Hikers have the right to travel during hunting period, with an orange security vest in Matane Wildlife Reserve between 9 am and 4 pm.  This means that hikers are allowed to ravel on the trail during the day.  From 4 pm, hikers have to stay at the campground without traveling, as well as in the morning, until 9 am.

Moose-hunting period starts after Labor Day and lasts 40 days.  Then Thanksgiving is celebrated as well as small game hunting for 10 days, until mid-November.  Be careful.  Wear your security vest and stay on the Trail.  Dates are different in the other parts of the IAT.

Mosquitoes can act like pets.  When you walk, there isn't any problems but when you stop, you might want to have a screen or mosquito oil.  In Gaspesie Park dogs or other pets are strictly forbidden.  In Forillon National Park, Matane Wildlife Reserve and in all other sections of the IAT, you can bring your dog as long as you keep it on a leash.

Orleans Express links the province with services everywhere in Quebec (Gaspe, Matapedia, villages in Matapedia Valley, villages on the north shore of the Gaspe Peninsula and close to the north side of the Trail).  For more information, call Orléans Express at 514 842-2281 or visit their Internet Website at www.orleansexpress.com.  In Matapedia, call 418 865-2952.

Geneviève Labonté & Jesse Allain from Nature Aventure (nature_aventure@gmail.com) who can be reached at 418 865-3554, offers canoe rides on Restigouche and Matapedia Rivers.  He also offers shuttle services.  Nature Aventure sells maps and passports for the IAT-Quebec.  Contact them for more info about the condition of the Trail between Matapedia and Amqui.  To get to Nature Aventure from New Brunswick, hike 1 km in the town of Matapedia, turn left beside the canoe and straight on 0.6 km.

CapChat  Jérôme Landry from Valmont Plein Air 418 763-8356 can carry your parcels up to " Petit-Sault" campground, to Matane Lake and on Mount Logan.  He also can bring or go get you.  He sells IAT-Quebec maps and passports.

Matapedia Valley:  171 km, from Matapedia to Matane Wildlife Reserve.  We can describe this sector as being rustic and bucolic.  Hiking becomes particular in certain locations due to the fact that the Trail is right along the River. The difficulty level goes from easy to intermediate, except for Clark Canyon which is very difficult, but cannot be missed.  Hikers are able to get some supplies in each of the municipalities.

Matane Wildlife Reserve:  106,2 km, from John Station to Mount Logan.  Far from civilization with fabulous environment.  The trail has been recently built.  The level of difficulty is very high.  There aren't any shelters but a little one on Mount Blanc, as well as one on Mount Logan.  Campsites are also close to reliable water facilities.  Signs and markers are adequate.

Gaspesie Park:  103,1 km, from Mount Logan to Mount Jacques-Cartier Camping.  The Park is well organized, far from civilization with sumptuous backgrounds.  The level of difficulty is high.  It is forbidden to camp outside a shelter or anywhere else than in the campgrounds.

Upper Gaspesie:  80,2 km, from Mont-Saint-Pierre to Sainte-Madeleine.You are in the mountains during the day and in the villages at night.  We didn't build campgrounds or shelters because services are available .  When the trail is too far from civilization, you'll find infrastructures.  The advantage is that you'll have a splendid view on the sea from the mountains and a cultural experience in the villages.  The level of difficulty is intermediate for people in good shape.

Gaspe Coast: 122,6 km, from Sainte-Madeleine to Forillon National Park.  This section is pretty much like Upper Gaspesie since you're in the mountains during the day and in the villages at night.  The scenery is carved and indented with a great synergy between the sea and the mountain.  The level of difficulty is intermediate for people in good shape.

Forillon: 45km, up to Cap-Gaspe.  The first or the last section on the IAT.  A lot of activities set up by the Park for all ages.  Infrastructures are really well organized.  The view of the sea is unimpeded because, close to Cap-Gaspe, the sea is on both sides of the Trail.  The level of difficulty is from easy to intermediate

VIA Rail Canada stops regularly in Matapedia.  VIA Rail Canada offers services in Montreal, Quebec, Gaspe, St. John and Halifax.  For more information, call VIA Rail Canada at 888-VIA-RAIL 1 888 842-7245 or visit their Internet Website at www.amtrak.com.

Only Mont Jacques-Cartier has an official opening date which is decided in advance:  June 24th.  For the other destinations, the decision is made in the middle of May, which is the moment we take our crystal ball out and foresee the thawing date as well as the progression of our maintenance team.  We're located in a boreal forest, there is and always will be fallen trees blocking the trail.  For safety reasons, as well as for the protection of the environment, hikers are not allowed  to hike before the opening date.

