Miscou Island

Miscou sits at the far tip of the Acadian Peninsula where the Gulf of St. Lawrence meets Chaleur Bay, joined to the mainland by a bridge since 1996. Much of the island is raised peat bog, and a boardwalk runs into one of them; in autumn the sphagnum and shrubs turn deep red and orange, which is the island's most photographed feature. Wild blueberries and cranberries grow on the bogs and are harvested commercially. The wooden lighthouse of 1856 is one of the oldest surviving wooden light towers in the province and can be climbed. Peat is still cut on the island for horticultural use.

What you actually see

• The autumn bog - peatland turning crimson and orange in September and October.
• The bog boardwalk - a walkway into a raised peat bog with interpretation.
• The 1856 lighthouse - an early wooden tower open to climb.
• The peat harvest - commercial cutting still worked on the island.

When to go

Late September and October for the bog colour, which is the reason to make the trip; June to August for beaches and birds. Winter is severe and exposed.

Honest expectations

It is a very long drive to the end of the peninsula. Services on the island are minimal. The bog colour window is a few weeks and weather-dependent.

Nearby

Caraquet lies south; the Village Historique Acadien is beyond it.