St. John's International Airport (YYT) → Salmonier Nature Park

St. John's Airport (YYT) to Salmonier Nature Park

Drive time: 57 min
Distance: 68.1 km
Routes: 40 · 1 · 90

Conservative model estimate, St. John's International Airport (YYT) to Salmonier Nature Park — no stops, dry roads. Many of Newfoundland's provincial routes carry no speed limit in the open map data, so the router assumes a slow default: a driver who knows the road will beat this. Source: OSRM driving profile, St. John's International Airport (YYT) to Salmonier Nature Park, checked 2026-09-05.

Drive it with your own nav:Organic Maps →OsmAnd →Apple →Google →Waze →The first two run on OpenStreetMap and don't track you — the same map this site is built from.

Or take the whole route with you: Download the GPX → — the measured drive plus every stop as a waypoint, for Organic Maps, OsmAnd or any Garmin, no account and no signal needed once it's on the device.

No one has sent a recording of this drive yet.Be the first — send the track →

The first leg is getting out of St. John’s: Route 40, then the Trans-Canada southwest, before the turn south onto Route 90 — the Salmonier Line — across the Avalon Peninsula. It is a 57-minute run on paved road, closer to a commute than an expedition, and Father Duffy’s Well, the one heritage stop on this line, sits directly on it.

Salmonier Nature Park opened its gates to the public in 1978. The province’s own account is that it was established as an environmental education centre rather than a tourist destination, and that its role has since grown to include wildlife rehabilitation, research and environmental monitoring. The layout is a nature walk: large natural enclosures scattered along a boardwalk trail, with most of the display animals having arrived injured and unreleasable. The park is explicit that the naturalistic enclosures mean it cannot promise every animal will be visible on a given visit. Butter Pot Provincial Park sits back along the Trans-Canada for anyone who wants to make a longer day of the drive.

Driving route from St. John's International Airport (YYT) to Salmonier Nature Park: 68.1 km, about 57 min, via Routes 40 · 1 · 90.Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Tiles by OpenFreeMap. Route line computed with OSRM.

Faded on the map: the other measured drives from St. John's International into this same region, each its own page — Brigus (1h 9m), Witless Bay (46 min), Ferryland (1h 24m), Harbour Grace (1h 24m). Where a faded line leaves the solid one is where that drive forks from this one.

Worth stopping for

Father Duffy's Well
A roadside spring directly on the line the drive follows — OpenStreetMap tags the road beside it (way/1305102570) as Salmonier Line, ref 90, two lanes, asphalt. It is named for Father James Duffy, the Irish priest appointed first parish priest of St. Mary's in 1834, who spent the years that followed walking back and forth to the courthouse in St. John's over a dispute with the local merchant's agent. The legend, as Product of Newfoundland tells it, is that on one of those walks he tapped a rock with a branch and water rose from dry ground; it has run ever since. The Knights of Columbus turned the site into a roadside grotto in the 1930s.
Stopping here adds about 1 min and 0.1 km to the drive.
navigate: Organic · OsmAnd · Apple · Google · Waze
Butter Pot Provincial ParkDetour
The drive runs along this park's mapped boundary on the way past, but the park reaches well inland from the road. ParksNL calls Butter Pot one of the most popular provincial parks in Newfoundland and Labrador; its own page puts the ponds first, with places to swim, fish and paddle, sandy swimming beaches, a campground, a trail system, and a view over the park's water from the top of Butter Pot Hill. A place to spend time in, in other words, rather than a pause on the way through.
Stopping here adds about 26 min and 6.3 km to the drive.
navigate: Organic · OsmAnd · Apple · Google · Waze

What has been recorded near here

Species reported within 50 km of Salmonier Nature Park and shared to GBIF, the international record of species occurrences. The useful column is when — the months the reports cluster in.

Northern gannetseabirdMorus bassanusReports cluster in July, June, August5,621 reports on record
Atlantic puffinseabirdFratercula arcticaReports cluster in July, August, June4,348 reports on record
Humpback whalewhaleMegaptera novaeangliaeReports cluster in July, August, June3,522 reports on record
Minke whalewhaleBalaenoptera acutorostrataReports cluster in June, July, May181 reports on record
Fin whalewhaleBalaenoptera physalusReports cluster in July, June, May26 reports on record

What this is not

Not how many there are. A report means somebody looked, saw and wrote it down. A busy harbour with tour boats reports more than an empty coast with the same animals in it.
Not a sighting you are promised. Nothing here says you will see one.
Not complete. Only species we ask GBIF about appear, and only where somebody reported them.

From GBIF, queried 2026-09-14 — their record, not a copy of it.

When you get to Salmonier Nature Park

Where to eat in Salmonier Nature Park → — 1 places the open map records, alphabetically, with addresses and phone numbers.

