Parks

Where to go in Gaspé?

Gaspé has several important parks

• The provincial park of Gaspé is a jewel of 802 km2, where the potential varies with the altitude; from boreal forests to sub alpine forests, to tundra and much more. With a little luck, it will be possible to see a herd of wood caribous who like to live at the top of the mountains.
• The Forillon national park marks the end of the chain of the Appalachian Mountains, which have their roots in the southern United-States. The scenery was modeled, millions of years ago, by the action of the waves combined with the power of erosion, At Forillon National Park, which stretches 244 km² (94 sq. mi.), you'll be staggered by the impressive scenery. Discover a true sea of mountains at the Réserve faunique des Chic-Chocs and the Parc national de la Gaspésie, two exceptional sites for observing moose and caribou (the latter can be seen at the summit of Mont Albert).
• The provincial park of l'Ile-Bonaventure-et-du-Rocher-Percé offers a breath taking view. More than 200,000 birds nest on the island, including a colony of Fous de Bassan; an ornithologists' dream.
• The conservation park of Miguasha is the rendez vous of paleontologists. Spores, plants, invertebrates and 23 species of fossil fish are imprinted in stone.

Where natural attractions bloom
The Gaspé region is overflowing with world-renowned jewels like the Parc national de Miguasha, a fossil-rich site that UNESCO has placed on its World Heritage List, and the Jardins de Métis (Reford Gardens), a corner of horticultural paradise that was created between 1926 and 1959 and inspired by the English garden. If you enjoy hiking, don't miss the Sentier international des Appalaches (International Appalachian Trail), with its 644 km (400 mi.) of trails and numerous shelters and campsites! The many crystal rivers of the Gaspésie region are teeming with Atlantic salmon, making it a prized destination for local and visiting fishermen! And for sheer relaxation, visit the Chaleur Bay, which attracts vacationers every summer seeking its temperate waters and superb beaches, which are sheltered from the wind.

The Gaspé region will charm you with its exceptional natural beauty!

Saguenay St. Lawrence Marine Park
The Saguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park is located in a section of the St. Lawrence Estuary and the Saguenay Fjord, and is the first park in Québec to preserve an exclusively marine environment. The park is distinguished by its sea bottom scenery and its creek, which is the longest and most southerly in Eastern Canada. The confluence of waters in the park creates plumes and rips zones where fish, birds and marine mammals form a dynamic ecosystem.

Popular activities at Saguenay–St. Lawrence include sea kayaking, hiking, diving, and lighthouse tours. If you're not swimmer, don't worry -- the park's Discovery Network sites will take you on dives to the depths of the marine world and bring you the beauties of one of the world's longest fjords -- without ever getting your feet wet!

The park also offers opportunities to learn about the area's cultural heritage and 8000-plus years of human history. Saguenay-St. Lawrence is open year round.

Old Port of Québec Interpretation Centre

During the 19th century, shipbuilding and the timber trade made the Old Port of Québec one of the five busiest ports in the world. The port was crucial to the development of the city of Québec and the country as a whole.

At the Old Port of Québec Interpretation Center, you can view exhibits on the history of the craftsmen of days gone by, and on the sailors and shipbuilders who called the port home.
Take a walk with a costumed interpreter who, posing as a period character, will guide you through narrow streets and unknown places rich with historical significance. With amusing anecdotes and unusual events, he or she will reveal the colorful history of one of the oldest Canadian ports.

Round out your day with an educational cruise on the river and a trip to the observatory, which opens onto a panoramic view of Old Québec, the present-day port and the Laurentian Mountains. The Old Port is open year round.

Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve of Canada

Beyond the 50th parallel, along the North Shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, lies a remarkably beautiful scattering of some 40 limestone islands and over 1000 granitic islets and reefs. The territory, the Mingan Archipelago, became a national park reserve in 1984. The Mingan Archipelago offers 42 campgrounds spread over six different islands.

The campsites are undeveloped, so that visitors can enjoy the full peace and fascination of the wilderness. Approximately 24 kilometres of hiking trails distributed over four different islands will bring you incredible seaside vistas and lead you into the heart of the islands to discover forests, barrens and peat bogs. Sea kayaking, boating, and scuba diving offer close encounters with colonies of seabirds and the seals, dolphins and whales that swim the blue vastness in which the islands bathe. Mingan Archipelago is open year round, with most services available from mid-June through the end of August.

La Mauricie National Park of Canada

La Mauricie National Park invites visitors to experience the rolling Laurentian Mountains. Since its creation in 1970, the park has safeguarded a richly endowed landscape that represents a sample of the southernmost part of the Canadian Shield.

