Bikepacking in Gaspésie

Are you a bikepacking enthusiast who’d like to explore the region of Gaspésie? A couple of hardcore riders have created routes that may be of interest to you!

These three routes cross the Gaspé Peninsula from west to east, allowing you to discover the extraordinary landscapes in the interior of this region. Please note, however, that setting off on an adventure along inland trails on your own requires a great deal of preparation and is not for everyone: the distances between refuelling points are often long, the gradients are steep (particularly in the Chic-Choc Mountains), and cell service is spotty at best.

To help you prepare for your bikepacking trip, here is the travel story of Canadian adventure enthusiasts Mat and Ali, aka Trip Longer. In the summer of 2024, they gave themselves the challenge of cycling the 14,000-km Great Northern Bikepacking Route, a cross-Canada, coast-to-coast bikepacking adventure that also took them through parts of the United States. (This transcontinental off-road-centric riding experience is currently the longest contiguous bikepacking route in the world.) Following their visit to Gaspésie in August, they agreed to share details of their itinerary and recommendations for this region.

Enjoy!

Photo: Trip Longer

Perfectly situated along the south shore of the St. Lawrence Estuary, the region of Gaspésie offers visitors rewarding views of ancient Appalachian mountain peaks, far-reaching sea vistas and deep pockets of diverse forests that are set ablaze in the fall months.

With all the uninhabited wilderness one gets to experience while bikepacking in Gaspésie, opportunities for on-route restaurants, resupply and accommodations are quite plentiful, with the exception being the more remote and rugged traverse from Sayabec through to the village of Gaspé—although you’ll be surprised at what you can find even in these off-the-beaten-path places.

Here are some of the best food stops, lodging spots and bike shops that we came across in each sector of the region while riding the Gaspésie portion of the Great Northern Bikepacking Route (GNBR) in the summer of 2024.

Photo: Trip Longer

As you enter the Matapédia Valley, you’re greeted by the glistening waters, great gravel roads and sandy beaches that edge the shoreline of Lake Matapédia. You’ll roll past numerous beckoning swimming holes, hiking trails and places to picnic in Parc régional de la Seigneurie-du-Lac-Matapédia before climbing and descending your way towards the Réserve faunique de Matane.

The GNBR starts out in the quaint village of Sayabec, which offers a well-stocked grocery store (Marché Tradition) and the locally owned restaurant Cantine Rendez-Vous Ouellet, where you can fill your belly and your bikepacking bags before heading into the more remote stretch of the wildlife reserve in Matane.

For those looking for more variety, you can dip off route into the larger centre of Amqui, which also offers a good access point for section riders as there’s a bus and train station there.

Le Lièvre à Bicyclette is a character-rich, century-old presbytery that has been beautifully restored and transformed into a quaint, clean and welcoming B&B. This establishment offers secure storage for bicycles and is directly along the Véloroute Desjardins, a segment of the Route Verte bike route. The B&B is also perfectly positioned between the grocery store, restaurant and Maison Lou, a delectable café and dairy bar.

Sayabec also offers tent, lodge, cottage and glamping options at Auberge Camping du Lac Malcom, which is 7.5 km off route, northwest of town.

Lièvre à Bicyclette. Photo: Trip Longer

Passing along the Matane River and into the Réserve faunique de Matane is definitely a highlight of riding in this sector of Gaspésie.

The 42-km undulating gravel road that leads you from the John Registration Centre (which is also one of the entry points into the Chic-Choc Mountains) to Étang-à-la-Truite, where most people spend their first night, is rife with gorgeous panoramic views of round, rolling mountains and dense forests. This route also passes by the sparkling waters of Lake Matane, the perfect place to cool off on a hot summer day.

Boasting the highest density of moose in all of Québec, the wildlife reserve is crossed by the International Appalachian Trail and also offers many shorter hiking trails. Riding through the reserve on your bicycle is free.

