Sir Richard Squires Memorial Provincial Park

The provincial parks of Newfoundland and Labrador have hosted visitors to this beautiful place for over 65 years. The very first of which can be found on the wonderful west coast of the island, just 36 kilometres northeast of Deer Lake along Route 422. Named in honour of the final Prime Minister of Newfoundland, Sir Richard Squires Memorial Provincial Park was established in 1954 and opened to the public in 1959. This beautiful park is situated on the mighty Humber River and is known locally as Big Falls Park. And between May and August the three metre high, 87 metre wide waterfall clearly demonstrates why this is a popular spot for salmon angling; delightfully large Atlantic salmon can be seen leaping the falls to get upstream to spawn! Between the angling, the gorgeous forest and the rushing rapids of the river, Sir Richard Squires Memorial Provincial Park is a sight to be seen.

Find out more about the park by visiting Natural History.

Photo Gallery

Activities

Angling

Sir Richard Squires Memorial Park is a prime location for anglers. In fact, Big Falls is known world-wide for its quality salmon angling. From mid June to late August you can spot them leaping Big Falls. Likewise, the mighty Humber River is teeming with trout. Favourite fishing spots like Piercey’s Hole. Goosney’s Rock and Wendy’s Pool abound, named for or by the fishermen who frequented them. Cast your rod and you should have no trouble hooking a big one. Landing it is another story! Residents of the province must obtain a salmon license and two-person dories are available for rent to anyone holding a valid license. Angling is permitted within all provincial parks. Visitors are responsible for following all regulations, to find out more, visit Fisheries and Oceans Canada. A salmon channel was created by blasting and between late June and mid-August you can usually see salmon leaping as they try to make their way upstream to spawn.

Bicycling

With three camping loops and two and a half kilometres of gravel park road, Sir Richard Squires Memorial Park is a great spot for the cyclist or kids just giving up their training wheels. So unstrap your bike from your rack and enjoy the fresh air as you pedal past rows of spruce trees. Be sure to strap that helmet on for safety and a reminder to drivers to keep an eye out for children biking.

Bird Watching

Sir Richard Squires Memorial Provincial Park will certainly keep the bird watcher busy. Keep an eye out for Gray Jays, Osprey, Great Horned Owl, and Northern Flicker in the dense forests of this park. Be sure to bring your binoculars and listen for an orchestra of their delightful songs and calls.

Campfire

Your campsite comes with a fireplace and nothing quite says camping like an open fire on a starry night. The perfect way to end your day; toasting a marshmallow or roasting a hot dog over your campsite’s fireplace with family and friends reflecting on your adventures as the crackling flames echo through the trees.

Camping

Sir Richard Squires Memorial Park offers 147 campsites in a lovely forested area. Each campsite features a picnic table, fireplace and space for your vehicle, many accommodating larger RVs. And many of these campsites are a short walk to the banks of the mighty Humber River.

Camping – Learn to Camp

If you are interested in trying camping for the first time, check out these great resources, including information and videos, such as a packing checklist, tents and tarps, campfires, safety tips and more.

Camping – Group

Sir Richard Squires Memorial Park offers a group campground for not-for-profit organizations at no charge. These group use areas must be booked by contacting the park directly and submitting a Group Camping Application and may also be available for off season use.

Canoeing

If you’re an experienced canoer, you’ve come to the right park! Be sure to pull on your PFD; the Humber River offers fast, white water canoeing recommended for experts only.

Dog Walking  

Dogs are welcome in all provincial parks and Sir Richard Squires Memorial Park is no exception. And with three camping loops and two and a half kilometers of gravel park road through luscious forest, it would be a real shame to leave your canine buddies behind. Dogs must be leashed and be sure to clean up after your pet.

Events

Sir Richard Squires Memorial Park hosts an annual Canada Day celebration every year with festivities for the whole family to enjoy! Other events may occur throughout the season; please check News & Events for updates.

Generator Use

If you want to power up your campsite, generator use is permitted within our parks although they must be attended at all times and any generators found to be exceedingly loud may be prohibited at any time. In Sir Richard Squires Memorial Park, you can only run your generator between 8:00 am and 11:00 pm; any exceptions outside of those hours must be approved by park staff. Place them on a hardened surface of the campsite, away from any flammable substances and you can light up your night and even power up your television and satellite. Now you’re really roughing it!

