Gaspésie · Easy · Circular

Le Mont-Ernest-Laforce, Parc national de la Gaspésie

A short loop to the open top of Mont Ernest-Laforce, with a view all round to the Mont Albert plateau and the McGerrigle mountains.

Distance
4.3 km (2.7 mi)
Ascent
164 m
Time
About 1 h 30 min
High point
824 m
Grade
Easy

Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), checked by Global Adventurer.

0 km1 km2 km3 km4 km824 m653 m
Move along the height chart to see each point on the map.
Le Mont-Ernest-Laforce, Parc national de la Gaspésie
Fralambert · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

The walk

From the Ernest-Laforce car park on park road 163, the path runs south-west through the forest to a junction where the summit loop begins. Take the southern branch first, climbing gently west to the open summit lookout at about 820 m, with a view all round to the Mont Albert plateau and the McGerrigle mountains. Then come back east along the northern branch to the junction and retrace the short approach. This way round the loop is clockwise; SÉPAQ suggests no direction.

It is 4.3 km round with 164 m of ascent; allow about 1½ hours. The grade is Easy: a gentle climb on a forest path to an open top. SÉPAQ rates it intermediate.

The summit is open to wind and cold. Moose may be about: keep your distance from all wildlife, and give caribou the widest berth of all. In the snow season SÉPAQ opens and closes sectors of the park week by week according to where the caribou are, so check before going in winter. Adults pay a daily access fee; under-18s go free with a free access authorisation.

The car park is a few kilometres east of the discovery and services centre on route 299, along a paved park road. Winter maintenance of that road could not be confirmed. No public transport was found.

Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.

Good to know

  • A modest summit with a view all round, across to the Mont Albert plateau and the McGerrigle mountains
  • Moose may be about; keep your distance from all animals, caribou above all
  • The loop climbs about 155 m to the open top
  • The car park is a few kilometres east of the discovery and services centre on route 299

Summits on the way

  • Mont Ernest-Laforce 820 m · passed close by

Getting there

Start: Ernest-Laforce car park. 48.92510, -66.06283

Directions to the start

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Paths change, and the weather decides the day. The line and figures come from OpenStreetMap and our own checks; take a map, check the forecast, and turn back if it isn't right.