Background
On the southern coast of the Gaspé peninsula in Quebec, Miguasha is considered the world's most outstanding illustration of the Devonian, the Age of Fishes. UNESCO says the 370-million-year-old Escuminac Formation contains five of the six fossil fish groups of the period, and above all the largest number and best-preserved specimens of the lobe-finned fishes that gave rise to the first four-legged, air-breathing land vertebrates.
The park near Carleton-sur-Mer was created by Quebec in 1985, and its museum holds more than 9,000 fossil fish and plants; the grey cliffs are alternating sandstone and shale. Wikivoyage says the site was discovered in 1842 by the geologist Abraham Gesner, that the reception and museum open daily from June to mid-October with guided tours, and that the 3.5 km Evolution of Life trail runs along the cliff and back by the shore.
- 370 million years agoFish of the Escuminac estuary are buried in the mud
- 1842Abraham Gesner discovers the fossil site
- 1985Quebec creates the park
- 1999Inscribed as World Heritage
Find Your Way Around
The main parts of the site, in the order most visitors see them
- 1Natural History MuseumMore than 9,000 fossil specimens and a guided activity at the cliff.
- 2The CliffThe Escuminac Formation above Chaleur Bay.
- 3Evolution of Life TrailA 3.5 km loop with panels on the history of life.
- 4Chaleur BayThe bay between Gaspé and New Brunswick.
Know Before You Go
From Wikivoyage and the GoGo guides
Fins to Feet
Not yet in a GoGo guide
- 09:30Miguasha Museum90 minThe fossil fish.
- 11:00Guided Cliff Visit1 hrDown to the Escuminac Formation.
- 13:00Evolution of Life Trail90 minAlong the cliff and back by the shore.
Best Time to Visit
Best months: Jun–Aug. Freezing days in Nov–Mar.
Typical highs
Climate: NASA POWER
Pair It With
Other World Heritage sites nearby, by distance