On this vast plateau of rolling hills, valleys and lakes, life moves in perfect unison with nature, and only the changing seasons mark the passage of time, subtly retouching the landscape and enticing visitors with a promise of both activity and relaxation.

A leisurely drive along La Mauricie's Parkway will bring you to dozens of scenic lookouts, interpretation personalized activities and exhibits. Popular day activities include picnicking, swimming, hiking, biking and fishing. Canoeists will find some thirty lakes directly accessible from the parkway or through well-maintained portages. In the winter, the park is a Mecca for cross-country skiers.

The park offers a variety of accommodations, from semi-serviced campgrounds to canoe camping and wilderness lodges. The park is open year-round, but only the southeast area is accessible during winter.

Forillon National Park of Canada
Created in 1970, Forillon National Park is located at the farthest reach of the Gaspé Peninsula.
Its majestic landscape protects a representative sample of the Notre-Dame and Mégantic mountain regions and elements of the Gulf of St. Lawrence marine region. The presence of ten different rock formations, colonies of seabirds and enigmatic arctic-alpine plants give this park its unique character.

Forillon offers visitors a truly impressive range of landscapes: sheer cliffs plunging into the sea, secluded pebble beaches and a backdrop of majestic mountains. These landscapes are home to hundreds of species ranging from black bears to moose to fabulous marine mammals and incredible colonies of seabirds.

Popular activities in the park include sea cruises, sea kayaking, fishing, diving and swimming on the water; and hiking, cycling, rollerblading and horseback riding on the land. A visit to the Grande-Grave National Heritage Site offers an opportunity to learn about the way of life of area fishing families of the early 1900s. Forillon is open year round, with most services available from June through October.

Gatineau Park
Gatineau Park, located in the midst of the rolling Gatineau Hills on Québec's western border, is an oasis of stunning natural beauty. The park covers over 356 square kilometers of magnificent hills and stately forests, and offers opportunities for recreation year round.

For day trips, you can hike or cycle the park's many trails, or slip on a helmet and go off road for a rugged mountain biking experience like no other. In the summer, you can swim or canoe at six supervised beaches, or just relax and soak up the rays.

In the fall, the Gatineau Park comes alive with the color of brilliant autumnal foliage, creating a perfect backdrop for the annual Fall Rhapsody festival. Seen from any one of the park's many observation points, the forest becomes a carpet of fiery reds, oranges and yellows. In winter, the hush is broken only by the swish of cross-country skis and the rhythmic thumping of snowshoes.
If you are a dedicated winter adventurer, the park offers the chance to camp out in the frosty air at several overnight shelters. The Gatineau Park is a wilderness that's close enough to visit casually and yet vast enough to lose yourself in.

L'Odyssée des Bâtisseurs
L’Odyssée des Bâtisseurs is a new theme park, centered around the importance of "Water...the Essence of Our Development" through time, the land and its people. Experience what this exciting blend of culture and entertainment has in store for visitors of all ages. The indoor exhibits, the updated water tower and its 360° multimedia movie, the footpath filled with unexpected wonders and the numerous sight tours - all set in an exceptional heritage site - make up this unique experience an attraction not to be missed in Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean.

Reford Gardens
Designed in the spirit of 19th-century collection gardens and now recognized worldwide as an exceptional example of the gardener’s art, the Reford Gardens are the fruit of the devotion and genius of passionate gardener Elsie Reford. Between 1926 and 1959, she spent every summer creating a series of gardens spread over a total of 17 hectares. Visitors to this flowering paradise in the Gaspé can delight in some 3,000 species and varieties of native and exotic plants stretching along more than one kilometre of the St. Lawrence shoreline. The Reford Gardens also host the International Garden Festival, a unique forum for contemporary creation and innovation in garden design.
Region Lower St. Lawrence

Bioparc de la Gaspésie
The Bioparc de la Gaspésie has many unique scenes to offer: a different and enriching way to experience the Gaspé Peninsula; a combination of natural elements and sets created to illustrate Gaspesie wildlife environment; a 1-km trail through five different ecosystems with 20 indigenous species of animals roaming almost free; a dynamic interpretation program; and the chance to watch the animals at feeding time.

Region: Gaspesie

Gatineau Park
Beautiful Gatineau Park extends over 356 square kilometres of forests and hills. The Gatineau Parkway will lead you to unsurpassed panoramic views, Fifteen minutes from Parliament Hill.

Region: Québec

Parc national des Îles-de-Boucherville
The cool calm of their country charm stands in stark contrast to the high-rises of the towering city. While crossing the wood bridges from one island to the next, keep a sharp lookout for Canada geese, ospreys and great blue herons likely to dart out of nowhere at all times.