Doing it electric

Fast chargers on this drive: Paradise km 16, St. John’s km 17
Longest stretch without one: 51 km; St. John’s → Salmonier Nature Park, of 68 km driven
Nearest fast charger to Salmonier Nature Park: 19.7 km; 24 min by road, at Holyrood

NL Hydro lists an ultra-fast site coming in 2026 at St. John’s (km 17) — not counted above until it opens.

Source: NL Hydro's published fast-charging network map, exported 2026-09-13 — sites within 3 km of this route's measured line, the km read along it, the drive to the nearest site priced by OSRM. NL Hydro lists these as 62.5 kW DC with CCS and CHAdeMO plugs on a ChargePoint account; whether one is free or working right now is the app's to say. Level 2 chargers in towns are not counted.

Every route compared →NL Hydro: plan your road trip →

Paved or not, per the map

Mapped as unpaved: none
Mapped as paved: 51%; 32.1 km of 68.1 km driven
No surface tag on the map: 49%; 30.3 km the map does not describe either way

Why it matters: Hertz Canada’s published rental terms — the one set of Canadian rental terms we could read in full, quoted not recommended — list “use off paved roads or on roads which are not regularly maintained” as misconduct that voids the damage waiver. Read the agreement you sign before leaving the lot. The terms themselves. Source for these figures: OSRM driving profile, stored route query, with node annotations; OpenStreetMap surface tags via Overpass, checked 2026-09-13. A road with no tag is unknown, not paved; what any road is like today is on 511.

Eating on the way — measured, not recommended

114 places to eat that the open map data records within 2 km of this drive, in the order you would pass them. No stars, no prices, no opinions, and no opening hours — distance along the road is the one thing measured here that a directory cannot give you.

The longest stretch with nothing mapped on it is 50.6 km — after Costco Food Court, to Salmonier Nature Park. That is the figure worth planning around.

