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. 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.

History

The area was a summer hunting and fishing ground for the Mi'kmaq and Haudenosaunee, and later the people of L'Anse-au-Griffon worked its forests for timber; the name is thought to refer to a flowerpot island, a sea stack that was once a landmark here and has since collapsed into the sea. Forillon was created in 1970 as the first national park in Quebec (Wikipedia, Forillon National Park).

Highlights

• Cap Gaspé - the cliff where the Appalachians end, with a lighthouse.
• The old houses - buildings of the former fishing communities kept in the park.
• 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.

Before you go

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.

Key facts