The Parc national des Grands-Jardins (Des Grands-Jardins National Park) is a national park of Quebec, in the unorganized territory of Lac-Pikauba, in the regional county municipality (MRC) of Charlevoix, in Quebec Region in Quebec.

The management of this protected area is the responsibility of the Société des établissements de plein air du Québec (Society of Outdoor Establishments of Quebec) (SÉPAQ)

Understand

The park is one of the two central areas of the Charlevoix biosphere reserve listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site biosphere reserve; the other being the Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie National Park which is located downstream on the course of the Malbaie River. These two preservation areas are popular with anglers, hikers, campers and vacationers.

Through its flora and fauna at this altitude, Parc national des Grands-Jardins is an area of 310 km² (120 sq mi) reproducing an environment of the Far North of Quebec.

Geography

Parc national des Grands-Jardins is located on the outskirts of the Charlevoix crater, on the north side of the rim of this former crater of 54 km (34 mi) in diameter resulting from the impact of a large meteorite nearly 400 million years ago.

It is surrounded on three sides by the Réserve faunique des Laurentides, except for its eastern limit. Route 381 linking Baie-Saint-Paul to Saguenay City is the eastern limit of the park, except for a strip of land to the south-east of the territory which is delimited to the south by the territory of Saint-Urbain. This road 381 is also the western limit of the zec des Martres. The Malbaie River forms the southwestern boundary of the territory, east of Lac à Jack.

Mont du Lac à Moïse

The terrain of the park is mainly made up of mountains and valleys of the Canadian Shield. Its bedrock is mainly composed of granitic rocks including igneous rock. In addition, part of the territory is composed of anorthosite, a type of igneous rock. The main peaks of the park are:

• Mount of Swan Lake (summit at 980 m (3,220 ft)),
• Mont René-Richard (summit at 873 m (2,864 ft),
• Mont du Lac à Moïse (summit at 959 m (3,146 ft)),
• Mont de l'Ours (summit at 850 m (2,790 ft)),
• Mont Jean-Palardy (summit at 809 m (2,654 ft)),
• La Chouenne (summit at 730 m (2,400 ft)).

History

At the beginning of the 20th century, this sector of the Canadian Shield was already known for its fishing lakes and its exceptional panoramas of mountains and valleys. Given the northern vegetation, in particular a thick carpet of lichens and wild flowers at high altitude, the people of the region (fishermen, hunters, hikers, campers) have designated this Grands-Jardins sector at least since 1872 because it is similar to the taiga of the northern regions, i.e. beyond the 52nd parallel.

A herd of caribou, a subarctic wildlife species, was estimated at 10,000 animals at the beginning of the 20th century. This herd would have been almost decimated in 1928. Nevertheless, this breed was reintroduced between 1969 and 1972. Since then, the caribou herd has increased significantly.

Parc des Laurentides was established in 1895. Parc national des Grands-Jardins was established in 1981 (as a conservation park) as part of the reorganization of the former Parc des Laurentides and the abolition of private clubs in the end of the 1970s. Thus, hunting, log driving and logging ceased. In 2001, it was designated a national park, with a mission to protect natural environments.

Get in

By car

• From Baie-Saint-Paul (32 km (20 mi), in half an hour), take Route 138 (northbound) along the course of the Gouffre River (west bank); take route 381 (northbound), i.e. chemin du Parc-des-Grands-Jardins, to the reception desk of Parc national des Grands-Jardins.
• From Tadoussac (134 km (83 mi), in 2 hr 20 min), take the Tadoussac-Baie Sainte-Catherine ferry; take Route 138 (westbound), to the village of Baie-Saint-Paul (after the bridge over the Rivière du Gouffre); take Route 381 (northbound), to the Grands-Jardins National Park reception desk.
• From Quebec (123 km (76 mi), in 1½ hr, take route 138 (Eastbound), and cross the village of Baie-Saint-Paul following the course of the Gouffre River (west bank); take Route 381 (northbound), to the Grands-Jardins National Park reception desk.

The territory of Parc national des Grands-Jardins is also accessible from the west side by a few forest roads that connect to the south with Lac Malbaie and Lac des Neiges, then even further south to the valley of the Montmorency River.

Get around

The map of winter trails is available at: Map of Parc national des Grands-Jardins