Starbuckscafékm 0.1 · 1631 m off the road
Wing'N Itrestaurantkm 0.1 · 1419 m off the road
Mr. Subfast foodkm 0.1 · 1607 m off the road
Corarestaurantkm 0.1 · 1486 m off the road
Pita Pitfast foodkm 0.1 · 1620 m off the road
Parkside Pizzafast foodkm 0.1 · 1506 m off the road
Jade Gardensrestaurantkm 0.1 · 1899 m off the road
Sun Sushirestaurantkm 0.1 · 1888 m off the road
YellowBelly Brewery and Public Housepubkm 0.1 · 202 m off the road
Tim Hortonscafékm 0.1
Newfoundland Chocolate Companycafékm 0.1 · 173 m off the road
Booster Juicefast foodkm 0.1 · 165 m off the road
Freshiirestaurantkm 0.1
Quesadafast foodkm 0.1 · 1497 m off the road
McDonald'sfast foodkm 0.1 · 1835 m off the road
Mary Brown'sfast foodkm 0.1 · 1582 m off the road
Second Cupcafékm 0.1 · 1739 m off the road
Montana'srestaurantkm 0.1 · 1800 m off the road
Starbuckscafékm 0.1 · 1733 m off the road
Harvey'sfast foodkm 0.1 · 1599 m off the road
Milestonesrestaurantkm 0.1 · 1570 m off the road
KFCfast foodkm 0.1 · 1671 m off the road
A&Wfast foodkm 0.1 · 1882 m off the road
Subwayfast foodkm 0.8
Tim Hortonscafékm 0.8
The Rockrestaurantkm 0.8
Tim Hortonscafékm 2.6 · 1639 m off the road
Greco Pizzafast foodkm 2.6 · 1623 m off the road
Booster Juicefast foodkm 2.6 · 1644 m off the road
Rustler'srestaurantkm 2.6 · 1653 m off the road
Ches's Fish and Chipsrestaurantkm 2.6 · 1546 m off the road
Pizza Houserestaurantkm 2.6 · 1393 m off the road
Tim Hortonscafékm 2.6 · 1524 m off the road
Mr. Subfast foodkm 2.9 · 1723 m off the road
Pizza Expertsfast foodkm 2.9 · 1716 m off the road
Wendy'sfast foodkm 2.9 · 1679 m off the road
Domino'sfast foodkm 2.9 · 1657 m off the road
Peter's Pizza Restaurant & Loungerestaurantkm 2.9 · 1712 m off the road
Mustang Sally'srestaurantkm 2.9 · 1662 m off the road
Sun Sushirestaurantkm 2.9 · 1715 m off the road
Old Town Pizzeriarestaurantkm 3 · 691 m off the road
Tim Hortonscafékm 3 · 744 m off the road
Dairy Queenfast foodkm 3 · 775 m off the road
East Side Mario'srestaurantkm 3.1 · 1448 m off the road
Big Bite Pitafast foodkm 4.6 · 1842 m off the road
MajesTeacafékm 4.6 · 1829 m off the road
Donati'sfast foodkm 4.6 · 1949 m off the road
Bitterspubkm 4.7 · 1224 m off the road
Ziggy Peelgoodfast foodkm 4.7 · 1837 m off the road
Tim Hortonscafékm 4.7 · 1936 m off the road
Pop's Dinerrestaurantkm 4.7 · 1935 m off the road
NJ's Kitchenrestaurantkm 4.7 · 1983 m off the road
Smitty'srestaurantkm 4.7 · 1935 m off the road
Noodle Namirestaurantkm 4.7 · 1948 m off the road
Subwayfast foodkm 4.7 · 1804 m off the road
Quintana'srestaurantkm 4.7 · 1806 m off the road
Big Ben's Pubpubkm 4.7 · 1818 m off the road
Breezewaypubkm 5 · 1246 m off the road
Jumping Beancafékm 5 · 1435 m off the road
Mary Brown'sfast foodkm 5 · 1275 m off the road
Booster Juicefast foodkm 5 · 1282 m off the road
Manchu Wokfast foodkm 5 · 1290 m off the road
Pizza Delightrestaurantkm 5 · 1304 m off the road
Just Friesfast foodkm 5 · 1309 m off the road
Tim Hortonscafékm 5.1 · 1539 m off the road
The Pantry (Autism Society Foundation Room)restaurantkm 5.2 · 764 m off the road
McDonald'sfast foodkm 5.3 · 1855 m off the road
The Guv'nor Pubpubkm 5.3 · 1851 m off the road
Domino'sfast foodkm 5.4 · 1922 m off the road
The Bigs Ultimate Sports Grillrestaurantkm 5.5 · 1892 m off the road
Old Town Pizzafast foodkm 5.6 · 1911 m off the road
Mary Brown'sfast foodkm 5.6 · 1920 m off the road
Subwayfast foodkm 6.1 · 1819 m off the road
Mary Brown'sfast foodkm 6.1 · 1784 m off the road
A&Wfast foodkm 6.1 · 1803 m off the road
Dairy Queenfast foodkm 6.1 · 1831 m off the road
Tim Hortonscafékm 6.1 · 1797 m off the road
Mr. Souvlakifast foodkm 6.1 · 1790 m off the road
Peters Pizzarestaurantkm 6.1 · 1740 m off the road
Burger Kingfast foodkm 6.1 · 1998 m off the road
Tim Hortonscafékm 6.9 · 1231 m off the road
Red Pepper Restaurantrestaurantkm 6.9 · 1894 m off the road
Cora'srestaurantkm 6.9 · 1961 m off the road
Scamper's Snack Barrestaurantkm 6.9 · 1806 m off the road
Tim Hortonscafékm 6.9 · 1236 m off the road
Montana'srestaurantkm 6.9 · 1975 m off the road
McDonald'sfast foodkm 8.2 · 1855 m off the road
Dairy Queenfast foodkm 14.7 · 254 m off the road
Kozy Kitchenrestaurantkm 14.7
Mary Brown'sfast foodkm 14.7 · 206 m off the road
Mr. G's Loungepubkm 14.7 · 338 m off the road
Ocean Sushirestaurantkm 14.7 · 331 m off the road
Peter's Pizzafast foodkm 14.7 · 345 m off the road
Tim Hortonscafékm 14.7 · 285 m off the road
Tiny's Bar and Grillrestaurantkm 14.7 · 329 m off the road
McDonald'sfast foodkm 14.8 · 536 m off the road
Ye's Wokrestaurantkm 14.9 · 654 m off the road
A&Wfast foodkm 14.9 · 727 m off the road
Coffee Matters Paradisecafékm 15 · 726 m off the road
Domino'sfast foodkm 15.2 · 1097 m off the road
Subwayfast foodkm 15.2 · 1173 m off the road
Cojonesrestaurantkm 15.2 · 1069 m off the road
Pizza Housefast foodkm 15.3 · 1855 m off the road
Subwayfast foodkm 15.3 · 535 m off the road
Robin's Donutsfast foodkm 15.7 · 450 m off the road
Donovan's Irvingrestaurantkm 15.9 · 622 m off the road
A&Wfast foodkm 16.5 · 1700 m off the road
A&Wfast foodkm 16.5 · 1700 m off the road
Canteenrestaurantkm 16.9 · 1756 m off the road
Starbuckscafékm 17.1 · 1642 m off the road
Pizza Hutrestaurantkm 17.1 · 1773 m off the road
Tim Hortonscafékm 17.1 · 1941 m off the road
A&Wfast foodkm 17.1 · 1885 m off the road
Costco Food Courtfast foodkm 17.2 · 1456 m off the road

What this list is not

Not a recommendation. Nothing here is endorsed, reviewed or rated. It is in the order you drive past it.
Not complete. Somewhere unmapped does not appear. This is never "all of them".
Not open hours. We publish none, because the open data holds none. Never assume a kitchen is serving.
Not necessarily still trading. A place that closed stays in the data until somebody removes it.
Not for sale. No one can pay to appear here, to rank higher, or to have a rival removed.

