Forillon National Park is a Canadian National Park located at the northeastern tip of the Gaspé Peninsula in the province of Quebec.

It is known for its spectacular vistas of sea, cliffs and forest.

Site Review:

There are 3 campground areas at Forillon National Park. Only 2 are RV friendly:

Petit Gaspé Campground (South Sector)

• 101 sites without electricity
• 35 sites with electricity
• 31 sites with water and electricity

It is in a predominately wooded area near the recreation centre, Grande-Grave, and hiking trails.

Des-Rosiers Campground (North Sector)

• 105 sites without electricity
• 42 sites with electricity

It is near the Interpretive Centre and has access to a pebble beach area. It is not located near any of the other main interest points in the park.

We stayed in the Petit-Gaspé Campground on site #169.

It was an electric-only site in a wooded setting. The sites here are large and private. This site is narrow. In the photo, the picnic table is located behind the motorhome. From there you step down into an area where the campfire ring is located. The trees and brush around the site ensure your privacy from your neighbour.  The sitting areas are behind the site rather than beside it. 

Not all of the sites are like this though. Sites in other sections of the Petit Gaspé campground vary. Some were much more open, some were pull-thru and some had electric and water hook-up.

There are 2 dump stations at Forillon National Park. They are located in each of the RV friendly campgrounds.

Comfort Station:

The comfort stations were clean and well-kept.

There were kitchen rooms attached to some of the comfort stations. These rooms were serviced with dishwashing sinks, tables to eat at, and microwaves. They were ideal for use during inclement weather, as well as for meal clean-up.

Campground Set-up

Within the Petit Gaspé campground section, there are subsections. These subsections are named A, B, C, D, and E. They are joined by the main road and are also connected by walking paths. I didn’t know that the paths were for this purpose because they are marked as “emergency exits”.

The campground area is set up on the bluff. No sites directly view the bay, nor do any have ocean access.

Grey Seals:

You can hear the Grey seals at night from their perches along the shore. Grey seals are often referred to as “sea wolves” because their barks have a howling quality to them. We heard them when we were sitting by the campfire. They sounded like a lot of agitated dogs until we realized what they were.

Activities:

Recreation Centre:

There is a recreation centre. It has tennis courts, a playground area, a snack bar and a pool.  

You can access the recreation centre via one of the walking paths from the Petit Gaspé campground. You can also drive your vehicle. There is ample parking in this area.

Grande-Grave:

Forillon National Park is a premier destination for enjoying marine life. At the Grande-Grave area (about 3 km from the Petit Gaspé campground) you can access a variety of activities: 

Kayaking:

You can arrange a sea kayak tour with a professional guide where you paddle along the rocky shore of the Gaspé Peninsula as far as the seal haul-outs. There you can move unobtrusively and observe the behaviour of the many Grey and Harbour seals that inhabit the area.

Snorkelling:

There are snorkelling expeditions that you can arrange where you swim amongst the seals, starfish and lobster from a zodiac boat. Tours can be arranged in the Grande-Grave area or you can reserve ahead at www.plongeeforillon.com

Whale Watching:

You can arrange a whale-watching tour (www.baleines-forillon.com ) that departs from Grande-Grave. This is a unique feature within Forillon National Park as it allows you to search the waters of the bay without the congestion of other area boats. Tours can be arranged (bilingual or French) where you depart on the 47 passenger Narval III and travel along the Forillon south shore towards Cap Gaspé.

The cruise is  3 hours long. Throughout the season (depending on the food available), as many as 5 different types of whales (Blue, Fin, Humpback, Minke and Right), as well as the White-sided Dolphin and the Harbour Porpoise, can be observed. The day we were out we spotted Humpback Whales.

Fishing:

You can fish directly from the Grande-Grave wharf. There is a fish cleaning station available to use and it is possible to rent a fishing pole from Cap Aventure. People I observed seemed to be catching mackerel. The maximum daily limit is 10 (that includes releases). You are not permitted to fish in freshwater (ponds, lakes, rivers, creeks etc.).  A fishing licence is not required.

Biking:

While some trails can accommodate biking, I found overall that Forillon National Park was not bike-friendly. The road between the various points of interest is fairly heavily travelled. There are no marked bike lanes. For the biking enthusiast, it might be fine- but for the family wanting to cycle together I wouldn’t recommend it.

Hiking:

Forillon National Park has approximately 10 named hiking trails. They vary in difficulty from easy to difficult. The trails feature waterfalls, pebble beaches, marshes, forests as well as the opportunity to observe marine mammals.

Les Graves Trail:

A popular trail is Les Graves. You can travel on foot or by bicycle. It will take you to Lands End at Cap Gaspé. The trail is about a 6.5 km round trip. Keep your eyes on the water because it is likely that you will spot a whale from here.

Beach:

There is a sand spit about 10km from the Petit Gaspé campground in the Penouille Sector. On the south side is a beach and to the north a salt marsh. A 2 km boardwalk has been built to help access the entire length of the spit. You can walk, ride a bike or take the shuttle.

There is a gift shop in this area, as well as a rental hut where you can rent everything from kayaks and SUP boards to beach chairs.

WW II Battery (Fort Peninsula):

For the history buff, Forillon is home to the only completely restored battery in Quebec that is open to the public. Fort Peninsula is an actual WW II battery used during the war between 1942-1944 to defend the coast in what has become known as the Battle of the St. Lawrence. You can guide yourself using the bilingual interpretive signs.

Day Trip Idea:

A nice day trip is to the town of Percé. It is an hours scenic drive away. You travel along Highway 132 around the Gaspé Bay. Percé is a touristy area with lots of shops and restaurants. It is a picturesque little town and features the Percé Rock.

Percé Rock is one of the world’s largest natural arches found in water. It is considered a geologically and historically rich natural icon of Quebec. It is a major attraction in the Gaspesie region.

Things to Know:

1. You can purchase wood at the check-in station. There is no place within Forillon National Park to purchase any groceries or forgotten items.
2. Pets ARE allowed. Forillon is a Canadian National Park and therefore pets are allowed. This is a distinction you should note if you are travelling with pets in Quebec. Pets are not allowed at any Quebec “National” Parks (which are actually provincial parks). 
3. There are a couple of snack bars located within the park (recreation centre and Penouille section) where you can get burgers, hot dogs and poutine, but there are no restaurants within Forillon.
4. Laundry facilities are located within the recreation centre building.
5. The parking for some of the areas of interest at Forillon National Park is very limited. The Grand-Grave area, the trailhead for the Les Graves trail, as well as the Heritage site area, are very congested. Most vehicles end up parked for dozens of metres along the road which further blocks up the areas.
6. Due to the fact that that Forillon is a Canadian National Park- all signs are bilingual. (typically signs in Quebec are French only)

IMO:

Forillon National Park was a great stop on our road trip. 

The activities for viewing the marine wildlife were top notch and I would definitely recommend participating in at least one of the activities offered as a way to fully appreciate the area.

I really enjoyed our stay here and except for some parking issues, I can’t see what’s not to like! I would definitely recommend Forillon National Park as an RV Place to Go.