Miguasha National Park
By Marjorie Turner Hollman
What is Miguasha National Park?
Miguasha is a national park in Quebec province, best known for its fossils and what can be learned from them. While it is labeled as a national park, it is more accurately a provincial park, overseen by the Société des établissements de plein air du Québec (SEPAQ).
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Why is Miguasha National Park a UNESCO World Heritage site?
According to the UNESCO World Heritage website, Miguasha ”is considered to be the world’s most outstanding illustration of the Devonian Period known as the ‘Age of Fishes’. The fossil groups found here date from 370 million years ago. This “Upper Devonian Escuminac Formation” contains many well-preserved fossils of the “lobe-finned fishes that gave rise to the first four-legged, air-breathing terrestrial vertebrates – the tetrapods.” In other words, these fossils represent a key evolutionary stage.
What can you expect on a visit to Miguasha?
The visitor center offers an informative museum about the site. Within the museum’s small space is a well-presented and bilingual explanation of the discoveries that have been made here, the history of the area, and the steps that have been taken to preserve this unique place. In addition, it shows both fossils (under glass) and recreations of how the fish likely appeared when they were alive. A significant aspect of these fossils is that they are the first evidence of fish developing bony structures that later evolved into hands.
The fossil-containing cliffs are directly below the visitor center. The path from the parking area down to the seashore is quite steep. The footpath portion offers solid footing. The stairway down to the shore has solid railings and sound footing but is challenging for those, like me, who have balance concerns.
Once down at the shoreline, we were able to see the fossil-laden cliffs. Our guide explained that the bottom layers of rock that constitute the cliff have no fossils. It is the higher (younger) layers that contain the once-living creatures and plants now turned to stone.
The rock layers slope from high above our heads, parallel to the bay, down to the shoreline. Where the fossil-rich rock is thus exposed to tides, exquisite fossil specimens daily wash out the cliff, depositing them onto the beach where we stood. Our guide showed us samples that had recently been discovered on the beach. Fossil collecting by visitors is prohibited.
Is Miguasha worth visiting?
If you get excited about fossils, this is a great place to visit. If you enjoy walks along the shoreline, you will have a great time here. Allow for a leisurely stroll. A 3.5-kilometer hiking trail loop (2.2 miles) runs along the cliffs and the Restigouche River estuary. The trail has interpretive signs along the way.
Tips for visiting Miguasha National Park
French is the primary language in Quebec. If you speak French, you will navigate this destination with ease. If English is your only language and you hope to take a guided tour of the cliffs, call ahead to reserve space on the ”English only” tours that are available. By chance, we caught the only tour presented in English. The remaining tours that day were only offered in French.
We camped in Carleton Sur Mer, just a few miles east of Miguasha. There you will find accommodations, including staying in a yurt in the barachois (small bay) just offshore of the town (Aux 4 Vents). Carleton-sur-Mer is where you will be able to locate services.
Other UNESCO sites worth visiting that aren’t too far away are Joggins Fossil Cliff, Landscape of Grand Pré and Old Town Lunenburg. The historic district of Quebec City is also a UNESCO site.
Where is Miguasha?
Miguasha National Park’s address is 231 Route Miguasha Ouest. Telephone: 418 794-2475. Email: parc.miguasha (at) sepaq (dot) com.
Miguasha is about 20 kilometers or nearly 13 miles west of Carleton-sur-Mer on the south side of the Gaspé Peninsula of Quebec. There is free parking in the lot directly next to the visitor center. It is about 32 kilometers or 20 miles from Pointe à la Croix, Quebec where a bridge crosses the Bay of Chaleur, transporting travelers to Cambellton, New Brunswick. This is a relatively unpopulated area and we saw no options for public transportation. Compare rental car prices here.
There is an entry fee for adults, while children 17 and under are free. You can purchase a yearly SEPAQ pass, but be aware that SEPAQ parks, while called national parks, are actually overseen by the Province of Quebec. With different management and fees, its yearly pass is not accepted in some other national parks in Canada.
Taking a guided tour (conducted in English or French) of the cliffs and exhibitions carries an additional fee per adult. Children 17 and under are free. Advance purchase of entry passes is advised. The park is open from June 2 to October 14 from 9:00-17:00.
For more information about Miguasha National Park, its opening hours and admission fees, see its official website.
Have you been to Miguasha National Park? If so, do you have any additional information or advice about this UNESCO World Heritage site? Please add your comments below!
Text and photos provided by Marjorie Turner Hollman, of https://marjorieturner.com/. She is a disability advocate and self-published author of the Easy Walks in Massachusetts trail guide series and My Liturgy of Easy Walks: Regaining Hope in a World Turned Upside Down. She is partially paralyzed and uses hiking poles, which allow her to say “yes!” to outdoor trails that would otherwise be inaccessible. She and her husband pedal their adaptive tandem bicycle on rail trails near and far.