Open map data is incomplete — somewhere unmapped does not appear here, and this is never "all of them" or "the good ones". A place that closed is also still on the map until somebody removes it, which is why no hours are shown and nothing here says a kitchen is open. From OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (which includes data from Meta, Foursquare and AllThePlaces); swept 2026-09-12. Map the one that is missing → and every site built on the open map gains it, this one included.

Before you go

These change. We link the people who keep them current rather than copying numbers that go stale here.

MooseYear round, worst between dusk and dawn
The province states the likelihood of injury in a moose collision is about twice as high between dusk and dawn as in daytime, and that a driver can expect to encounter moose on any section of the Trans-Canada or on any secondary road. The run out of St. John's is city and highway driving; Route 90, the Salmonier Line, is the two-lane stretch through wooded country, and that is the part of this drive to watch.
Check it now →
Road conditionsYear round, matters most November–April
The first stretch out of the airport is city and highway driving around St. John's; Route 90 then runs well away from the city through wooded country. What that road is actually like on the day is 511's to say and not this page's, so check before you leave, especially outside summer.
Check it now →

Arriving without a car

Every distance and time on this page is a drive. If you are not renting, here is what St. John's International Airport Authority lists at this door — operators and numbers, not fares: a tariff is theirs to change, so it is linked and not copied.

Rideshare: it depends who you ask.

The Airport Authority's own ground-transportation pages name City Wide Taxi as “the exclusive provider of ground transportation services for the public” and do not mention rideshare anywhere. Uber publishes pickup instructions for YYT, and the Airport's own account welcomed Uber in 2024. Both things are true and this page will not pretend they resolve: the Authority's pages are what govern the kerb, so check them on the day.

Taxi
City Wide Taxi, which the Airport Authority names as the exclusive provider for the public. Cabs queue outside the Arrivals area and a dispatcher is there to help. The Authority publishes preset fares to named hotels and a meter-plus-surcharge rate everywhere else; what those are is theirs to publish and change.
(709) 722-7777
Public transit
Metrobus route 14 runs between the airport and the St. John's metro region, including Memorial University. There are two stops at the airport: one near the arrivals area, and one on World Parkway by the Holiday Inn Express. The Authority says Metrobus has committed to a wheelchair-accessible service on this route and can take large, non-folding mobility aids. Schedule and fares are Metrobus's.

St. John's International Airport Authority, read 2026-09-15 — the authority on what operates at this kerb, and the only place a current fare or timetable should come from.

Questions people actually ask

How far is Salmonier Nature Park from St. John's airport?＋

About 68 km — a 57-minute drive. Route 40 out of the airport, the Trans-Canada southwest, then Route 90, the Salmonier Line, south across the Avalon Peninsula.

Should I fly into St. John's, Gander or Deer Lake for Salmonier Nature Park?＋

St. John's, easily. The drive from St. John's airport is 57 minutes; from Gander it is about 3 hours 50 minutes, and from Deer Lake about 7 hours 38 minutes. The province describes the park as an Avalon Peninsula destination, and those figures say the rest.

Is the drive difficult?＋

No — it is paved the whole way, and the first leg is the kind of road you would drive to any St. John's suburb. The part that asks for attention is Route 90, which OpenStreetMap maps as a two-lane road through wooded country: see the moose note above.

Is Father Duffy's Well worth stopping for?＋

If a brief roadside pause interests you, yes — it sits directly on Route 90 and costs almost nothing in detour. Butter Pot Provincial Park, back along the Trans-Canada, is the opposite: a genuine side trip, worth it only if you plan to spend time in the park rather than look at it.

Put this map on your site

If you run a place to stay, a tour, or a town page along this drive, this map answers the question your guests already email you: how far are you from the airport? Free, no account, and the measured figures stay current because they are ours to maintain.

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  width="100%" height="420" style="border:0" loading="lazy"
  title="Driving route: St. John's International Airport (YYT) to Salmonier Nature Park"></iframe>

Add ?lat=&lon=&label= to the URL to pin your own property on the map.

Every distance, drive time and coordinate on this page was checked against its source on September 5, 2026. Origin: OpenStreetMap way/279110348 — St. John's International Airport. Destination: OpenStreetMap node/472238964 — Salmonier Nature Park Visitors Centre.