Gaspe Peninsula

[Yammybound88]

I'm starting to plan a trip to this area for next year and I understand there are many gravel roads and the coastal roads to explore.  Length of time for the trip:  3 to 4 weeks. Starting point is Hamilton, Ontario.

 

Let me know what you think about: time of year, roads I have to ride, and where to camp.

 

cheers

-Bob

[Canzvt]

Bucket list for me. Interested in hearing more...

[dmottv]

Camping Mont-Albert at Gaspe National Park on Rt 299 is a good spot. It may be popular dependent on your dates. I camped there in early September, 2012, there weren’t many campers. 
 

[Yammybound88]

@dmottv I've got a GPS track with a lot of gravel roads and most of them go into the National Park and then onto the coastal highways.  The more I look around I don't think it will be hard to find a secluded place to throw up my tent for a night even if camping is not available.

 

Thanks for the feedback, I will post some stuff as I get it organized.  I might be planning for a trip that doesn't happen because of lockdowns but I'm hoping for the best.

 

Cheers

 

[dmottv]

@Yammybound88 We encountered one of those cool, wet days riding the Gaspe in late August-early September, 2012, so opted for a warm, dry bed in a group cabin at the campground instead of a tent site. We had the cabin to ourselves due to light camping activity at that time of year. The inside of the group cabin included a common food prep counter on the center of the back wall with built in bunk beds in all four corners and a woodstove in the center. There was a fully supplied wood shed attached to the outside wall next to the entry door. A common bathroom shower house was not far within that particular loop. A couple of pics, the first inside showing the fire built in the center woodstove and the built in bunkbeds in the two corners at one end, and the second outside the entrance as we packed up the next morning:

 

 

 

 

 

Edit to add: I'm hoping for the best as well. Several of us had planned a NS/NF ride for July, 2021. We have adjusted the plan to a northern New England ride instead due to the border crossing uncertainty. If the border opens, I hope to squeeze in a ride. 

 

Edited January 27, 2021 by dmottv
Hope for the best, plan for the worst

[Insane rider]

The trans quebec trail (TQT) will be available around june.

 

this might be good info for you. They are also developing an app to follow the route.

[Canzvt]

So after being in Quebec the third time with my kids on school trips, I definitely want to spend more time there. Looked really seriously at buying a house on Île d'Orléans, outside of Quebec City, just so I could ride the thousands of KM's of road around there, not to mention the rest of the province. Would be very pleased to ride the TQT in the future!

[Insane rider]

2 minutes ago, Canzvt said:

So after being in Quebec the third time with my kids on school trips, I definitely want to spend more time there. Looked really seriously at buying a house on Île d'Orléans, outside of Quebec City, just so I could ride the thousands of KM's of road around there, not to mention the rest of the province. Would be very pleased to ride the TQT in the future!

There's plenty of good riding to do on a T7 in Quebec!

[Canzvt]

The only bad part about it, is that my french is nearly non-existent, meaning I would have to bring a kid (all 3 of which are fluent), which would slow me down! I know I could function closer to the main centers, but out on the back roads, I better bring my translator app... I also think that would be part of the fun of it.

[Yammybound88]

@dmottv looks like a great place you found and the fireplace with wood provided must have been a welcomed.  I will hit some small motels along the way when I can to shower up and dry stuff out etc.  Cheers

[Yammybound88]

21 hours ago, Insane rider said:

The trans quebec trail (TQT) will be available around june.

 

this might be good info for you. They are also developing an app to follow the route.

That is great news I will check it out.   I was surprised when I saw the tracks for TCAT and the Gaspe area was not included. Thanks again, cheers.

[Yammybound88]

@Canzvt I wouldn't worry about speaking French, with the help of apps and if you are not in a big city people are people and will try to communicate.  My french is so bad in Grade 9 my teacher asked if I was taking french in Grade 10 - when I said no she said ok you pass.  

[NickQc]

I'm planning the same trip this summer when the Trans-Quebec Trail is released. Here's a link to a ride report of someone who was validating the Gaspé portion of the trail last summer: https://www.ridaventure.ca/topic/37387-rr-validation-tqt-gaspésie/. It's in French but you can probably use Google Translate.

 

I've attached the map from the thread - it's still provisional but I imagine it won't change too much from the final route. I hope it helps in your planning.

[Yammybound88]

@NickQc this is really good info - thank you so much for sharing maybe we will see each other on the trail.  If the trip is a go for me I would like to go after being vaccinated so who knows when that will be and I won't go if there is a lockdown in that area.  I want to travel alone and slowly enjoying the day to day activities of riding, finding a campsite, cooking, having a cold beer, smoking a joint and sleeping outside but most importantly, I will be out of the f***in  house that I have felt trapped in for far too long.  Cheers

[Goup]

On 12/15/2020 at 1:25 PM, Yammybound88 said:

I'm starting to plan a trip to this area for next year and I understand there are many gravel roads and the coastal roads to explore.  Length of time for the trip:  3 to 4 weeks. Starting point is Hamilton, Ontario.

