Deer Lake Regional Airport (YDF) → Port aux Basques
Deer Lake Airport (YDF) to Port aux Basques and the Codroy Valley
The drive from every airport and ferry ↓
- Distance
- 270.9 km
- Drive time
- In your maps app ↗
- Roads
- 1
Use another map app
Apple Maps · Google Maps · Organic Maps · OsmAnd (both work offline, no tracking) · Waze
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Then a ferry to North Sydney, Nova Scotia
Port aux Basques is the island's year-round ferry terminal: Marine Atlantic's year-round crossing to North Sydney sails from the mapped terminal at the end of this drive. Check Marine Atlantic for sailings, fares and weather holds before you plan a day around a departure.
Operated by Marine Atlantic.
Current schedule →Faded lines are other drives from Deer Lake Regional into this area: Codroy Valley (245 km). Each splits off where its line leaves this one.
Stop 1: Codroy Valley Provincial ParkDetour
The mapped reserve on the Grand Codroy estuary, the broad, sheltered river mouth that makes this valley the west coast's great bird water. Waterfowl stage in the wetlands, with the Long Range mountains behind. ParksNL publishes what operates and when.
Stopping here adds 17.3 km to the drive.
Directions →Show on map: Codroy Valley Provincial Park ↑Other map apps
Apple · Google · Organic Maps · OsmAnd (both work offline, no tracking) · WazeStop 2: Wreckhouse
The most famous stretch of wind in Newfoundland. The Long Range funnels southeasterlies here hard enough that a man was once employed to decide whether trains could pass: Lauchie MacDougall, the human wind gauge. The Trans-Canada runs straight through it, and high-sided vehicles still get held when it blows. Check the forecast for your timing.
Stopping here adds 0.1 km to the drive.
Directions →Show on map: Wreckhouse ↑Other map apps
Apple · Google · Organic Maps · OsmAnd (both work offline, no tracking) · WazeStop 3: J.T. Cheeseman Provincial ParkDetour
The ParksNL campground on this route, just before town, with a sand beach and dune boardwalk. It is also piping plover shore: parts of the beach close for nesting, and the park's postings say where. ParksNL publishes the season and sites.
Stopping here adds 2.6 km to the drive.
Directions →Show on map: J.T. Cheeseman Provincial Park ↑Other map apps
Apple · Google · Organic Maps · OsmAnd (both work offline, no tracking) · WazeStop 4: Cape Ray LighthouseDetour
The light on the island's southwest corner, where the Cabot Strait begins. It is mapped at the end of Cape Ray Road with a Maritime Link information board alongside, and J.T. Cheeseman's beach between it and town. The Table Mountains stand behind; the ferry passes in front.
Stopping here adds 18.6 km to the drive.
Directions →Show on map: Cape Ray Lighthouse ↑Other map apps
Apple · Google · Organic Maps · OsmAnd (both work offline, no tracking) · Waze
Scan with your phone to open this page there. Then tap Keep for offline before you lose signal.
Drive measured Sep 5, 2026, terminal to the town. Your maps app gives the time on the day. The ferry after it is not included. How we measure
Then the ferry to North Sydney, Nova Scotia — sailings & schedule →
Add to a trip →Staying here? Days out ↓Keep for offline ↓Download GPX (offline, Garmin)Airport info: Deer Lake Regional Airport →
270.9 km. Deer Lake airport to Port aux Basques: the Trans-Canada the length of the west coast, through the Bay St. George lowlands and the Codroy Valley to the ferry town.
Break it in the Codroy Valley. The Grand Codroy estuary has wetlands, farm fields, staging waterfowl and a mapped provincial reserve.
At the end: the North Sydney ferry, and Cape Ray light, where you can watch the ferry coming.
When you get to Port aux Basques
- Where to eat near Port aux Basques → — 13 places the open map records, alphabetically, with addresses and phone numbers.
Sunrise and sunset at Port aux Basques, by month
| Month (the 15th) | Sunrise | Sunset |
|---|---|---|
| January | 8:09 am | 5:00 pm |
| February | 7:33 am | 5:48 pm |
| March | 7:40 am | 7:31 pm |
| April | 6:38 am | 8:14 pm |
| May | 5:49 am | 8:55 pm |
| June | 5:28 am | 9:25 pm |
| July | 5:43 am | 9:20 pm |
| August | 6:21 am | 8:40 pm |
| September | 7:02 am | 7:40 pm |
| October | 7:44 am | 6:39 pm |
| November | 7:31 am | 4:51 pm |
| December | 8:07 am | 4:35 pm |
Worked out for the 15th of each month at this spot, in local time. The weather line at the top has today's.
Places to eat on the way
3 near the start: where to eat in Deer Lake →
12 near Port aux Basques: where to eat near Port aux Basques →
25 places to eat within 2 km of this drive, in the order you pass them.
The longest stretch with nothing mapped on it is 91.4 km — after Pinchgut Restaurant & Convenience, until Midway Motel and Lounge.
