Forillon National Park

Forillon occupies the tip of the Gaspé Peninsula where the Appalachian Mountains, running some three thousand kilometres from Alabama, finally reach the Gulf of St. Lawrence and end at Cap Gaspé in a two-hundred-metre limestone cliff with a lighthouse on it. The park was created in 1970 by expropriating around two hundred and twenty-five families whose homes were demolished; the resentment lasted decades and Parks Canada issued a formal apology in 2011. Some houses were kept and are interpreted. Seals haul out below the cliffs, whales pass offshore, and black bears and moose live in the interior forest.

What you actually see

• Cap Gaspé - the cliff where the Appalachians end, with a lighthouse.
• The expropriation story - preserved houses and the 2011 apology.
• The seal haul-outs - colonies visible below the cliffs.
• The whales - minke, fin and humpback passing offshore in summer.

When to go

June to September; whales are in the gulf from June into October. The park largely closes in winter. Fog is frequent on the cape in early summer.

Honest expectations

The walk to Cap Gaspé is about eight kilometres return from the nearest car park. Fog can hide the view entirely. The park is a very long drive from anywhere in central Canada.

Nearby

Percé lies south; Gaspésie park is west.