One day hike Access to the trail is FREE for day hikes except for the sections of Parc national de la Gaspésie and Parc National Forillon which require at least a daily access fee. For the other sections administered by the SIA-QC, you are invited to make a donation on a voluntary basis by means of the link "Make a donation" which appears in the header of our website. Long hike The daily right of access to the Trail in the context of a long hike is $2 per night of accommodation billed. You also have the possibility of obtaining an annual right of access at a cost of $50.

Orléans Express connects the province with services throughout Quebec (Gaspé, Matapédia, villages in the Matapédia Valley, villages on the north coast of the Gaspé Peninsula and near the north end of the trail).< /p> For more information, call Orléans Express at 514 842-2281 or visit the website at www.orleansexpress.com. In Matapédia, call 418 865-2952.

VIA Rail Canada regularly stops at the Matapédia station. VIA Rail Canada offers services in Montreal, Quebec, Gaspé, Saint-John and Halifax. For more information, call VIA Rail Canada at1-888-VIA-RAIL (1-888-842-7245)or visit the website at www.viarail.ca. Connections with Amtrak are offered between Montreal and New York. Call 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245) or visit www.amtrak.com for more information.

The IAT-Qc hiking season runs from June 24 until Thanksgiving. Before June 24, it must be taken into account that the Trail is in the boreal forest, so there is always snow in certain sectors and there are always a multitude of fallen trees that interfere with the hike at this time. of the year. In addition, the soil of the Trail must have had time to absorb the water from the melting snow before being suitable again for the circulation of hikers. Thus, for reasons of safety and protection of the natural environment, hikers are not authorized to circulate before the opening. After Thanksgiving Day, the Trail is considered closed due to various factors such as: moose hunting in the Matane wildlife reserve, the caribou rut in the Gaspésie National Park, the closure of national parks and climatic conditions that vary enormously (start of snowfall in the highest peaks); so for these reasons we can no longer practice the long hike. But under certain conditions, it is possible to circulate in certain sectors of the SIA-QC. For more information, please contact the SIA-QC office at (418) 560-4642 or infosiaquebec@gmail.com. Our offices are usually open Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm during the hiking season and once a week off season.

-Matapédia Nature Aventure, (418) 865-3554, offers canoe trips on the Restigouche and Matapédia rivers and a shuttle service during your mountain excursions on foot or by bike. He sells the cards for the Quebec section of the SIA. Contact them to find out about the condition of the trail between Matapédia and Amqui. -Matane, Cap-Chat SIA-QC(418) 560-4642 offers a shuttle service, luggage transport and food drop-off for the western portion of the Matane wildlife reserve . -Sainte-Anne-des-Monts Parc national de la Gaspésie offers, during the summer, a daily shuttle service between Sainte-Anne-des-Monts, the Mont Albert lodge, Mont Jacques and the campground. of Mount Jacques-Cartier. It is possible to get dropped off at Mount Logan and request food drops. Call 72 hours in advance at 1-866-727-2427, toll free or at (418) 763-7494, extension 3301 for more information. Otherwise, there is also a taxi service that is available at all times to take hikers to the Parc de la Gaspésie here are their contact details: Taxi Marie-Hélène (418) 763-5310.

Haute-Gaspésie You are in the mountains during the day and in the evening in the villages. Not many IAT-QC campsites or shelters since the villages offer lodge and private camping services. When the trail strays too far from civilization, we have built facilities. The advantage is that you will have in this section a view of the sea while being in the mountains and a cultural experience when you are in the villages. Medium difficulty for fit people.Gaspésie Park Well organized park, far from civilization with sumptuous decorations. Level of difficulty: difficult.Rustic shelters at $31 per night per person. Campsite with hot water at approximately $29 per tent. It is forbidden to camp at refuge sites or elsewhere than in park campsites. Reservations required.Matane Wildlife Reserve Far from civilization and fabulous scenery. The trails were recently built. Level of difficulty: very very difficult. No shelter, but 4-wall shelters with 4 wooden beds without mattresses and camping platforms at all sites. Campsites near reliable water sources. Adequate signage and markings.

It is now mandatory to carry a cell phone when hiking on the Trail. Quality of the cellular network along the Trail Avignon and Matapedia The cellular network is good in most parts between Matapédia and Corbeau. After that, nothing works until you get close to Causapscal. Maybe a few places between Ruisseau Creux refuge and St-Marguerite. He's not great in St-Marguerite. Thereafter, it's not bad until Amqui according to the telephone company. Matane Wildlife Reserve and Gaspésie National Park On some peaks only, take advantage. Upper Gaspésie and Côte-de-Gaspé Intermittent, increases near villages. Forillon National Park Intermittent, increases near the reception and approaching Rivière-au-Renard. You can consult the TELUS coverage map (Valid for all service providers in the region). It offers interesting precision when it comes to network coverage on the Trail. TELUS coverage map: https://www.telus.com/en/mobility/network/coverage-map

During the moose hunting season, to travel on Route 1 and/or for hiking on the International Appalachian Trail - Quebec (SIA-QC), you must consult the following page: https://www.sia-iat.com/randonnee-en-periode-de-chasse

In Parc national de la Gaspésie, dogs are only allowed in certain places. Refer to this link for details: https://www.sepaq.com/animals/appendices/places-autorises-gaspesie.dot?language_id=2 In Forillon National Park, Matane Wildlife Reserve and in all other sections of the SIA, animals on a leash are authorized.