Matane Lake. Photo: Trip Longer

While potable or filterable water is available throughout the wildlife reserve, food resupply is limited, so it’s best to stock up before leaving Sayabec or Amqui. The John Registration Centre sells pop, chips and chocolate bars.

There are two campgrounds right along the route in the wildlife reserve: one located at the entrance near the John Registration Centre and the other further along near Étang-à-la-Truite. Both offer rustic and serviced camping spots, potable water, washrooms, hot showers and firewood for sale. There are also cabin accommodations available along the gravel road in the reserve as well as at Étang-à-la-Truite. Camping reservations can be made online here.

Réserve faunique de Matane. Photo: Trip Longer

After traversing through the rugged wilderness of the wildlife reserve, bikepackers begin climbing their way up to some of the most remarkable views on the Gaspé Peninsula as they’re granted access to Parc national de la Gaspésie through a quiet backcountry entrance.

The roads go from challenging but rideable 8% to10% grades to steep, rocky pitches that force most cyclists to dismount and hike their bikes to the top of the punchy climb. This provides riders with the opportunity to slow down and soak in the breathtaking views of the surrounding mountain peaks and long valleys.

After passing through the park, cyclists seamlessly transition into the Réserve faunique des Chic-Chocs, a unique wildlife reserve with bald-top mountains, expansive forest scenery and quiet, rollercoaster gravel roads that lead you up and down into the outdoor-centric town of Murdochville.

Note that cell service is extremely limited while riding through this area.

Réserve faunique des Chic-Chocs. Photo: Trip Longer

Filterable water is available before you start to climb up to the high elevation of the park and once you descend back to the valley bottom, but the in-between is quite dry. You’re best to top up your bottles before leaving Étang-à-la-Truite.

Resupply opportunities appear once you reach the park’s Discovery and Visitors Centre, which offers tasty snacks, prepared meals, camping fuel and cold drinks. In addition, the Gîte du Mont-Albert hotel boasts a beautiful bistro with scrumptious burgers and offers gourmet meals in the hotel’s restaurant (reservations required).

A proper grocery-store resupply is available in the town of Murdochville at Marché P.A.M., which is open 7 days a week. If you’re lucky, the Chic-Chac’s Quartier Général resto-pub will also be open, serving up delicious noshables and local brews.

With the incessant rise and fall in elevation throughout Parc national de la Gaspésie, it’s a big push from Étang-à-la-Truite to the park’s Discovery and Visitors Centre, with most riders choosing to cut their day somewhere between the huts near Mont Logan and the Cascapédia campground, the latter of which offer rustic and roofed camping, Wi-Fi, washrooms and hot showers.

You can reserve your camping spot and purchase park passes here.

If you’ve got it in you to make the push to the De la Rivière campground near the park’s Discovery and Visitors Centre, you’ll find two camping spots reserved for cyclists, which are equipped with a picnic table, firepit and nearby access to washrooms and water, for only $10 each per night, with no reservations required.

The nearby Mont-Albert Campground offers serviced, rustic and Étoile “ready-to-camp” options, which are glamping units equipped with cooking utensils, electricity, a fridge and a camping stove.

Once you arrive in Murdochville, you have your choice of indoor lodging managed by the Chic-Chac resort, ranging from ski-bum rooms in their hostel to private motel rooms or shared homes. You can also stay in the historic Hôtel Copper, located in the middle of town.

Another 7 km outside of town is the Centre de plein air du Lac York, which offers secluded tent sites near beautiful York Lake.

Parc national de la Gaspésie. Photo: Trip Longer

Leaving Murdochville, bikepackers navigate a short stretch of hilly paved highway to connect with a long line of rolling ATV tracks that cross large salmon rivers on wide wooden bridges, etching their way between the mountains, deep in the valleys where beavers, bears and bobcats roam.

It’s a big day to traverse the gravel roads from Murdochville to Gaspé, but promises of spectacular coastline views, delicious noshables and restorative accommodations might be enough to encourage even the weariest of riders to keep moving forward.