Every one of them, in the order you pass them
- Wingn' itrestaurantkm 5.1
- Pizza Delightrestaurantkm 5.7 · 235 m off the road
- Tim Hortonscafékm 5.8 · 225 m off the road
- A&Wfast foodkm 5.8 · 178 m off the road
- Subwayfast foodkm 5.9 · 178 m off the road
- KFCfast foodkm 6
- Burger Kingfast foodkm 6.1
- Peter's Pizzafast foodkm 6.1
- Langerspubkm 6.2 · 550 m off the road
- Oasis Grill Houserestaurantkm 27.7 · 245 m off the road
- Cafe 59restaurantkm 27.7 · 863 m off the road
- Tim Hortonscafékm 46
- Pizza Delightrestaurantkm 53.4 · 881 m off the road
- Tim Hortonscafékm 53.5 · 923 m off the road
- Mary Brown'sfast foodkm 53.5 · 912 m off the road
- Samuel's Sammiches and Sweetsrestaurantkm 53.6 · 1496 m off the road
- King Henry's Pubpubkm 53.8 · 1919 m off the road
- KFCfast foodkm 53.8 · 1992 m off the road
- Tim Hortonscafékm 53.8 · 1849 m off the road
- McDonald'sfast foodkm 54.4 · 310 m off the road
- Jungle Jim'srestaurantkm 54.8 · 197 m off the road
- Wendy'sfast foodkm 55
- Pinchgut Restaurant & Conveniencerestaurantkm 72.3
- Midway Motel and Loungepubkm 163.7
- Robin's Donutsrestaurantkm 232.6
Not ranked or complete, and nobody pays to be here. No opening hours: phone ahead. Open map data, swept 2026-09-12. How we measure · Add a missing place
New place to eat, or one that's missing? This list comes from OpenStreetMap, so nobody can pay to be on it. Add it to the map yourself (about twenty minutes on a phone), or email us the details and we'll put it on the map.
What has been recorded near here
Wildlife people have reported within 10 km of Port aux Basques, and the months they saw it. Tap a name for everywhere else on our drives it turns up.
- Northern gannetseabirdMorus bassanusReports cluster in July, August, June194 reports on record
- Atlantic puffinseabirdFratercula arcticaReports cluster in July, August, January33 reports on record
Reports, not counts: busy harbours report more. No sighting is promised, and the list covers only the species we look up. Source: GBIF, the international record of wildlife sightings, checked 2026-10-07.
Short drives from Port aux Basques
Other map apps
Apple · Google · Organic Maps · OsmAnd (both work offline, no tracking) · WazeOr any of these: nearest first, measured by road from Port aux Basques.
- Channel Head Lighttowerlighthouse2.4 kmDirections →
Other map apps
Apple · Google · Organic Maps · OsmAnd (both work offline, no tracking) · Waze - Smokey Cape Trailtrail · 2.4 km walk · easy12 kmDirections →
Other map apps
Apple · Google · Organic Maps · OsmAnd (both work offline, no tracking) · Waze - Cape Ray Lighthousestop18 km
The province's tourism site suggests the Cape Ray Lightkeepers House, on the lighthouse's history, before heading to the wetlands.
Directions →Other map apps
Apple · Google · Organic Maps · OsmAnd (both work offline, no tracking) · Waze - Harvey's Trailtrail · 4 km loop · easy22 kmDirections →
Other map apps
Apple · Google · Organic Maps · OsmAnd (both work offline, no tracking) · Waze - Wreckhousestop22 km
A named place on the map, not a building, and the Trans-Canada runs straight through it.
Directions →Other map apps
Apple · Google · Organic Maps · OsmAnd (both work offline, no tracking) · Waze - Starlight Trailtrail · 4.8 km out and back · challenging33 kmDirections →
Other map apps
Apple · Google · Organic Maps · OsmAnd (both work offline, no tracking) · Waze - Codroy Valleytown39 kmDirections →
Other map apps
Apple · Google · Organic Maps · OsmAnd (both work offline, no tracking) · Waze - Point Roseehistoric site41 kmDirections →
Other map apps
Apple · Google · Organic Maps · OsmAnd (both work offline, no tracking) · Waze
More, up to 47 km (1)
- Rose Blanche Lighthouselighthouse47 kmDirections →
Other map apps
Apple · Google · Organic Maps · OsmAnd (both work offline, no tracking) · Waze
Distances by road, measured on OpenStreetMap October 16, 2026, from where this route ends. Your maps app gives the time on the day. How we measure
Doing it electric
- Fast chargers on this drive
- Deer Lake km 4, Corner Brook km 55, Robinsons km 164, Port aux Basques km 268
- Longest stretch without one
- 109 km
- Corner Brook → Robinsons, of 271 km driven
- Nearest fast charger to Port aux Basques
- at Port aux Basques
Coming in 2026 (NL Hydro, 2026-10-22): Deer Lake (km 0). Not counted until it opens.
NL Hydro fast chargers within 3 km of the drive. Check the app for one that's working. Exported 2026-10-22. How we measure
Paved or not, per the map
- Mapped as unpaved
- none
- Not proof it is all paved: 79% has no surface tag.
