If you make the drive to the northern reaches of Newfoundland island, you can camp within walking distance of not one, but two, colonies of puffins! And it’s all free!
Puffins in Newfoundland
The only species of puffin found along the Atlantic Ocean is the Atlantic puffin. The Atlantic puffins mate and spend their winters at sea, but return each spring season to the same location to nest with the rest of their colony.
There are a number of different puffin colonies in Newfoundland, but only two colonies are within casual sight of land; the Bonavista colony and the Elliston colony. The colonies are both located on the Bonavista peninsula, a 20-minute drive from each other.
The Atlantic Puffin Colonies in Newfoundland
Atlantic puffins are small birds, about 8 inches tall when standing, and form lifelong colonies on rocky islands to protect themselves from predation while on land. It’s a pretty effective strategy! While nesting, puffins’ biggest concern is whether or not their meal will be stolen by gulls, and erosion of their nests.
The puffin colonies return to the same nesting area each year, although mating occurs at sea. Their nests are small burrows in the ground, or sometimes crevices in between rocky cliffs. Typically the puffins arrive in Newfoundland in mid-May and stay until mid-September.
Puffins wings are designed for underwater speed and agility, and the puffins can look a little silly on land.
The Atlantic puffin is the official bird of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.
Camping Near the Bonavista Puffin Colony
The town of Bonavista maintains Landfall Municipal Park to provide free camping and basic amenities for puffin-loving visitors. The park is within walking distance of the Cape Bonavista Light, adjacent to the puffin colony’s tiny islet.
Landfall Municipal Park | Dry Camp Site
Landfall Municipal Park has a large gravel parking area that can accommodate vans and RVs of most lengths, but the height is limited to 12 feet 9 inches. We watched a large tour bus come into the park, so there’s plenty of room for everyone.
Reservations are not required or accepted, all spaces are available on a first-come, first-served basis. And all the spots are totally free! The town asks that each visitor limit their stay to a maximum of three nights, in order to accommodate other visitors. We weren’t there in peak season, but we didn’t experience any overcrowding.
The sites are all unserviced, and there is no water, electricity, or dump stations available there. But there are four pit toilets (well-maintained with TP and hand sanitizer), numerous picnic tables, a picnic pavilion, and several trash cans. The area is very well maintained, and many people come and go throughout the day.
Statue of John Cabot
While staying at the municipal park, take the quick climb up to view the statue and plaque honoring the explorer John Cabot.
John Cabot’s landfall in the New World is a National Historic Event in Canada.
John Cabot is the first known person to sail to and land in North America, after the Vikings’ landing in L’Anse aux Meadows around 1000 CE. This statue at Cape Bonavista commemorates his landing at this location in 1497.
Camping Near the Elliston Puffin Colony
Although there’s not a free municipal park near the Elliston colony, the two colonies are located within 30 minutes of each other, so you could easily return to Landfall Municipal Park for the evening. Elliston does have a municipal park for RV’s with hook-ups, for a reasonable rate.
There’s also plenty of community pasture land, on which many people (including us!) enjoy boondocking. There are a ton of spaces available right along the stunning Newfoundland cliffs, so everyone gets a view! We enjoyed a vivid pink sunset during our wild camping stay.
Visiting the Puffins in Newfoundland
Bird Island | Elliston Puffin Colony
The view of the Atlantic puffin colony settled in Elliston, Newfoundland offers the closest view of puffins, from the land, in all of North America. And it was pretty darn impressive let me tell you! Tom photographed the puffins along the cliff’s edge, and I photographed my favorite subject.
There’s no amenities at the viewing site, but it’s free to visit. Donations are accepted and go to upkeep of area.
Elliston is also the root cellar capital of the world! We spotted numerous root cellars, and there’s many you can check out right around the puffin viewing site.
Bonavista Puffin Colony
The Atlantic puffin colony located in Bonavista, Newfoundland is perched atop a large rock separated from the mainland by a narrow stretch of water. So you can’t walk right up to the puffins, but you can see them across the way. We had an absolute blast walking along the cliffs, stopping and setting up our camera at different spots.
The second day, we woke up at 5 AM in order to be there for the sunrise. Twice, a couple puffins flew over to the mainland, and were within arm’s reach! Of course, we didn’t touch the puffins, but we got some good shots.
The Bonavista Puffin Colony is located just beyond the Cape Bonavista Lighthouse!
Cape Bonavista Lighthouse Provincial Historic Site
The puffin viewing site is just beyond this stunning lighthouse. Access to the site is a mixture of paved areas as well as gravel and natural paths making it accessible for all those looking to catch a glimpse of puffins in Newfoundland.
The Cape Bonavista Light is the lighthouse located at the tip of the Bonavista Peninsula, north of the much larger Avalon Peninsula. It was in operation from the mid-1800s to the mid-1900s, and now houses a museum.
The Cape Bonavista Lighthouse Provincial Historic Site is unique among the many lighthouses in the island province of Newfoundland. It’s one of the few places in the world where the original stone tower can be climbed by tourists. At the top, visitors will see the original 1800s catoptric light!
Cabot Crafts
Adjacent to the lighthouse is Cabot Crafts, a small not-for-profit store with curated souvenirs. It has a huge variety of items, and a lot of unique pieces from local artisans. Many of the items are handmade, including hats, mittens, placemats, ornaments, jewelry, sculptures, paintings, books, calendars, jams, and so much more!
How to Prepare for Puffin Viewing
Both puffin viewing sites are on rocky cliffs – it’s windy and the weather can be variable throughout the day. If you plan to hang out and observe the puffins for an extended period of time, I would recommend planning for both sunny and rainy weather, depending on the day(s) you visit.
What to Wear
Layers, layers, layers! We wore light pants, trail runners, a base layer, mid layer, and rain layer in addition to a hat. You definitely want to wear sturdy shoes and something that’s comfortable in the wind. It rained lightly on and off, so a light rain jacket would be ideal.
What to Bring
We brought our Thermarest sit pads, and were grateful that we did! The ground is rocky, uneven, and damp, so we felt spoiled having a comfortable place to watch from. Hopefully we didn’t make too many people jealous!
You will definitely want to bring binoculars, since the puffin colonies’ islands are across a narrow stretch of water from the viewing location. You can see the small puffins with your naked eye, but not in great detail. There were other visitors who asked to borrow our binoculars, and we were happy to share. We have two pairs, one that allows us to calculate distance and one that connects to our phones for photos.
If you plan to take detailed photos of the puffins, you will need a long telephoto lens, the longest your budget can afford. Our 500mm Canon lens was sufficient, but hopefully we can afford an even longer one some day. The puffins sometimes fly over to the viewing area, so you might be able to capture some close-ups with your phone if you’re lucky!
Other Puffin Colonies to Visit in Newfoundland
Atlantic puffins, as the provincial bird, can be found in numerous places around Newfoundland. The Witless Bay Ecological Reserve is home to the largest puffin colony in the province, the second largest colony in the world. Many of these sites, like Witless Bay, would require a boat or boat tour in order to be able to see the puffin colonies.
Click on the puffin icons for more details about each location, and to open a link to Google Maps.
Pin this article for your visit to Newfoundland!
