I love a good camping trip. In a campground I look for two things: 1) something interesting to do or see there, and 2) private, secluded campsites that are separate from the other campers. Sir Richard Squires Memorial Provincial Park, which is located in Cormack, NL, met both of those criteria. To be completely honest, I knew the park existed but I never would have stayed there if my grandfather hadn’t recommended it to me. The online results when you search the park aren’t really that appealing, so it really exceeded my expectations.
The campground is located along the Humber River near the small town of Cormack. If you’re headed to the park from the east on the Trans Canada, don’t pay attention to the directions your GPS will give you. Trust me. Instead of following the GPS directions, head up to the Deer Lake exit, turn right on the Viking Trail towards St. Anthony, in about 10 minutes turn right at the Cormack exit, and then drive straight down that road which will eventually become a dirt road. Continue straight and you’ll eventually come upon the campground. It costs $20 a night to camp and the sites are unserviced but pretty large and well maintained. It’s $5 cheaper than any of the national park campgrounds.
After unloading the CRV and setting up camp along the banks of the Humber River, we decided to explore a little. There are walking trails all around the park that lead down to the river and the big falls for campers to explore. The cool thing about Sir Richard Squires Memorial Provincial Park is that in the summertime, salmon are migrating up the river so if you’re lucky, you can see them jump up the falls. We saw quite a few and it was mindblowing that those fish can actually jump up a waterfall! Bring your camera and get some cool shots to show your pals.
Aside from that, the park is quiet, tidy, and off the grid. It was nice to have a relaxing night away from it all. From the campsite, we could hear the water rushing over the falls. It was so peaceful to sit around the fire and hear the river in the background. It was even better to fall asleep to it. I felt reenergized and revitalized.
I highly recommend checking out Sir Richard Squires Memorial Provincial Park. Have a picnic on the rocks along the riverbank, watch the salmon jump, and grab a beer at the lodge (sadly it was closed when we were there). And while you’re in the Cormack area, head over to Cache Rapids Stable in Reidville for a trail ride. Cormack is also right on the edge of Gros Morne National Park so there are a lot of fun things to do in the area.
Have you been to the Sir Richard Squires Memorial Provincial Park? Leave us a comment below or send us a message on social media (@twowildtides) letting us know what you thought. Also, let us know what your favorite campground is– we want to check it out!
happy adventuring,
char
Check out our other adventures on the west coast of Newfoundland:
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