- Mapped as paved
- 21%
- 48.2 km of 270.9 km driven
- No surface tag on the map
- 79%
- 180.1 km: surface not recorded
In a rental car: Hertz Canada’s terms say “use off paved roads or on roads which are not regularly maintained” voids the damage waiver. Check your own agreement. Hertz’s terms ↗. Source for these figures: OSRM driving profile, origin to destination, with node annotations; OpenStreetMap surface tags via Overpass, checked 2026-09-06. Today's road conditions: 511.
Before you go
These change, so we link to the people who keep them up to date.
Wreckhouse windsYear round, worst in fall and winter storms
Environment Canada issues wind warnings for exactly this stretch, and the province holds high-sided vehicles at Wreckhouse when it blows. The same wind that stops trucks holds sailings, so check both if your day includes the ferry.
weather.gc.ca →Road conditionsYear round, matters most November–April
Two hundred and seventy kilometres of west coast Trans-Canada crosses every weather system the Gulf can throw. Check the cameras and plow reports.
511nl.ca →MooseYear round, worst between dusk and dawn
The province states that the likelihood of injury in a moose collision is twice as high between dusk and dawn as in daytime. A 271 km drive to catch a morning ferry starts in the dark.
gov.nl.ca →
Onward from Port aux Basques
The drives that continue from here, measured the same way you arrived.
The trails
- Starlight Trail4.8 km out and back · challenging · about 333 m of climbing · profile, 3D flyover and the drive to the trailhead →
- Harvey's Trail4 km loop · easy · about 22 m of climbing · profile, 3D flyover and the drive to the trailhead →
- Smokey Cape Trail2.4 km walk · easy · about 20 m of climbing · profile, 3D flyover and the drive to the trailhead →
Renting a car? Book the car when you book the flight.
Summer rentals sell out, says NL Tourism, and in June 2026 BNN Bloomberg reported St. John's airport agencies booked for nearly all of summer.
Both checked October 7, 2026.
Rental counters at Deer Lake, with numbers →Arriving without a car
Not renting? Here's who Deer Lake Regional Airport lists at the terminal.
No rideshare here.
The airport's ground-transportation page lists no rideshare service, only three taxi firms, a shuttle and seven charter operators (checked 2026-09-15).
Taxi
Star Taxi, which the airport calls its primary ground transportation provider, serving the whole region with wheelchair-accessible vans and accommodating service dogs. The airport advises contacting them 24 to 48 hours before you arrive.
Taxi
Deer Lake Taxi, listed as operating around the clock across the province with no pre-booking required.
Shuttle
Star Taxi runs a shuttle between Corner Brook and the airport, serving named hotels, with a private-car option. It must be booked ahead. The airport publishes the fares.
Coach
DRL Coachlines' once-a-day coach each way between St. John's and Port aux Basques stops in Deer Lake town (the Circle K), not at the airport terminal. It reaches no island and no national park. Tickets are bought on the bus, cash only. Times and fares are DRL's: drl-lr.com.
Source: Deer Lake Regional Airport,2026-09-15. Check there for fares and times.
The drive back
Port aux Basques back to Deer Lake measures 271 km.
Plan back from your check-in time. Going home, the ferry comes first: confirm the sailing, then count back. Give the planner your flight time and it tells you when to set off.
How early to arrive depends on the carrier and the season: check Deer Lake Regional Airport →
Return measured 2026-09-29, the same way as the drive out. How we measure
Questions
Why drive 271 km to a ferry town?＋
Because the drive is the whole west coast: the Humber Valley, the Bay St. George lowlands, the Codroy Valley's wetlands under the Long Range, Wreckhouse, and the Cabot Strait at the end. And if your trip ends with the ferry, this is the way home.
Is this the road to the Marine Atlantic ferry?＋
Yes. The year-round North Sydney crossing sails from the mapped terminal at this drive's end; the onward note above links the operator. Leave slack for wind, which holds sailings.
What is Wreckhouse, actually?＋
A few kilometres of the Trans-Canada where the Long Range Mountains squeeze the wind hard enough to have blown trains off their rails. The province still holds high-sided vehicles there in a blow. On a calm day you will drive through without noticing.
Should I fly into Deer Lake or Gander for this?＋
Deer Lake: 271 km against 574 km from Gander.
No recorded track yet.Drove it? Send yours →
Put this map on your site
Run a place to stay, a tour or a town page on this drive? Add this map to your site. It shows your guests the drive and its distance. It is free, needs no account, and we keep the figures current.
<iframe src="https://fromtheairport.xyz/embed/ydf-port-aux-basques"
width="100%" height="420" style="border:0" loading="lazy"
title="Driving route: Deer Lake Regional Airport (YDF) to Port aux Basques"></iframe>?lat=&lon=&label= to the URL to pin your own property on the map.Every distance and coordinate on this page was checked against its source on September 5, 2026. Origin: OpenStreetMap way/180061286. Destination: OpenStreetMap node/33943661 — Port Aux Basques town node.