The Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve in Canada is known for the largest concentrations of erosion monoliths. It is a famous tourist site encompassing thousands of miles and islets.
While the park is restricted by the Islands, it is shaped by the sea. There is everything for visitors to experience ranging from climate, wildlife, rocks, and plants.
How to visit Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve
When planning your visit to Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve, there are several things to consider. This will make the trip seamless, fun, and exciting. You need to know how to get there, the right time to visit and how to prepare for the trip.
The right time to visit Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve
According to a travel guide posted on the site Diaguily, from June to early September is the right to visit. This is because most registered marine transportation companies are available from Mid-June to early September. It is worth noting that the park is accessible by boat only.
Make plans ahead of time and contact one of the marine companies to reserve a spot. Unless you own a kayak and want to come with it, making an early reservation is recommended.
How to get there
You need to take Highway 138 and drive for about two hours heading east of Sept-Iles. There are interpretation and information centers at Havre- St. Pierre and Longue-Pointe-de Mingan. There are also several kiosks In Baie-Johan-Beetz and Aguanish where you can find more information and maps.
Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve stretches between the towns of Aguanish and Longue-Pointe-de-Mingan. It also stretches along the north shore of St-Lawrence Gulf.
Visiting Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve
As indicated earlier, the best way to visit the park is by taking a boat. If you had a boat reservation with one of the marine transportation companies, you can be ready to take the tour.
Boats depart from Longue-Pointe-de-Mingan and Havre-St. Pierre. Boat companies vary when it comes to size and passenger capacity. Most will have a capacity of 8 to 58 passengers.
The tours take you through several Islands in Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve lasting three to five hours. There is a lot to see and enjoy. Most of the tours have park Canada interpreters to make sure you don’t miss out on anything.
The monoliths up close
The archipelago counts close to a thousand islands and islets spread over about 150 kilometres of coast, but the monoliths that made it famous stand on a handful of limestone islands within sight of Havre-Saint-Pierre. The rock is limestone laid down on a tropical seabed some 450 million years ago, and sea, frost and wind have carved it into flowerpot shapes: broad at the top, pinched at the waist, often capped with orange lichen and a tuft of spruce. The best known is the Dame de Niapiskau on Ile Niapiskau, a hooded figure that seems to stare out at the water. Ile Nue de Mingan, reached from Longue-Pointe-de-Mingan, has a lower, wider field of them that you can walk among at low tide.
Ile Quarry and Ile Niapiskau are the two most visited islands, each about twenty minutes by boat from the Havre-Saint-Pierre wharf. Ile Quarry has roughly ten kilometres of marked trail with boardwalks over the peat bog, so in one afternoon you pass from monoliths to open barrens to boreal forest. Tides matter here: the finest shapes sit on the foreshore, and at high water some are cut off. Ask for the tide table when you book and time the landing around low tide.
Puffins are the other big draw. A colony of Atlantic puffins nests on Ile aux Perroquets, a small lighthouse island off Longue-Pointe-de-Mingan, and the boats from that village circle it slowly so you can watch the birds come in with beaks full of capelin. They are on the island from May to late August; by early September most have gone back to sea. Razorbills, guillemots and terns share the same ledges, and minke whales are a common sight in the channel on calm days.
Getting there from Quebec City
Havre-Saint-Pierre is close to 900 kilometres from Quebec City, roughly ten hours of driving on Route 138 with the river on your right almost the whole way. The road crosses the Saguenay on a free ferry at Tadoussac, then runs through Baie-Comeau and Sept-Iles before the long, empty stretch into the Minganie. Most people break the trip in Baie-Comeau or Sept-Iles and arrive on the second day. Fill the tank at every chance east of Sept-Iles; stations are far apart and close early.
- Mid to late June: quiet and cool, black flies in the forest, puffins at their busiest.
- July to mid-August: warmest air and water, fullest boat schedule, book a room in Havre-Saint-Pierre weeks ahead.
- Late August to early September: fewer visitors, berries and red lichen on the barrens, the last boats of the season.
Allow at least two full days on the coast, one for the monolith islands out of Havre-Saint-Pierre and one for the puffin colony out of Longue-Pointe-de-Mingan, plus the two travel days. With a whale stop at Tadoussac on the way back, it makes a solid week-long loop from the capital.
What to expect
There are several things to see and enjoy. You can see unbounded horizons and enjoy the cool sea breeze. There are also spectacular giant monoliths the will create an amazing view. You can also enjoy the great sights of festooned cliffs that are sculptured by the sea.
Get busy and keep your eyes engaged by searching for buried fossils embedded in the rocks. The fossils date years back when fish and vertebrates had not evolved.
There is a lot more to see and enjoy if you spend a few days in the area. You can hire a taxi boat and spend a few extra days camping in the area. This gives you unforgettable experiences of waking up on genuinely secluded islands. If you’re lucky, you can observe passing whales and seabirds.
Feel free, relax and soak in solitude away from the busy town lifestyle.
If camping is not your thing, take a boat taxi and enjoy half-trips. You can hike on the several hiking trails in the area. There is no pressure on these islands. Make sure you relax and explore the Island at your own pace.
The possibilities are endless in Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve. You can try kayaking, endless day trips, and guided excursions. There are several itineraries to choose from that will offer you unforgettable experiences. Whether you want to a short trip of a day or want to camp for days, preparation is important for a successful trip. Start by visiting the information and interpretation centers. You can also visit exhibition centers and talk to Park Canada Employees. Having all the information you need ensures you don’t miss out on anything.
