Tips on Driving the Trans-Labrador Highway

The Trans-Labrador Highway is Labrador’s longest, and only major highway. It is a continuation of Quebec’s Route 389, aka the Trans-Quebec Highway, and extends 714 miles (1149 km) from the Labrador-Quebec border just west of Labrador City to the very southern tip of Labrador. Not that long ago, it was a difficult, rough, unpaved road, and drivers traversing it were provided with a satellite phone to summon help in the event of a breakdown or medical emergency. Now, however, it is fully paved, and is one of the best roads in all of Canada. When combined with the Trans-Quebec Highway, the entire route is 1066 miles (1706 km) long, and still remains one of the great road trips in North America, on a par with the  Dempster Highway across the Yukon and Northwest Territories in western Canada and the Dalton Highway from Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay in Alaska.  Except within the few towns along the way, the posted speed limit is 80 km/h (50 mph) throughout.

If you were to drive it non-stop at the speed limit, it would be possible to traverse the entire highway in under 16 hours. If you have the time, however, we recommend that you take a few days to make the trip. We actually took four days which gave us the chance to enjoy the great scenery, take in a few hikes and explore the towns on the route.

Preparations

Except in the towns, phone coverage is pretty much nonexistent along the TLH, and gas stations and repair facilities are few and far between, so prepare accordingly. If you do break down, there is enough traffic that you won’t have to wait long before someone stops to help, but it will likely be several hours before a tow truck can be summoned.

Road Conditions

This is one of the best roads in all of Canada, and if you just completed the Trans-Quebec Highway, it will be a most welcome change. In the summer of 2024, there was very little road maintenance, minimal traffic, and virtually no delays.

Gas Stations

Don’t Pass up An Opportunity to fill up

It’s A Long Way Between Gas Stations

The distances between fuel stations should not be a problem for most vehicles, as long as you fill up at each town. Here are the fuel stations and the distances between them along the TLH:

Labrador City to Churchill Falls - 151 miles (243km)

Churchill Falls to Goose Bay-Happy Valley - 178 miles (286km)

Goose Bay-Happy Valley to Port Hope Simpson - 250 miles (402km)

Port Hope Simpson to Pinware - 103 miles (165km)

Pinware to L’Anse Au Loup - 12 miles (20km)

L’Anse Au Loup to Forteau - 9 miles (14km)

Forteau to the ferry at Blanc-Sablon - 9 miles (14 km)

Electric Vehicle Chargers

There are EV chargers at Labrador City, Churchill Falls, Happy Valley, Port Hope Simpson and Flowers Cove (in Newfoundland, about 150 miles (241km) from Port Hope Simpson via ferry from Blanc Sablon). Your EV will need a usable range of at least 250 miles (402km) to make the trip.

Camping

There are commercial campgrounds listed in the following section. If you have a self-contained camper (or don’t mind poo-ing in the woods), there are pullouts every 5-10 kilometers along the road. Unless a parking area has signage specifically prohibiting overnight parking, overnight parking is allowed at any of these parking areas. Very few have trash receptacles, so expect to carry your trash with you.

Note: Campgrounds may offer unserviced (dry camping), serviced 2-way (electric/water), serviced 3-way (electric/water/sewer)

Time Zones

Most of Labrador is on Atlantic time, one hour later than Eastern time. During the summer months, daylight savings time is used. The southeastern part of Labrador, however, is on Newfoundland time, a half hour later than Atlantic time.

Southeastern Labrador is on Newfoundland Time

Services and Attractions

Labrador City

All services. The Gateway Labrador information center has scads of local information as well as conditions on the road ahead. When we were there, they checked to make sure a wild fire in the Churchill area had died down enough to pass. Gateway Labrador also offers overnight parking with electrical, water, sewer and wifi for a fee ($55CAD in 2024).

The Mike Adam Recreation Complex has free showers and overnight parking with electrical.

There is a RV dump station at the end of Humphrey road.

Churchill

Hotels, gas stations and groceries. Limited repairs other than tires. The town center and the ice arena both allow free overnight parking with electrical. A RV dump station is located between Tamarac and Spruce streets.

Happy Valley - Goose Bay

All services. The Labrador North Chamber of Commerce provides RV parking. The Central Labrador YMCA has a beautiful new facility with showers, a gym and free overnight parking with electrical. There is a RV dump station on Ottawa street.

Port Hope Simpson

Lodging, gas and a convenience store.

St. Lewis

No services, but a great place to view icebergs.

Mary’s Harbour

Lodging, access to Battle Harbour NHS, small grocery, post office

Lodge Bay

Convenience store and lodging.

Red Bay

Lodging; BNL Enterprises has gas, RV parking, showers and laundry; access to Red Bay NHS, restaurant, gift shop, museum

Pinware and West St. Modeste

Lodging, gas, convenience store and the Pinware Provincial Park and Campground.

L’Anse au Loup

Gas station and convenience store.

Forteau

Lodging, gas station and auto repair. First Pond Camping has free, unserviced RV parking.

L’Anse au Clair

Lodging, gas, info center and campground.

Blanc Sablon

Because this town is just across the provincial border of Quebec, it’s on Eastern daylight time and you gain 1-1/2 hours when you enter it. Blanc Sablon has gas and lodging, and there is free camping with toilets and a dump station at Parc Goodchild, just east of town. This is also where the Newfoundland ferry terminal is, and marks the end of the Trans-Labrador Highway. Good on you… you made it!

The Ferry

Once you’ve recovered from the celebrations, you’ll probably want to drive onto the ferry and continue the adventure in Newfoundland. And regarding the ferry, I have a couple of informational tidbits.

First, remember that the published ferry schedules are on Newfoundland time, not Eastern daylight time, even though it departs from Blanc Sablon. Second, after we were unable to make a reservation for the ferry for weeks into the future, we drove to the ferry terminal to ask the ticketing person whether there might be any cancellations for the next few days. She informed us that that only about 75% of the ferry’s available space is ever reserved- fully 25% of the ferry’s capacity is left open for last minute arrivals. We were there three hours prior to the next departure and there was plenty of room for us and Blanche.

The ferry transports you 17 miles across the Strait of Belle Isle to St. Barbe, Newfoundland. The 1:45 hour ride cost $36.25 (senior rate) for us and Blanche in 2024.

Enjoy the ferry ride, then come explore Newfoundland with us…