Hiking & Walking                  

Sir Richard Squires Memorial has three camping loops and two and a half kilometres of gravel park road for walkers to enjoy. For the hikers, there are two short trails available. Both begin in the day use area and offer two spectacular views of Big Falls.

To the right of the parking lot is the Big Falls Trail which leads 100 metres down to the falls. Here you can see the impressive three metre high and 87 metre wide waterfall close up. From late June to mid-August, you can spot salmon leaping the falls as they try to make their way upstream to spawn.

On the left side of the parking lot you’ll find the Viewpoint Trail. This beautiful path will guide you to a great vantage point for viewing both the mighty Humber River and Big Falls.

Kayaking

Experienced kayakers will enjoy the fast, white water rapids of the Humber River as much as the canoers do! Be sure to wear your PFD, this river is recommended for experts only.

Park Attraction         

At three metres tall and 87 metres wide, beautiful Big Falls and Atlantic salmon are the main attraction in Sir Richard Squires Memorial Park. From late June to mid-August you can watch Atlantic salmon leaping the falls to reach their spawning ground!

Photography 

With so many sights to take in, Sir Richard Squires Memorial Park begs to be photographed. Whether you are capturing a panoramic view of the Humber River from the Viewpoint Trail or a close-up of Big Falls you won’t be long filling up an SD card. In fact, you might want to bring along a couple extra.

Picnics

Sir Richard Squires Memorial Park has a day-use area located just past the park checkpoint. It features a playground, picnic tables, water taps and washrooms. Open until 10:00 pm, this is a perfect spot to stop, catch your breath and soak up the natural beauty. Pack some snacks and treat yourself to a feast for the body and the soul.

Playground

Sir Richard Squires Memorial Park has a large playground for the young and the young at heart to enjoy! Located in the day use area, across from the comfort station, this area is ideal for sports and games.

Snowshoeing

While the gate may be closed, this park is still accessible by those visitors who want to enjoy its natural beauty by snowshoe. Strap on a pair and see this winter landscape in all its splendour, accented by the crunch of your footsteps on that crisp blanket of pristine, white snow. Where snow conditions allow, vehicles may be parked near the park gate without blocking access.

Stargazing

Around here, when the sun sets the light show begins. The lack of overhead lights around these parts means you’ll have no trouble spotting your favourite constellations as the stars twinkle and shine down from above. Bring along a telescope and take it all in.

Waterfall

If it takes more than rushing river rapids to impress you, there’s nothing quite like the roar and spray of a waterfall. Cascading over the bedrock on the Humber River, Big Falls is almost 87 metres wide and three meters high. A salmon channel was created by blasting and from late June to mid-August you can see salmon leaping the falls as they try to reach their spawning grounds upstream!

Wildlife Watching

If it feels like you aren’t alone, you’re right! This neck of the woods is home to a great deal of wildlife. Look for evidence of the snowshoe hare, such as chewed twigs along pathways. Red-backed voles and red squirrels can be spotted here as well. Chipmunks from Nova Scotia were introduced to Sir Richard Squires Memorial Provincial Park in 1964 and have flourished. You may even see a moose wandering around through the campsites!  There’s lots to see and the best time to experience wildlife in the park is in the morning or evening; keep quiet and keep your eyes peeled!

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Prohibitions

Do Not Disturb

Please note that everything in a provincial park is protected; from the smallest rock to the largest tree. For that reason, introducing and/or removing any natural items is prohibited.

No Cutting Trees

No Hunting

No Off-road Vehicles

Off-road vehicles include any motorized vehicles that are not legally permitted for use on provincial highways.

No Snowmobiles

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Services

Accessibility Information

All comfort stations within provincial camping parks offer wheelchair accessible washrooms and showers. Wheelchair accessible picnic tables may also be available in the park.

Accommodation

Accommodations are available at Humber Lodge Big Falls. For more information, visit Humber Lodge Big Falls.

Boat Rental

Two-person dories are available for rent on a first-come, first-serve basis, to anyone holding a valid salmon license. Boats can be rented between sunrise and 1:00 pm, and from 2:00 pm to sunset. Rentals can be arranged at the park checkpoint.

Campfire

Each campsite comes with a fireplace and we ask that you maintain your campfire responsibly by keeping the following in mind. Fires are only permitted in the provided fireplaces or in an area designated by a Park Ranger as being suitable. Visitor owned fireplaces are permitted but must be approved by park staff before using. Campfires must not be left unattended. Ashes or coals must be watered down prior to being disposed of and can only be disposed of in designated areas. Fires are prohibited if an open fire ban is implemented. Provincial park staff may restrict any campfire that creates or may create a hazard to the public.

