Anticosti National Park in Quebec, Canada - map and visitor information
Parc national d'Anticosti protects canyons, limestone caves, and coastal landscapes on Anticosti Island in Québec. This Sépaq-operated national park occupies only part of the island. Plan a booked island stay with onward transportation, rather than a mainland road detour. Distances between Port-Menier, accommodation, and park attractions can be substantial.
Highlights inside the Anticosti park
- Chute Vauréal and its canyon show how water has cut into limestone.
- Baie de la Tour combines a coastal setting with access to park trails.
- Grotte à la Patate introduces the island's karst landscape, where water dissolves limestone and forms underground passages.
Arrange the island logistics first
Fees, hours, and seasonal access
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| Park access | Standard Québec park admission is CAD 10.30 per adult age 18 or older, taxes included. Ages 0–17 enter free with access authorization. |
| Package inclusions | Published Sépaq Anticosti summer packages include national park authorization. Check your package before paying again. |
| Upcoming McDonald inn package | The advertised 2027 seven-night package operates June 28–August 23. This is a package period, not a promise that every island service opens on those dates. |
| Independent camping | Designated camping sectors serve visitors who arrange their own island arrival and travel. They are not included in the flight packages from Mont-Joli. |
Check the current stay options and package terms for your chosen season. Air transport, vehicle arrangements, meals, fuel, and insurance do not have identical inclusions across packages.
Prepare for isolated roads and outdoor routes
Collect the operator's road-condition and radio-use briefing when receiving a rented vehicle. Follow speed limits and avoid driving on road shoulders to reduce tire damage. Bring suitable footwear, warm layers, rain protection, and a first-aid kit.
Do not treat a cave visit or canyon walk as an ordinary roadside viewpoint. Ask staff about the route, equipment, and current conditions before setting out. The distance from medical services increases the consequences of an accident.
Protect the island's natural features
Leave fossils and other natural objects where they are. Camp only in designated sectors. Dogs and other pets are prohibited in the national park, with exceptions for guide and service dogs.
Match flights, vehicles, and accommodation
Confirm the complete itinerary with Sépaq before booking other travel. Selected packages include return flights from Mont-Joli and a radio-equipped vehicle. Fuel and vehicle insurance are additional in the advertised inn and cabin packages. Independently arranged flights require you to tell the operator your arrival time.
Read the summer arrival and preparation guide for registration and vehicle documents. Visitors traveling on Sépaq Anticosti territory must register at its Port-Menier reception office. A restaurant meal at Auberge McDonald also requires a reservation.
Separate the island from the park
The park covers 572 km² within Anticosti Island, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Route Henri-Menier, also called the Transanticostienne, is a dirt road across the island. Use the official sector and arrival information to locate your accommodation and each planned stop.
Port-Menier is the arrival and supply base for many stays. The park's P.O. Box 179 address there is a mailing address, not a canyon or trail entrance.
Other parks beyond the island
Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve is reached from Côte-Nord communities and requires a boat to its islands. Parc national de l'Île-Bonaventure-et-du-Rocher-Percé is another separate island excursion from Percé. Neither is an onward drive from Anticosti. Treat either as a different travel leg with its own transport booking.
Choose a sector for each outing
Build walking days around the Vauréal, Baie-de-la-Tour, or Chicotte areas instead of trying to cross the island repeatedly. Discuss cave exploration with the park reception team before choosing it. The McDonald center lists helmet and headlamp rental for that activity.
Coastal wildlife observation offers a less specialized alternative. For fishing, confirm the separate authorization, location, and available service with the operator; a national park access authorization is not a fishing booking.
Supplies and seasonal services
Buy groceries in Port-Menier before traveling to your accommodation. Services farther from the village are limited and sector-specific. McDonald offers reception and rental services, and its inn has an accessible building. That building access does not establish accessibility of cave or canyon routes.
About Parc national d'Anticosti
Protection centered on the Vauréal landscape
Québec created the national park on April 26, 2001. Earlier proposals focused on the Vauréal River sector. The protected landscape includes limestone formations shaped by water, together with forests and coastal habitats.
Deer, coastal birds, and marine mammals
White-tailed deer are prominent on Anticosti, and their browsing affects the island's vegetation. Bald eagles and other coastal birds use the park's habitats. Gray seals occur along the coast. Observe animals without feeding or following them.
Contact the Anticosti operator
Call 418-535-0156 for island information. Reservations: 1-800-463-0863 from Canada or the United States, or 418-890-0863 from outside North America.
Other parks nearby
More parks in Quebec
National parks in Canada
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