currency); check-in is after 3 pm, and check-out is before 2 pm. The Park Ranger let us come in early since no one was at our site.The 2023 season runs from May 17 to September 17.
For our visit in July, 2023 the only changes would be that this is our second visit to this campground and site #67 in 2023, and we stayed 2 nights rather than three, we visited in late July and the weather was warmer, and probably due to the rainy weather, they weren’t too crowded but more crowded than they were in June 2023. The cost for two nights was $40.30.
Notre Dame Provincial Park: There is no street address, just Lewisporte, NL A0G 3AO was listed as a mailing address. The Park is located just off Trans-Canada Highway, 1 km east of Notre Dame Junction at Exit 23. The phone numbers are (709) 535-2396 in season and (709) 637-2040 off season. The e-mail address is info@parksnl.ca. And the website is www.parksnl.ca.
- 2019 – 07/25-07/29
- 2023 – 06/08-06/11
- 2023 – 07/29-07/31