Camping and hiking in Quebec

Okay Quebec – you’re really making it easy to fall in love with you and hard to leave you…

After leaving Montreal, we drove through Parc National de la Mauricie, where we were able to use our Parks Canada Discovery Pass for free admission. This was our first encounter with Quebec’s parks and how peaceful and inviting they are. A meandering stream, many rapids – which we would soon learn is one of many! However, this was also our first encounter with the mosquitos and gnats of wild Quebec. These persistent little flying beings were all too happy that we were cooking and eating outside. It would be a few weeks later that we (I) would give in to purchasing a Thermacell… we will see if it was worth the money!

From Mauricie, we drove back South through Shawinigan, then East and North through Laurentides Wildlife Reserve. While we did not see any wildlife during our hot afternoon drive, we did stumble on a lovely beach (plage) on Lac Jacques Cartier that was far enough from the noise of the highway.

The Fjords of… Quebec!

Next, we would follow a recommendation from my brother (thanks Paul!) into the Fjords in the Sanguenay region. We he had just learned about this natural wonder and since we had no plans, we could take our time to tour this place. That is one of the the many perks of flexible, slow travel.

The Sanguenay Fjords, running 105kms long, is unique as it lies interior and doesn’t empty immediately into the ocean and is the only fully navigable Fjord in North America! Water throughout the Fjords are stratified, with fresh water on the surface from Lac Saint Jean and cold, salty ocean water underneath from the the St. Lawrence River. This area is a rich ecosystem with plenty of nutrient-rich food for marine life, especially at Tadoussac (where the St. Lawrence River meets the fresh water of the Sanguenay Fjord). We didn’t see any whales, but then again maybe we weren’t patient or stationary enough.

Prior our arrival in Tadoussac, we spent 2 days and one night at Sanguenay-Fjord National Park (a provincially run park). We had hot, sunny, and clear weather for hiking and viewpoints. We hiked Point de vue du Géant, a 4 hour round-trip in 40 degree weather, which was made slightly cooler by a dip in a waterfall basin. Luckily we had reserved a campsite that night within the park, because I developed heat exhaustion and was out of commission by 7pm. Good as new in the morning after some hydration and breakfast.

They really have it figured out in Quebec’s provincial parks (even un-serviced sites) and Quebec in general. It’s easy to find comfort and amenities (dishwashing, picnic tables-galore, frequent/ quality bathroom facilities, compost and recycling, potable water, covered areas, outlets…). Ontario parks and rest stops have a lot of work to do in comparison.