Peak Mont Jacques-Cartier Country Canada Elevation 1,268 m Parent range Notre Dame Mountains | Width 10 km (6.2 mi) State/Province Quebec Highest point Mont Jacques-Cartier | |
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Length 95 km (59 mi) East-West Mountains Mont Jacques-Cartier, Mount Albert | ||
The Chic-Choc Mountains, also spelled Shick Shocks, is a mountain range in the central region of the Gaspé Peninsula in Quebec, Canada. It is a part of the Notre Dame Mountains, which is a continuation of the Appalachian Mountains.
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History
The name Chic-Chocs comes from the Mi'kmaq word sigsôg, meaning "crags" or "rocky mountains." It has undergone many different spellings over time, including Chikchâks (1836), Shick-shock (1857), and Chick-Saws (1863).
Geography
The Chic-Chocs run parallel to the St. Lawrence River and are located some 20 to 40 kilometers inland. They are a narrow band of mountains approximately 95 kilometres (59 mi) long and 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) wide. The Chic-Chocs are heavily eroded, with rounded, flattened tops and steep sides. Over 25 mountains in the range have peaks higher than 1,000 metres (3,300 ft); the highest is Mont Jacques-Cartier at 1,268 metres (4,160 ft). Caribou can be found in the plateaus of this region.
Tourism
Although visited by just a few tourists, Chic-Choc Mountains became much more popular in the late 1990s as backcountry skiing gained popularity in Eastern Canada.
A network of trails, including the International Appalachian Trail, passes through these mountains. Quebec's Parc national de la Gaspésie protects most of the mountain range.