Perched up on a cliffside in the pocket of a bay, Gaspé is brimming with good places to eat, drink and be merry.

With wide-open windows overlooking the water, the Bistro-Bar Le Brise-Bise is located along the GNBR route and serves up mouth-watering meals like their seafood poutine and in-house smoked meat platter.

TÊTU Taverne Gaspésienne and the Rôtisserie St-Hubert are also found in the centre of Gaspé, giving hungry riders a plethora of options to meet their calorie cravings.

Well-stocked Maxi and IGA grocery stores are available along the route, offering ready-made meals and a perfect opportunity to refill bike bags with snacks before heading out of town.

Haldimand Beach. Photo: Trip Longer

Cycle-friendly lodging

Lodging options are plentiful in Gaspé, from hostels to hotels, motels and an in-town campground. We enjoyed incredible nighttime views of the town from the front balcony of Hôtel Plante, loved their central location and got plenty of rest and recovery in the indoor hot tub and swimming pool.

Gaspé is also home to Nolin Vélo, one of the best bike shops in the region and a great place to stop for any of your repair and maintenance needs. They have bikepacking gear, a well-stocked parts department and friendly, knowledgeable staff who are happy to help keep you rolling.

Hôtel Plante. Photo: Trip Longer

From Gaspé, cyclists have the choice to do an optional, drool-worthy loop through Forillon National Park, which, on the GNBR, includes a scenic, mostly paved stroll along the coastline and a fun, fast-rolling ride up and over the multi-use Le Portage trail and along the L’Anse-au-Griffon River on the La Vallée trail, which separates the north and south sections of the park.

Riders can also choose to stay on Route 132 until the pavement turns into a hard-packed gravel cycling and hiking trail for a spectacular, punchy out-and-back ride to the Cap-Gaspé Lighthouse in what’s also known as Land’s End.

Once inside Forillon National Park, snacks, premade sandwiches, baked goods and drinks can be found along the route at the cafés located in the main areas of the park (Penouille, Petit-Gaspé and Cap-des-Rosiers).

If you opt for the route along the Le Portage trail towards L’Anse au Griffon, you’ll find a couple of well-situated restaurants and canteens along the north coast as well.

Coming through Cap-aux-Os, hungry bellies have access to a variety of ready-to-eat food items from the convenience store or can treat themselves to an authentic Neapolitan experience at the delicious Peppino Pizza. We recommend one of their signature pepperoni and bacon pizzas on the patio!

With an abundance of camping options in Forillon National Park ranging from unique roofed accommodations like backcountry yurts, a micrOcube, Ôasis units and oTENTik tents to more traditional tenting sites, you’re sure to find something to suit your needs and budget.

Nestled between pockets of park boundary, Cap-aux-Os offers a few privately owned campground, cottage, chalet and motel options as well as the wonderful, cycle-friendly Auberge La Petite École de Forillon, which offers a beautiful, clean and modern common kitchen; private, shared or dorm rooms; secure bike storage; laundry facilities; and a great back patio with superb views of Gaspé Bay.

Cap-des-Rosiers. Photo: Trip Longer

Heading south from Gaspé, bikepackers are treated to some mellow coastal miles along a paved cycling path before crossing over the decommissioned train bridge at Haldimand Beach where welcoming waters await on warm days.

The entire ride along the south shore of the peninsula to Percé is a mashup of cycling paths, sandy tracks, dirt roads that parallel the main highway, a few paved connector roads and the highlight of the route, the splendid, cyclable section of the Malbaie Salt Marsh, an ecologically diverse site protected by the Nature Conservancy of Canada. The marsh features a 6-km sandbar and a beautiful wooden boardwalk with beach access and viewing platforms from where you can see some of the 240 bird species that call these sand dunes home.

Arriving in Percé is an adventure of its own, as cyclists careen down the mountain towards the town’s main attraction, famous Percé Rock, a pierced rock located offshore that’s one of the world’s largest natural arches.

