Gros Morne National Park
Gros Morne National Park is located on the island of Newfoundland, Canada. The area is 1,800 km2. It was founded in 1973. Gros Morne is known for its diverse landscapes, a combination of glacial valleys, cliffs, high-altitude plateaus, waterfalls, fjords and lakes. The phenomenon of continental drift can be observed in the park. As a result of the movement of the continents, the rocks of the Earth's mantle came to the surface. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Gros Morne National Park covers part of the Long Range, a mountain range that stretches along the entire length of the western coast of the island of Newfoundland. These mountains are the weathered remnants of a ridge formed several million years ago, making them 20 times older than the Rocky Mountain Range in western Canada. The mountain range was formed as a result of the collision of continents and thirty glacial periods that occurred in the last 3 million years. Advancing and retreating, the ice eroded the peaks of the mountains, turning them into rounded peaks that we see now.
One of the most impressive attractions of Gros Morne Park is the 30 km long Western Brook Lake, which has a fjord structure formed by the activity of the same glaciers that formed the fjords in Norway. However, Western Brook was later cut off from the ocean and filled with clear fresh dark blue water cascading down from the mountain plateau above the lake. Pissing Mar Waterfall, the highest in the eastern part of North America, falls into the lake from a height of 350 meters. You can enjoy the beauty of the glacial fjords from aboard a pleasure boat cutting through the waves of Western Brook Lake. Western Brook Lake attracts tourists with its numerous hiking trails in the coastal area, as well as the fact that it is located just half an hour's drive from the main city in the Rocky Harbor region. The park's visitor center is open all year round.
Part of the area is composed of ultrabasic rocks unsuitable for plant life due to the natural high content of heavy metals. Nevertheless, there is life in the Gros Morne National Park. There are more than 36 different genera of plants represented here. Among the animals there are moose, caribou, hares, partridges and other, including rare, species of animals.
