Explore This Crowd-Free National Park with the Canada Strong Pass
Looking forward to exploring the natural wonders of our national parks this summer, but worried that a repeat of the Canada Strong Pass will once again bring elbow-to-elbow crowds? Consider this gem: Quebec’s Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve. It’s just far enough off the beaten path to avoid the crush, yet bursting with breathtaking landscapes and adventuring possibilities unique in Canada.
We marvelled at imposing, other-worldly monoliths, hiked rugged, cliff-lined coastlines and thick forests, camped on an idyllic island, stayed in a remote lighthouse and even experienced a one-of-a-kind wildlife adventure. The best part? It was mid-summer, and we were never cheek by jowl with summertime crowds.
The archipelago of around a thousand small islands lies just off the north shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, roughly 200 kilometres east of Sept-Îles and 850 kilometres northeast of Quebec City. We got there by driving the famed Whale Route, the scenic coastal highway bordering waters used by 13 whale species, some of which we might see just offshore.
Havre-Saint-Pierre and Quarry Island
Our Mingan adventure began at the town of Havre-Saint-Pierre, the main departure point for the islands. Boarding the shuttle boat to Quarry Island, where we would camp for the next four days, we were surprised to be the only passengers.
The island is home to Canada’s largest collection of erosion monoliths. These wondrous sculptures began forming over 465 million years ago. Over millennia, the limestone sedimentary rock was subjected to glaciations, freezing and thawing, fluctuating sea levels, and erosion by tides, waves and wind. Some reach 20 metres high and resemble everything from pillars to designs we might see in an abstract art gallery.
Quarry Island has two campgrounds—one for tents and the other with six oTENTiks. We had to bring all our gear and supplies, including drinking water. So we were pleased to see large wheelbarrows sitting at the boat dock, intended for campers’ use.
From the dock in the deep harbour, a 600-metre boardwalk trail through forest and wildflower-fringed wetlands crosses the narrowest part of the island to the south shore where the main concentration of monoliths awaits. Les Falaises Trail, often used by Parks Canada guides for interpretive walks, is the only other interior trail, a 1.2-kilometre loop through forest and beside rock faces and cliffs.
Camping allowed us time to venture beyond what day trippers would see on boat tours that stop on the island for a couple of hours. Quarry Island bulges out on both sides from the narrow centre, with two coastal hiking routes—the 3.8-kilometre Le Petit Percé Trail and the 10.9-kilometre Les Cypripèdes Trail where we found some of the most weirdly-shaped monoliths. Anytime we roamed beyond the central area, we were on our own.
As avid photographers, we delighted in capturing the monoliths as they changed their moods with light and tides. Mighty giants in sunlight turned into moody ghostly sentinels when fog rolled in. Low tide allowed us to roam among the formations on the sea floor, while high tide changed their personalities once again as they became partially submerged in the surf.
The most enduring image of our visit was the evening we wandered to the monoliths just before sunset. They seemed to be floating in the calm water of high tide, while the sinking sun washed a crimson glow over the surreal scene.
Niapiskau Island
Niapiskau, the island next door, has a smaller cluster of monoliths. But what they lack in numbers, they make up for in size, with some of the biggest monsters on the islands.
We started our day trip as the boat dropped us off on the opposite side of the island from the monoliths, next to the campground. No one was staying there at the time, and when we hiked the 4.1-kilometre Samuel Trail between here and the monoliths, we were completely alone. The pleasant walk crosses the island through forest with a dense understory of ferns, and then follows the shore along stony beaches and rocky outcroppings. Near the end, we circle an expansive salt marsh known for its rich biodiversity—a haven for birds, aquatic life and varied plant life.
The monoliths suddenly appeared as we stepped out of the forested path onto the rocky shore near the island’s main boat dock. After wandering amongst them, we climbed the staircase to a raised platform to look over the tops of the stone pillars.
Niapiskau is home to the most celebrated Mingan monolith, named Bonne Femme. It was recently in the spotlight when the Royal Canadian Mint commissioned an engraving of Bonne Femme for a silver coin to be released later in 2026.
Longue-Pointe-de-Mingan and Île aux Perroquets
Longue-Pointe-de-Mingan is the gateway to the western end of the islands, the most remarkable being Île aux Perroquets, or Parrot Island. The rocky spec of land is just 350 metres long and 100 metres wide, with no monoliths and not a tree in sight. But it boasts some distinguished residents—a large nesting colony of Atlantic puffins, sometimes nicknamed Sea Parrots.
Boat tours include a stop at the island, but the better option is to stay overnight. The former residences at the historic lighthouse now operate as Auberge de L’Île aux Perroquets, offering accommodation with meals and transport included for a limited number of guests.
If staying in a remote island lighthouse isn’t awesome enough already, combining it with a unique wildlife encounter cranks things up a notch. Few places in North America allow us to watch puffins up close, and being able to walk next to a nesting colony is rare indeed. Yet here we are, standing on the narrow, rocky beach, just a few metres from the cliff-face ledges where they nest. A section of the beach is roped off to visitors, but the puffins frequently move around the cliffs with little apparent concern for people gawking at them.
The puffins continually fly back and forth between the cliffs and the sea where they fish, usually just offshore during high tide. This was an unparalleled opportunity to photograph flying puffins, including frame-filling shots, as they swooped just above our heads.
While puffins steal the show, they are only part of the island’s seabird colony. Striking white and black razorbills are especially plentiful, with smaller numbers of black guillemots, common murres and cormorants, among others. Great black-backed gulls, the world’s largest gulls, put on quite a show. When they have trouble breaking a shellfish, they fly high over the rocks and drop it to crack it open.
Tour boats came during the day, giving passengers an hour or so to spend on the island. A small group of kayakers also stopped by. Outfitters in Longue-Pointe-de-Mingan offer full-day guided excursions to the island, a trip considered fairly challenging and best suited to well-experienced kayakers.
Come the lingering summer evening, we and the eight other guests had the enchanting island to ourselves, enjoying the golden glow of twilight on the cliffs, with only the occasional call of seabirds breaking the serenity.
Things to Consider When Planning a Visit
Anytime during the summer is great for Mingan. Transport services to the islands operate from June to September, though exact starting and ending dates may vary. If you plan to go early or late in the season, it’s best to check with the park to ensure that boats are running.
Park staff indicated that it is not unusual for visitors to show up unannounced and find camp spots available, though booking ahead is certainly the safer bet. Demand is high for the limited number of oTENTiks, usually booked far in advance.
July and early August are prime times to see nesting puffins. If you opt for a day tour to Île aux Perroquets, pick a time near high tide. Puffins follow the tides, so when it’s low, they fish farther out to sea, and fewer will be around the island cliffs.
Mingan ranks among the more surprising and memorable national parks we’ve visited. What’s not to like about idyllic islands, striking landscapes, coastal hikes, a lonely lighthouse and intimate wildlife encounters? The lack of crowds put the icing on the cake.