Coin-du-Banc. Photo: Trip Longer

After loading up your bikepacking bags in Gaspé, riders can grab a route-side meal at La Cantina Latinogaspésienne, a snack bar near Haldimand Beach, or treat themselves to a satiating gastronomic experience at the renowned Camp de Base Gaspésie restaurant located in Coin-du-Banc on the south end of the Malbaie Salt Marsh.

The town of Percé has plenty of wonderful seaside eateries, an artisan bakery, a great little coffee shop and bookstore called Nath & Compagnie and a well-stocked grocery store, Marché Ami, in the centre of town.

As a tourist destination, Percé offers a plethora of great indoor accommodations, like Riôtel Percé, which has bright, airy, seaside rooms, many of which have a front-row view of Percé Rock (as does their wonderful on-site restaurant Paqbo, which serves up lovely local cuisine). Riôtel Percé is also certified bike-friendly, which means it provides secure cycling storage in their main building to give riders peace of mind and more space in their rooms.

Campers can also rejoice as Percé is home to a well-kept, centrally located in-town campground as well as a slightly out-of-town glampground, Domaine Renard, which offers accommodations in geodesic domes perched atop a cliff with 5-star views of Percé Rock.

Percé. Photo: Trip Longer

From Percé down along the shores of Chaleur Bay, bikepackers can expect a bit more pavement and slightly less elevation than the rest of the route, but don’t let your guard down just yet: there are plenty of punchy Appalachian climbs and challenging bits of terrain left ahead!

While much of the Great Northern Bikepacking Route bobs and weaves away from the coastline in this sector, riders still get great peek-a-boo views of the water while being treated to quiet, seldom travelled back roads and ATV tracks that traverse this area.

The south shore section of the route has plenty of resupply opportunities in the towns of Percé, Grande-Rivière, Chandler, Port-Daniel–Gascons, Bonaventure, New Richmond and Nouvelle as well as a sprinkle of route-side restaurants and cafés for famished riders.

We enjoyed grabbing groceries at some of the small markets along the route and making our way to one of the beautiful roadside picnic lookouts for a midday noshing.

Our favourite dining spot along this section was the Kano restaurant at Riôtel Bonaventure, which served up a fabulous plate of fish & chips cooked to perfection and topped with a drizzle of spicy orange caramel sauce.

Kano. Photo: Trip Longer

Cycle-friendly lodging

Hotels, motels and campgrounds abound on this populated stretch along the south side of the Gaspé Peninsula, allowing bikepackers to make their final days in this region as short or long as they see fit.

We spent a beautiful evening in the turret room at Riôtel Bonaventure watching one of the most spectacular sunsets of the entire trip and rising to a delicious in-house breakfast.

On our last night in the Gaspésie region, we decided to mark the end of an incredible journey in the most memorable and restorative way we could think of: with a three-hour time slot in the thermal spa at [EST] Éco-cabines in Nouvelle. This private spa experience includes a eucalyptus steam bath, dry cedar sauna, outdoor hot tub, cold-plunge pool, laidback deck chairs and serene indoor relaxation space complete with mood lighting, soft music and an array of lush seating for lounging around. After our luxury spa experience, we retreated to our [Ublo], a cozy, modern and well-equipped cabin where we enjoyed a deep and serene sleep under the starry night sky.

[EST] Éco-cabines. Photo: Trip Longer

With the abundance of peaceful and pristine wilderness, great gravel roads and quiet dirt paths, breathtaking mountain, forest and sea vistas, delicious food and beverage stops, and unique and comfortable lodging options, bikepacking in Gaspésie has every reason to be at the top of any adventure cyclist’s bucket list!

Nouvelle. Photo: Trip Longer

Note that Mat and Ali were in Gaspésie in August 2024. If you plan to travel at another time of year, please check that the businesses you intend to visit are open.