Biting insects, such as mosquitoes, black flies and biting midges, are also part of the fauna. They are very present in certain parts of the trail, especially on the edge of peat bogs and in areas where conifers are dense. Bring a good insect repellent, because in addition to being delicious, you are often the only "lunch" around for these little creatures ;)

Did you know… In 1999, a typical year, 5 million people in Quebec took part in nature-related activities and spent 395 million days there, or 79 days per person? In Quebec, six deaths caused by black bears have been reported over the past 30 years. Also, did you know that over the past hundred years, for every human death attributed to a black bear in North America, there have been approximately 17 deaths from spiders, 25 from snakes, 65 from dogs? , 180 to bees and 350 to lightning? (Source: Fauna and flora of the country) General information and some tips In the forests of Quebec, Maine and New Brunswick, we find the black bear. Reputed to be discreet and fearful, the fact remains that it is an imposing beast that can pose a threat. He does not seek confrontation and he is mainly obsessed with food. Be careful and hang your groceries, pots and even toothpaste and soap on the food racks, when available. There are some in all the shelters and campsites of the SIA, except those located in the Matapédia Valley and in the Gaspésie National Park (use the dry toilet cabin as a deposit). Signify your presence by carrying objects that produce clicking sounds, bear bells, talk, sing. You can also bring a whistle attached to the outside of the backpack, a fog horn or cayenne pepper. What to do during a black bear encounter? If you encounter one, stay calm and take the time to analyze the situation. If he hasn't seen you, admire him from afar and walk away silently. If he saw you, stop walking. Speak to him softly. Wave your arms. Do not shout or make sudden movements. Keep eye contact and leave him an escape corridor. Walk away without turning your back on him and speaking softly so he knows you're human and not prey. If he approaches you, avoid looking him in the eye, try to find persuasion or defense tools (stick, oar, knife, rock), distract him by dropping objects, affirm you (speak loudly). Don't run, which would provoke his predatory instincts. As a last resort, throw your supplies at him. In case of attack, defend yourself with cayenne pepper or with whatever comes to hand, use natural obstacles (rocks, trees) as a shield. Remember to shout, which may alert others on the trail. Climbing a tree can be a solution, adult bears do not climb there spontaneously. It is better to confront the black bear than to play dead. Sources Ministry of Natural Resources and Wildlife of Quebechttp://www.mrnf.gouv.qc.ca/faune/securite/ours-responsabilite.jsp Fauna and flora of the countryhttp://www.ffdp.ca/hww2_f.asp?id=83#top For more information Brochure of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Wildlife of Quebec (pdf)

For any emergency,call 9-1-1 and refer to the booklet which presents the SIA-QC emergency measures protocol. In several sections of the SIA, the cell phone may not work. However, reception may be better at the top of the mountains. If possible, try to get to a forest path. Vacationers or truckers could help you. Identify the place thanks to a GPS survey. where you are according to the red and white numbered beacons this will help rescuers to find their way.

This means of transport is often used by hikers, but it has some dangers. Take all possible precautions when doing so. The SIA-QC and various SIA partners offer a shuttle service.

Climatic and weather conditions can reach extremes. Heat, cold, sun, rain, wind etc. It is therefore necessary to provide clothing accordingly. Remember that when you are in mountainous terrain, the temperature at night fluctuates around 0°C, even in the middle of summer.

It is recommended, when hiking, to form a group of three people. Thus, in the event of an accident, one of the people can stay with the victim while the other can go seek help by heading for the nearest road. The group should also include someone who has taken a course in first aid. In addition, it is now compulsory to bring a cell phone.

For information regarding the food drop-off service, click on the Services tab and the Refueling sub-tab

Campgrounds and shelters have been set up near water points, with the exception of one place in the Matapédia section: camping & shelter Les Trois Soeurs. Streams are 1-2.5km from these spots so plan ahead. We recommend boiling the water, filtering it or using iodine tablets. There are well oxygenated streams, but you never know if a moose or a humanoid is up high sullying the stream! Above all, never take stagnant water. Some take chances in the clear streams with tumbling waterfalls and are not sick. Probably they are lucky.

Cooking fires are permitted in areas set up for this purpose only. We recommend small camper stoves with liquid fuel. In times of drought, be very careful.

The SIA-QC campsites are laid out so as to include a maximum of one day's walk between each of them. Click here to access the distance tables.

Yes, you must reserve shelters or campsites for the IAT-QC and the parks by clicking on the accommodation tab of this website. There are campsites with showers and hot water in the parks and reserves of Quebec. The trail goes through these campsites. If you do long hiking, you come across campsites that are more isolated from organized campsites. We put our facilities 10-13 miles apart on the trail. The campsites in black are private campsites. When the trail passes near a village, where there are services (campsites, lodges, etc.), we have not built any facilities.

There are no daily fees for the Matane wildlife reserve. However, the parks require it. It costs $8.75 per day for adults, or $43 per year. Consult the respective publications of these parks, for more details.

It is forbidden to camp next to a refuge in Parc national de la Gaspésie. For the other places along the SIA, we have constructed sites in order to preserve the surrounding ecology. In addition, it is important that all your nights are paid. Please book through the accommodation tab of this website.