La Taïga Trail

Quebec's only fully preserved World War II-era shoreline battery, Fort Peninsula was one of the three fixed defences that comprised HMCS Fort Ramsay, a naval base established in 1942 by the Canadian military to defend against Nazi U-Boat attacks, to ensure the safety of merchant vessels passing through the region, and to serve as a refuge for the British Royal Navy in the event that Hitler's forces were to successfully conquer the UK. Naturally sheltered by the rocky spits and shallows of La Penouille and Sandy Beach, nineteen warships were based here, serving a key role in waging the Battle of the St. Lawrence which saw 23 Allied vessels sunk by German subs off Canada's east coast. Today, visitors can walk through the underground corridors of the fortification and observe the vintage gun mortars and other artillery still pointed seaward, and read descriptive panels along the way that explain the strategic military importance of the Gaspé Peninsula during the Second World War. Outside, there's a pleasant seaside picnic area.

The middle sector of the three-in-one trail that extends across Forillon lengthwise takes you along the crests (crêtes in French) of the mountain ridge on the spine of the peninsula, through a wooded and mountainous milieu with panoramic highland vistas and distant glimpses of Gaspé Bay and the St. Lawrence Estuary popping their heads up frequently. It's a distance of 18.2 km (11.3 miles) from the trailhead near the operational centre to Petit-Gaspé Beach where the Les Graves trail picks up: a hike of 6½ hours one-way.

Located in the park's mountainous interior between Cap-des-Rosiers and Cap-aux-Os, this one-km (0.6-mile) loop descends the steep valley of a babbling brook, passing by a lovely waterfall tucked away in a grove of maple and cedar trees. This easy trail is marked with a wooden boardwalk for much of the way, but features some steep steps.

This trail takes its name from the many pristine mountain lakes hikers pass as they climb, dip, and meander their way through the mighty Chic-Choc Mountains. Watch out for black bears and other wildlife as you make your way through the boreal forest, and take time out to admire the scenic mountaintop views (the ones in the Morris River valley near the trail's west end are a particular highlight). Les Lacs trail extends 17.6 km (10.9 miles) from the park's western boundary at Rivière-Morris to its junction with the Le Portage trail, where the Les Crêtes trail picks up. Allow 6 hours one-way.

At the end of the moderate-difficulty hiking trail up Mont-Saint-Alban lies an observation tower 10 m (33 feet) in height, affording hikers 360-degree panoramic views over Forillon and the surrounding area — including Cap-des-Rosiers Lighthouse, Cap Bon-Ami, Cap Gaspé, and, of course, the open waters of the St. Lawrence Estuary, Gaspé Bay, and the Gulf of St. Lawrence. On a clear day, you can even see Bonaventure Island and Percé Rock in the far distance.

The name of this trail, which translates to "A Prelude to Forillon", is no misnomer: this 600-m (0.3-mile) boardwalk behind the North Area Interpretation Centre (Centre d'interprétation du secteur nord) provides a bird's-eye view over all of the park's diverse landscapes, forest-carpeted mountains and cliff-lined seashores alike. Multisensory interpretation modules are on hand to further elucidate what you're seeing and help you get a sense of what Forillon is all about. Prélude à Forillon is the easiest trail in the park, and the only one that is fully wheelchair-accessible.