"Mountains and Sea" Top 5 Page for this destination Gaspé by snaab

A sea of inland mountains, and where the mountains meet the sea. By which I mean the Appalachian Mountains, which march from Georgia to drop away as jagged cliffs into the cold Gulf of Saint Lawrence. Indeed, the International Appalacian Trail begins atop the cliffs of Forillon, extending nearly 520 miles to Katahdin in Maine and onward via the AT to Springer in Georgia. Forillon offers a variety of trails: inland backpacking, strolls along the pebble beaches, even the chance to see whales from high clifftops (we saw two minke!) Inland, there is the Quebec administered Parc de la Gaspesie, a remote, well-trended, large and varied park in the peninsula's center. Here, mountains reach over 4000 feet in altitude and harbor the continents southernmost caribou herds. The topography is very different from the Whites and Green Mountains of New England; kilometers wide tundra flats await you at the summits of many of the park's peaks. We were lucky enough to witness a spectacular display of the Northern Lights on our first night here. The Gaspe Peninsula is easily reached by car from the major population centers of the NE USA and the major cities of Quebec, but remains on the path less travelled. While there's plenty more to do, this area is truly a hiker's paradise!

Sunset at a Forillon beach.

Land's end! Forillon National Park is truly a jewel of the Canadian national park system.

A warm summer afternoon at the tip of Quebec

This provincial symbol can be seen in profile as far away as Forillon, 40 km away. The massive Perce Rock stretches a quarter mile in length just offshore from the tourist infested town. At low tide a narrow land bridge allows folk to walk out and explore it up close. Just watch out when the tide comes back in!

• Pros:unspoiled, a variety of breathtaking scenery
• Cons:RV's and the minivans that wont pass them!
• In a nutshell:A hikers dream thats easy to reach! Some French is very helpful, but not essential