Camping

Sir Richard Squires Memorial Park offers 147 campsites in a lovely forested area. Each campsite features a picnic table, fireplace and space for your vehicle, many accommodating larger RVs. Water taps and outhouses are located throughout the park. A wheelchair accessible comfort station, including flush toilets, showers and laundry facilities is located next to the day use parking lot and a trailer dumping station can be found across the road from campsite 54.

Camping – Group

Sir Richard Squires Memorial Park offers a group campground for not-for-profit organizations at no charge. These group use areas must be booked by contacting the park directly and submitting a Group Camping Application and may also be available for off season use.

Cell Service

There is little to no cell phone service available in this park.

Change Table

Comfort station washrooms feature change tables.

Checkpoint

Park staff are on duty at the park checkpoint from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm daily.

Emergency Preparedness

Every provincial camping park has an emergency preparedness plan and map. Please familiarize yourself with the map, automated external defibrillator, first aid and muster locations.

Firewood

Firewood is available for purchase from the park checkpoint. Please note: it is prohibited to transport firewood from outside the province into any provincial park. Also, do not gather your own firewood; dead trees provide a home and/or food for plants and animals.

Laundry

Sir Richard Squires Memorial Park has a coin-operated laundromat for your convenience, located in the comfort station next to the day use parking lot. Bring change!

Outhouse

Outhouse facilities are located throughout the park.

Parking

There is a large parking lot in this park, located in the day use area.

Picnic Area

Sir Richard Squires Memorial Park has a day-use area located just past the park checkpoint. Open until 10:00 pm, it features a playground, picnic tables, water taps and washrooms.

Playground

Sir Richard Squires Memorial Park has a large playground for the young and the young at heart to enjoy! Adjacent to the day use area, just past the park checkpoint, this area is ideal for sports and games and contains several sets of swings and see-saws.

Restaurant

The Buchans Reef restaurant is located in Humber Lodge Big Falls. For more information, visit Humber Lodge Big Falls.

Showers

Showers are located in the comfort station.

Trailer Dumping

The trailer dumping station is located across the road from campsite 54.

Trailer Storage          

If you plan to return (and most do!), Sir Richard Squires Memorial Park offers both summer and winter storage for camping equipment. Prices are available from the park checkpoint.

Washrooms

Washrooms are located in the comfort station.

Water Rescue Equipment

Water rescue equipment is located on the shore of Big Falls and beside the boat rental building.

Water Taps    

There are water taps located around the park. Visitors will notice boil order signage on all water sources. These shouldn’t cause concern, but are to be followed. Given that Provincial Parks do not have water chlorination systems, these orders are precautionary for public safety.

WiFi

For your internet needs, a wifi hotspot is located at the comfort station.

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Natural History

Sir Richard Squires Memorial Provincial Park is located in the North-central subregion of the Central Newfoundland Forest ecoregion. This forests consists primarily of beautiful evergreen and broad-leaved trees. These include larch, birch, fir and spruce. There are many different types of flowers to be found as well. Indian pipe, Labrador tea, pearly everlasting and the floral emblem of Newfoundland, the pitcher plant, are scattered throughout the area.

Wildlife abounds here with snowshoe hare, red squirrels, beavers, meadow voles and moose being regularly spotted. Chipmunks from Nova Scotia were introduced to Sir Richard Squires Memorial Provincial Park in 1964 and have flourished. The big attraction to Sir Richard Squires Memorial Park, however, has got to be the Atlantic salmon.

The Atlantic salmon is an anadromous fish meaning the adults live in the sea but return to freshwater to spawn, migrating into Newfoundland and Labrador rivers between early May and September. These fish are well known for their ability and determination and some have been known to leap as high as four metres to jump falls and other obstacles in their upstream journey to their birthplace. These jumps can be best viewed between late June and mid-August at Big Falls, where a salmon channel has been blasted into the rock to give these fine fish a helping hand.

Once upstream the females lay thousands of eggs which are fertilized by the males and hatch the next April or early May. The young salmon develop over one to two years and then follow a general down-stream movement, eventually reaching the sea. Here they take on their majestic silver and blue colouration. After one or more years in the ocean, the adult salmon returns to its home river to spawn.

For additional information on the natural history of this park in the Central Newfoundland Forest ecoregion, please refer to the North-central subregion brochure.

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Contact

+1 (709) 636-1509

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