Hiking in Pointe de l'Est National Wildlife Area: trails, map and practical info

What you will find

Environment Canada created the wildlife area in 1978 to protect important habitats. It covers the northeastern end of the archipelago, on Grosse-Île, and measures 724 hectares according to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC); Tourisme Îles de la Madeleine gives 684. The site combines red sandstone outcrops, fixed and mobile dunes, crowberry barrens, saline prairies, coniferous forests, marshes, and brackish and salt-water ponds.

The area is a staging ground for migratory birds, especially shorebirds, and a breeding ground for species at risk: the horned grebe nests at the edges of ponds in the area, and the piping plover nests on the sandy shores around it. In its list of species listed under the Species at Risk Act, ECCC writes of the piping plover: “only remaining nesting site of this species in Quebec”. More than 150 bird species and about ten mammal species, including the red fox and the coyote, are recorded. The area is part of the Île de l'Est Important Bird Area (IBA).

The trails

Tourisme Îles de la Madeleine presents two interpretive loop trails: La Camarine (easy) and L'Échouerie (intermediate), 4.5 km in total. You can walk them alone or with a guide. They start from Route 199, between Grosse-Île and Old Harry, where two access points each have parking. The area also has interpretive panels.

The two sources do not give the same figure: ECCC lists 8 km of hiking trails in the wildlife area, Tourisme Îles de la Madeleine 4.5 km for its two interpretive trails. Neither gives the length of each trail. Tourisme Îles de la Madeleine insists on sturdy walking shoes.

When to go

Tourisme Îles de la Madeleine recommends walking the trails in May, June and fall. For birdwatching it rates the site excellent in May-June, very good in September-October, good in July-August and fair in the other months. ECCC notes that many shorebird species, including black-bellied plover, sanderling and greater yellowlegs, are seen during fall migration.

ECCC says the area is open to the public for day use and publishes no hours. Bonjour Québec lists it as open year round, and non-commercial snowshoeing is allowed on designated trails.

Rules that matter

A national wildlife area is not a park: its first purpose is to protect wildlife and its habitat. Without a permit, only the activities on the list in Schedule I.1 of the Wildlife Area Regulations are allowed for visitors, and signs at the access points list them. ECCC states that permits may be issued for research or conservation activities (surveys, wildlife enhancement projects, habitat restoration). For Pointe de l'Est:

• non-commercial wildlife viewing on designated trails and in designated areas, including lookouts and observation towers;
• non-commercial hiking and snowshoeing on designated trails;
• non-commercial vehicle use (except snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles) on designated roads and in designated parking areas; non-commercial all-terrain vehicle use on designated trails and in designated parking areas;
• berry picking by hand, without tools, in designated areas: up to 22.7 litres per person per day, all types combined;
• a non-commercial group meal or event of 15 or more people in designated areas;
• sport hunting of migratory birds (see below).

ECCC warns that staff are not always on site for public safety. According to its map, the area is interspersed with private land: stay on the designated trails. If this page and the regulations disagree, the regulations prevail.

Hunting

Sport hunting of migratory birds, without a commercial guide, is permitted from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset. It requires any applicable federal permit and any authorization required by Quebec, and toxic shot is banned. Dogs may accompany hunters off-leash. The Canadian Wildlife Service brochure (2014) mentions fall waterfowl hunting; ECCC's page gives no dates. Anyone walking in fall may meet hunters: check with ECCC (1-800-668-6767) before you go.

Before you go

• Trail access is free (Tourisme Îles de la Madeleine and Bonjour Québec). Tourisme Îles de la Madeleine lists parking at each of the two access points; Bonjour Québec lists free parking.
• Bonjour Québec lists washrooms and interpretive panels. ECCC does not guarantee staff on site.
• Dogs: Bonjour Québec lists dogs on a leash as allowed. ECCC mentions off-leash dogs only for migratory bird hunting.
• Guided visits: the La Salicorne organization, at 377 Route 199 in Grande-Entrée (418 985-2833), offers guided hikes and outreach activities. According to Tourisme Îles de la Madeleine, guided hikes run weekly in summer, and outdoor outfitters offer excursions with a certified guide.

What can disappoint

No permanent staff, no published hours, no length per trail: practical information is thin, and the two sources give different figures for the length of the trails (4.5 km per Tourisme Îles de la Madeleine, 8 km per ECCC). For a precise plan, call ECCC (1-800-668-6767) or La Salicorne.