Station touristique Pin Rouge © Roger St-Laurent, photographe
5 Family Winter Activities in Gaspésie
Here are 5 activities for a successful family stay this winter in Gaspésie.
Downhill skiing
A ski holiday is always a winner with the family! In Gaspésie, the Station touristique Pin Rouge (New Richmond) and the Parc régional de Val-d’Irène (Sainte-Irène) offer chalets at the foot of the slopes and quality downhill skiing, but also a host of activities depending on the resort such as skating, tubing, fatbiking, snowshoeing, and much more. Pin Rouge also offers fatbike rentals, a floodlit ice rink and a magnificent view of the sea when descending the slopes.
Petit Chamonix (Matapedia) offers 13 slopes, 3 snowparks and a park for children. Mont-Miller (Murdochville), with its 100% natural snow and 32 trails, is the ideal place to experiment and improve your backcountry skiing in powder snow. Mont-Castor (Matane) has 19 trails for skiers and snowboarders of all abilities and a slope reserved for descents with tubes. Mont-Bechervaise (Gaspé) is the ideal place for downhill skiing, snowboarding, alpine hiking and also tubing.
Parc régional de Val-d'Irène. Photo: Michel Laverdière
Dogsledding
Aventure Pattes Blanches (Saint-Ulric) offer dogsledding for about an hour as part of a half-day package. You can visit the kennel, participate in the harnessing of the team, and can even mush your own sled! In the heart of the forest, or across fields with a sea view, pleasure is guaranteed.
Dogsledding. Photo: Michel Julien
Snowshoeing
No need to be an expert to put on a pair of snowshoes and go for a hike in the forest. Breathtaking landscapes, wildlife observation, discovering otherwise inaccessible places: a snowshoeing excursion is a great opportunity to get some fresh air and play outside.
The Parc national de la Gaspésie, the Village Grande Nature Chic-Chocs and the Percé UNESCO Global Geopark are classics, but several municipalities have also developed trails that are accessible in winter in addition to ski resorts and outdoor bases.
Parc national de la Gaspésie. Photo : Roger St-Laurent
Fatbike
A new winter sport for many, the fatbike is practiced in Gaspésie during the winter! The rental is possible at Village Grande-Nature Chic-Chocs (Cap-Chat) for forest trails. In the heart of the Chic-Chocs, the place offers accommodation in inns or cottages, as well as snowshoeing and cross-country skiing trails.
Parc national de la Gaspésie offers 3 accessible fatbike trails: Lac aux Américains, round trip 16.9 km, L'orignal Trail, loop 4.2 km and La Serpentine (from Ruisseau Isabelle), round trip 10 km.
In Forillon National Park, fatbike is permitted on the 4 km Le Portage trail (parking from L'Anse-au-Griffon) and rental is done at the Centre culturel Le Griffon.
At the Station touristique Pin Rouge (New Richmond), fatbikes are available for a ride in the forest and near the river. The Camp de base Gaspésie offer various outdoor and adventure packages with guides. Stay at the Chalets du Bout du Monde (Gaspé) and take advantage of free fatbike rentals.
Fatbike. Photo: Roger St-Laurent
Tubing, skating, and cottage life
Gaspésie offers you several destinations for a family stay. They offer cottages and a multitude of activities to enjoy the winter. Sliding and skating are classics that will occupy your day and please the whole family! Cheeks very red, you will be happy to return to your cottage nearby to enjoy a good hot chocolate.
Station touristique Pin Rouge. Photo: Roger St-Laurent
Play outside with your family to fully enjoy the Gaspesian winter!
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