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Gros Morne Protects Young Wildlife With Annual Closure

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By NPT Staff - May 16th, 2023
Rock ptarmigan chicks are very vulnerable in their first weeks of life.

Rock ptarmigan chicks are very vulnerable in their first weeks of life/Parks Canada photo by Darroch Whitaker

The summit of Gros Morne Mountain, which includes the Summit Trail, is closed to Gros Morne National Park visitors from May 1 to June 29 to protect wildlife during critical weeks of reproduction and growth.

“Arctic hare, rock ptarmigan and caribou need privacy and a disturbance-free environment as they have their young and care for them in their first days of life,” Parks Canada said in a news release.

Rock ptarmigan chicks are extremely vulnerable in their first week after hatching and must be warmed every few minutes. If a rock ptarmigan is distracted from her brood for too long, it can put the chicks at high risk of hypothermia and death. In cold, wet weather just a few minutes can put the chicks in danger.

Parks Canada protects young caribou at Gros Morne National Park.

Parks Canada protects young caribou at Gros Morne National Park/Parks Canada, T. Knight

Caribou also have their calves on the mountain at this time and the newborns need to be undisturbed while they find their legs and build their strength to keep up with their mothers.

The closure also helps protect the fragile mountain terrain, as soils that are wet and frost heaved are easily eroded at this time of year.

The Summit Trail will reopen on June 30. While the mountain portion of the Gros Morne Mountain Trail is closed, the Approach Trail from the trailhead to the Ferry Gulch Brook bridge at the base of the mountain remains open.

Gros Morne, in western Newfoundland, is a world-class hiking destination.

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