Usually, in the middle of May, we can hike the "Lac aux Américains" and the "Chutes du Diable".  At the end of May, the "Jo-Fortin", the "Ernest-Laforce", and the "Richardson" are usually ready.  In the middle of June we usually can hike the "Mont Albert", the "Xalibu" and the "Pic du Brûlé".  Always contact Gaspesie Park at (866) 727-2427 or by E-mail at parc.gaspesie@sepaq.com.  Long distance hiking partially opens June 21st and is officially ready on June 24th.  We did try to open before but were unable to.  We have to accept the fact that the season doesn't last long in Gaspesie.

Last Update: 2009-08-21

A food drop service is available along the International Appalachian Trail.

1) Post Office and Partners
Food can be sent in advance to some post offices and to some of our partners.  Use the following model for both options.
NB:  For the parc national de la Gaspésie (Centre de service), add either your passport number or your reservation number.
NB2: There is a mistake in the document about the mailing addresses.  The postal code for  Camp Tamagodi should be G0J 3E0 instead of G0M 1Z0.

Your name, POSTE RESTANTE / GRAND RANDONNEUR Complete post office/partner address  RANDONNEUR DU SIA / "HOLD FOR TRAIL HIKER" (Expected pick-up date)  Pour information : Sentier international des Appalaches, (418) 562-7885 info@sia-iat.com

 

Food Drop Addresses

Campsites and shelters were built beside water supply facilities, except for one specific location in Matapedia section:  Les Trois Soeurs campsite and shelter.  The stream is located at 2,5 km from there, so you have to plan in advance.  We recommend you to boil, filter or use iodine pills.  Some streams are well oxygenated but you never know if a moose or a humanoid will decide to soil it upstream!  Above all, do not drink stagnant water.  Some take chances and drink clear water from stormy waterfalls.  They're not sick but it is sheer luck.

If fire danger is low or moderate, campfires can be done in the fireplaces buit for that purpose in these camping sites only  :

• Matapedia Valley
  Le Turcotte refuge
  Le Corbeau refuge
  
• Matane Wild Life Reserve
  John campground
  Ruisseau-des-Pitounes campground
  Lac-Tombereau campground
  Montagne-à-Valcourt campground
  Lac-Matane campground
  Lac-du-Gros-Ruisseau campground
  Mont-Craggy campground
  Lac-Beaulieu campground
  Petit-Sault campground
  Ruisseau-Bascon campground
   
• Upper Gaspe
  Le Grand Sault campground
   
• Gaspe Coast
  Les Terrasses campground
  La Chute campground
  Les Carrières campground.

Otherwise, campfires are forbidden in the other sites and you should use a camping stove with white gas (naphta) for cooking.

It is forbidden to camp anywhere else than in designated campgrounds or shelters along the IAT.  The IAT-QC built special sites in order to preserve the existing ecology.  Furthermore, we would like all your nights to be paid because your payment contributes to maintain the Trail as well as the infrastructures.

It costs $3.50/day to get in Gaspesie Nationlal Park.  However, when you make a reservation for a campground or a shelter, it is included in the price.  Remember to keep your receipt when you hike.  A forest ranger could ask to see it.

In the Forillon Canada National Park, it costs $7.80 per day until September 7th.  After that date, is costs $5.65 per day.

You can also choose to buy an annual acces card if you plan on staying many days in a park.  The annual access card for the Gaspesie National Park costs $16.50 and the one for the Forillon Canada National Park is $39.20.

Yes, it is mandatory to make reservations for the IAT-QC campsites (in green on the IAT maps).  You have to call SEPAQ (Societe des etablissements de plein air du Quebec = lit. Quebec Outdors Installations Society) at 1 800-665-6527, option 3.

There are campsites with hot water and a shower in the Quebec parks and reserves.  The Trail comes across these sites.  If you are a long-distance hiker, you will be in more secluded campsites.  Our installations are usually 10 to 13 kilometers appart.

As for the black campsites on the maps, they are private.  You have to make your accommodation arrangements directly with them.  In the villages, you have access to private or municipal campsites which are well organized and affordable.  Where such services are available, there are no IAT-QC campsites.

These are the 2009 prices for the IAT-QC campgrounds, except for those in the Gaspesie National Park.

Camping platforms are $10.00/night, for a 2-person tent.
Refuges are $20.00/night, per person.
Shelters and lean-to's are $15/night, person.

Groups such as schools, scouts and vacation camps have to make an arrangement with the IAT-QC office.

As for private campgrounds, prices vary but are reasonable.

For the Gaspesie National Park rates, please follow this link.

There is a 10-15 kilometer distance between each campground or shelter, or a normal day's hike.

Distance Table (French)