 

Let me know what you think about: time of year, roads I have to ride, and where to camp.

 

cheers

-Bob

I suggest going to this site: 

Fédération Québécoise des Motos Hors Route (FQMHR)

 

You will find Maps of trails in Eastern Quebec.
You can  also download the app on your phone, it is up to date and very accurate, we use it on a regular basis.

 

[Yammybound88]

@Goup this looks like a really good site.  I have changed plans this year and will be riding only in Ontario.  Thanks again for the link.

[Yammybound88]

Hi, I just thought I would give an update on plans for my Gaspe Peninsula trip.

 

Thork Racing is using the engine of their DMD2 software to display and make a custom application called "Trans Quebec Trail" - TQT.  You purchase the app and it has a number of trails laid out.  Currently there are 13 sections with a total length of 5566 km or 3459 miles for our American friends.

 

The application will grow with input and funding from users.  It runs in the Android environment only.  If you are an Apple user pickup up an inexpensive used compatible tablet or phone.  Application is one stop shopping for the tracks and what you will need along the way - Food, Fuel, Camping, etc.

 

 Other costs you should be aware of is in Quebec they currently have 63 ZECs where you can enjoy hunting, fishing and other activities.  These are public lands and are controlled harvesting zones.  I gather from reading postings on the 2 Facebook groups  Sentiers Trans-Quebec Trail (STQT) and Ridadventure.ca that trail permits are also needed to be purchased but after reading several postings I was left confused.  The Facebook groups translates the French comments to English so sometimes things are not perfectly clear.  I'm sure once in the area things will be clear as mud. 

 

My time frame is longer now with 6 weeks to explore so since I have relatives in New Brunswick and just over the Maine border perhaps I'll have a visit if the border is open.

 

I look forward to anyone that has had an opportunity to use the app to chime in and give some real use feedback.  

 

Cheers

-Bob

[Richarddd]

I am just back from an 8 day trip up through N B the Gaspe and Quebec. We hit two Zec areas and each time stoped in a little Zec office on the boundary and paid a fee to travers the areas.  I have almost no french, my riding mate has pretty french so I left the negotiating to him. The Gaspe is awesome we spent a day there and could have spent two weeks. The scenery is stunning and trails vary from difficult ATV trails to graded gravel roads.  At one point a moose came up the bank onto the road right in front of me. He didn’t seem sure what to make of us and we kept a good long distance back from him. The trip was written up by my riding mate on advrider forum. 2/3 of the True North East 2021. 
thanks for the thorn racing app link it looks interesting. 

[Yammybound88]

Up to date information can be found in the Ridadventure.ca forum.  I think they will be updating the website and the TQT application for this summer.

[Yammybound88]

Good afternoon guys I just thought I would provide an update on my trip.

 

I will be starting the TQT near Wakefield, Quebec and heading in an easterly direction with stop overs in New Brunswick and Maine.

 

My starting date is June 27th.  I would like to complete the entire loop and go a little ways down the NEBDR which the TQT provides a connection point at the border.

 

Perhaps we will meet along the way.

 

Cheers

-Bob

[Yammybound88]

Hey Guys just a quick update on my Gaspe trip.  I rode some of the Trans Quebec Trail and some of my own selections.  The first time I was in Gaspe it rained for days so I escaped to New Brunswick and Maine for 10 days to get some bike maintenance and visit relatives.

 

I went back to Gaspe and rode the entire Pennisula in the sun - fantastic.  Every hill leading into a town was just so beautiful with each corner revealing yet another coastline.

 

I left Hamilton on July 28th and returned on August 9th.  Just around 10,000 km - no mechanical issues.

 

I had a full load and there was never an issue on any type of terrain.  Just can't say enough good things about the bike and how bullet proof it is.

 

I bottomed out my suspension once on a fireroad in Northern Quebec and shatterd the bottom of the fender.  Bike just kept going not missing a beat.

 

 

I had the opportunity to ride with 1 of the people I met on this board however he has now moved onto a different bike.

 

 

Thank you for everyone who gave input and especially Marc Chartrand for getting the TQT app up and running - IOS version coming soon.

 

cheers

-Bob

 

Edited September 17, 2022 by Yammybound88
add more detail

[Husafreak]

Wow, now I want to do this! I have family in Quebec City and went to school in Montreal so yeah, I just love Quebec. Thanks for telling us about the TQT I’m sure it is amazing. Only hitch is I live in California now so it’s a long way to the TQT for me