The Popularity of Winter Sports and Top Attractions in Newfoundland
Canada’s wonderful winter pursuits are popular not just domestically but with visitors from overseas who take advantage of the ski slopes, snowmobile trails, and dog sledding opportunities unavailable in such abundance anywhere else. From national parks and mountain ski clubs to cross-country snowshoeing, there are great sporting and similar pastimes to experience in Newfoundland, which also has its share of engaging, man-made destinations, including Cabot Tower and the Johnson Geo Centre.
From Snowy Adventures to Online Casino Entertainment
Winter can be a fantastic time of picturesque snowy fields and mountains, ideal for skiing, and lakes can become natural skating rinks. However, the weather can be disappointing, either by being too warm for snow and ice or so cold it’s unpleasant. On top of that, sometimes snowfall can be so excessive that it compromises transport infrastructure, making getting around impossible. When this happens, the best NL casino brands for 2023 provide an always accessible form of entertainment for tourists and residents to enjoy. Finding the best places to wager virtually is easy with a casino guide for Newfoundland that details available games, promotions, and other important factors for players to consider. Many sites also offer betting on sporting events, with winter sports being the top interest for most Canadian bettors. And, when the weather is kinder, Newfoundland is a great place to participate in winter sports or visit seasonal attractions.
Popular Winter Sporting Pastimes
Downhill Skiing/Snowboard
Perhaps the single most obvious winter sport is downhill skiing/snowboarding. Hurtling downhill at high speed is an exhilarating winter thrill for accomplished skiers, while newcomers can easily learn the ropes at one of the various slopes. One of the best places to ski or snowboard is only two hours from St. John’s, the Newfoundland capital, at White Hills Ski Resort in Clarenville
Cross-country Skiing
Whether visitors prefer groomed trails or roughing them in the backcountry, cross-country skiing is available in the province in abundance, with a wide variety of trail lengths. The Father Troy Path is over 13 kilometers with an estimated time of over four and a half hours, while the Three Ponds Barren Outer Loop in Pippy Park is 10 kilometers and will take around three hours. For those after a quicker session, George’s Pond Loop clocks in at less than 2 kilometers and just over half an hour. The main problem faced when cross-country skiing is picking from among the wide array of potential trails.
Snowmobiling
A winter sport so cool that F1 legend Kimi Raikkonen enjoyed it during his time away from the track is snowmobiling. There are thousands of trails to explore on a snowmobile in Newfoundland, with scenery ranging from ocean views to stunning mountains and glorious forests filled with snow-mantled trees. The island of Newfoundland has a trail pass available from the Newfoundland and Labrador Snowmobile Federation (Labrador also provides trail passes from local snowmobile clubs).
Dog Sleds
Man’s best friend and winter go hand in glove with dog sledding in Canada. In Newfoundland and Labrador, this ancient and fun way of getting around in midwinter is possible at Happy Valley-Goose Bay, in Labrador. Holidaymakers can learn how to harness, drive, and look after a team of dogs (and sled) with Northern Lights Dog Sledding. Group rates are available to lower the cost for larger numbers.
Zipline
Another way to get around the forest rapidly, but one altogether more modern, is by ziplining. Not one for those scared of heights, multiple ziplining firms are operating in Newfoundland, including North Atlantic Ziplines and Marble Zip Tours.
Niche Sport – Winter Kite Surfing
Some winter sports are very obvious, but one that surprises a lot of people is that winter kite surfing is possible in Newfoundland. For hardy-hearted souls, surfing along the water (and occasionally into the air) is a novel way of experiencing winter sports in Canada. This is very much a small, niche pastime at the moment, but every sport started that way, and for visitors seeking something a little bit different, this might be just the ticket. A slightly less hardcore time can be had by ‘surfing’ with skies or a snowboard on snow-covered land instead of the winter sea. And if the weather’s biting a little too hard, then Newfoundland online casinos are a great way to wait for it to calm down.
Top Destinations
Gros Morne
– There’s a wide range of beautiful scenery upon which to feast one’s eyes in Gros Morne National Park, from fjords to barren cliffs, forests to soaring mountains. The landscape is so stunning it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and there’s plenty for visitors to see and do, including exploring the freshwater fjord of Western Brook Pond, which features waterfalls dropping so far the water turns to mist before it can hit the pond. Winter activities within Gros Morne include snowmobiling, snowshoeing, and skiing.
Cabot Tower
– In addition to outdoor activities, there are man-made attractions to visit in Newfoundland, and Cabot Tower is a prime example of this. The tower commemorates the 400th anniversary of John Cabot’s landing in Newfoundland and the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria. These days, Cabot Tower is at the heart of the Signal Hill National Historic Site of Canada and has walking trails nearby, making it a great place to visit for Christmas or summer, or anywhere in between.
Johnson Geo Centre
– Museum-goers can travel along the 3.7 billion year timeline at the Johnson Geo Centre, located in St. John’s. Half a dozen geothermal wells heat and cool the building, which is full of interactive exhibits, while outdoors, it is home to the GEO-VISTA Park, where visitors can learn how the stone was used throughout the province’s history.
Canada is known for its excellent winter diversions, and those of Newfoundland rank among some of the very best.
