Perce Rock

Why Perce Rock is special
Perce Rock on the Gaspe Peninsula in Canada is a narrow, interestingly shaped island butte measuring over 400 meters or 1300 feet in length. Its seaward side has a four-story-high natural arch (see photo).

Perce Rock tips & insights
Low-tide water bridge
A spit of land connecting Perce Rock with the mainland appears when the tide goes out. This creates a dry, easy walkway for tourists to see the monolith up close.

Some visitors walk all the way to the far end of Perce Rock. Those who contemplate doing it should bear in mind that rocks do fall, the footing on the fallen rocks can be challenging, and the tide will eventually come in.

Age
Perce Rock is nearly 400 million years old and is embedded with countless fossils.

Looks different from various spots
The appearance of Perce Rock dramatically changes with different vantages. For example, it looks like a grounded petrified ocean liner when you walk toward it on the low-tide land bridge.

Name
The hole in the rock gave the wonder its name (perce means pierced in French). Perce is pronounced "per-say".

One arch collapsed
There were two arches until 1845 when the outer one collapsed, leaving behind the stand-alone pillar you see in the photo.

What else to do on the Gaspe Peninsula
Bonaventure Island
It's near Perce Rock and is worth a visit. It is a nesting ground for over 100,000 birds and has many trails for exploring.

Whale-watching excursions
They leave from the village of Perce.

Forillon National Park
It has an enticing natural setting and its cliffy coastline is accented with lighthouses. It's situated on the tip of Gaspe Peninsula and is only an hour's drive from Perce.

Location in Canada