Forillon National Park

is one of 42 National Parks in Canada and became Quebec’s first Canadian National Park in 1971. The International Appalachian Hiking Trail that starts in Georgia (USA), actually ends in Canada's Forillon National Park. The parks hiking trails provide coastal views that will often allow you to see migrating whales off the shoreline. Flowers in bloom make trails rich with colour. It is a hiking and photographers paradise.

Les Graves Hike

is one of the most popular hikes in Forillon National Park. If you have only time for one hike, this should be the one. The 16km (10 mile) hike starts out through restored settlements giving you a sense of how settlers lived in the late 1800’s.

Soon the elevation increases and the views from the trail show the beauty of Gaspe’s coastal shoreline. Often there is an opportunity to spot migrating whales in the distance. Yes, stay on the trail.

A spectacular sunny day made the beautiful pink/magenta flowers along the trail - all the more beautiful.

At the end of the hike is the Cap-Gaspe lighthouse. Cap refers to a term meaning lands end. The sheer cliffs and a great view of the Gulf of St. Lawrence make the end of this hike amazing - and one definitely worth recommending.

Good Bye Gaspe

There are many more hikes and much more to tell you about a trip to the Gaspe Peninsula - but I’ll leave that to your own exploration. This was an area of Canada I have never traveled to, and certainly glad I did.