Do

• 1 Hike at Mont du Lac des Cygnes (southeast of the park territory, on the edge of Saint-Urbain). This Laurentian mountain rises to 980 m (3,220 ft). From Route 381, its climb by hikers is as exhilarating as the ascent of the Acropole des Draveurs on the side of the Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie National Park. Formerly, a fire guard post was set up there at its summit. The summit allows you to see the panorama in particular of the Lac des Cygnes (in Saint-Urbain), the Mont du Lac à L'Empêche (921 m (3,022 ft)), the Mont du Lac à Moïse (942 m (3,091 ft)), the Mont du Gros Ruisseau (643 m (2,110 ft)), the valley of the Rivière du Gouffre and the territory at the centre of the Astroblème de Charlevoix. (updated Jan 2022)
• Hiking in the mountains La Chouenne, Le Pioui et le Gros-Pin. Year-round (in winter, wearing snowshoes or crampons is required). (updated Jan 2022)
• Hike at Le Boréal, La Chute, La Pinède, Les Pionniers, Le Pommereau, La Tour and Du Brûlé. Access to these hiking trails, from May 27 to October 10, 2022. (updated Jan 2022)
• Pêche sur glace (Ice fishing) (parking at the La Galette refuge at km 34.5 on Route 381), toll-free: +1 800-665-6527. Mid-December to end of March. Ice fishing is practised on Lac Étang-Malbaie. This activity is offered by the day to visitors and vacationers; the possession of a fishing right is obligatory. A park attendant drills holes through the ice. Ice fishing is also available on Lac Sainte-Anne, exclusively for guests staying at the Benjamin-Simard and Joseph-Girard rustic camps. (updated Jan 2022)
• Pêche sportive (Sport fishing), toll-free: +1 800-665-6527. (updated Jan 2022)
• Vélo (Biking). Mountain biking is popular. (updated Jan 2022)
• Canoë et Kayak. The large "water gardens" are accessible by canoe thanks to a 4-hour trip (round trip) from Lake Arthabaska to the Wabano dam. The rowers cross several aquatic environments sheltering a rich and diversified fauna and flora. The park offers a self-discovery guide (free) interpreting the wild environment of the place. The park offers boat rentals at the Mont-du-Lac-des-Cygnes Visitors Center (at km 21) or at the Arthabaska Discovery and Visitors Centre. Rowing enthusiasts can use their personal boat on lakes Étang-Malbaie, Turgeon, des Îles and Arthabaska. (updated Jan 2022)
• Surf à pagaie (Paddle surfing). From late May to mid-October. Of Hawaiian origin and designed for calm waters, the paddle board is a longer, wider and thicker design; consequently, it offers greater stability than traditional surfboards which are designed for waves. Paddleboarding combines surfing and kayaking. The activity consists of rowing with a paddle, standing on a large surfboard. Learning to balance is simple. Equipment rental includes board, paddle and personal flotation device. (updated Jan 2022)
• Rabaska. Rabaska excursions are carried out in small groups accompanied by a naturalist park warden. The park offers a program of guided discovery activities. The park also offers hourly rental of a rabaska, for a block of 4 hours or for the day. (updated Jan 2022)
• Escalade. Traditional type climbing is practiced in the park on the rock faces of:Mont de l'Ours (9 routes): approach trail accessible from the parking lot at the Mont-du-Lac-des-Cygnes Visitors Centre;mont Gros-Bras (25 routes): approach trail accessible from the parking lot at km 21 of route 381.Note: These walls are respectively accessible via an approach path. Compulsory right of access (self-perception terminal, Mont-du-Lac-des-Cygnes service center or at ). (updated Jan 2022)
• Via Ferrata. Mid-June to mid-October. With the partner Parcours Aventures, the Via Ferrata activity allows you to discover the rock face of the legendary Mont du Lac des Cygnes. The panorama and the effect of the heights are intoxicating. Hikers have access to two safe and equipped routes (beams, bridge, etc.) The ascent is made at the pace of each participant. Accompaniment of a professional guide in small groups of maximum 6 people. (updated Jan 2022)
• Ski nordique (Cross-country skiing) (access to the trails is via the Center de services Thomas-Fortin (km 31 of Route 381); or via Refuge La Galette (km 34.5 of route 381)). The Nordic ski trail in a spruce forest occasionally uses park roads. The trails are marked, however, they are not mechanically traced. Hikers can stop at Lac Pointu refuge no. 2, which is accessible every day, between 09:00 and 16:00. Hikers can rest there and take their meals in the shelter, near a wood fire. (updated Jan 2022)
• Snowshoe. The park offers 41 km of trails for snowshoeing. This sporting activity allows you to explore the snowy forest cover while observing the traces of wildlife. Refuge No. 2 at Lac Pointu, accessible every day, between 09:00 and 16:00, provides a beneficial break; snowshoers can take their meal in the shelter, near a wood fire, in the wild tranquility. Hikers can also take the Le Pioui trail, the Mont-du-Lac-des-Cygnes, the Gros-Pin and the La Chouenne trail; these paths offer a sublime landscape with a series of viewpoints over snow-covered valleys, rock faces and bare mountain peaks. (updated Jan 2022)

Sleep

In the summer season, the park offers fishing-camping packages (at the Pied-des-Monts and Arthabaska campgrounds) and fishing with accommodation (assignment among some sixty lakes, with a daily catch and possession limit).

Camping

• 1 Camping Le Pied-des-Monts, route 381, ☏ + 1 877 737-3783, parc.grands-jardins@sepaq.com. Du 21 mai au 10 octobre 2021. This campground offers 27 unserviced accommodation sites and 9 serviced sites with electricity. This campground also offers 17 ready-to-camp. Most sites can accommodate all types of equipment. Pets accepted. (updated Jan 2022)
• 2 Camping de l'Étang Malbaie, route 381 (accès via le chemin 3), parc.grands-jardins@sepaq.com. 

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Go next

• 1 Réserve faunique des Laurentides Wildlife reserve straddling the administrative regions of Quebec Region, Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean and Mauricie. It covers an area of ​​7,934 km² (3,063 sq mi). This wildlife reserve borders on the limit of Saint-Urbain.
• 2 Hautes-Gorges-de-la-rivière-Malbaie National Park This National Park exposes magnificent cliffs, a setting of high mountains and a strongly boxed valley which was shaped during the great glacial eras. This park is distinguished by its bucolic landscapes, the Malbaie River where visitors can paddle (by canoe, kayak or paddle serf), its riverboat excursions, its panoramic hiking trails of various calibers in the valley and in the mountains, its bike trails, its shop and a campsite surrounded by incomparable nature. The Acropole-des-Draveurs trail is one of the most majestic in the province, with a drop of 800 m. This park offers bicycle/kayak rentals, a gift shop and a restaurant serving local Charlevoix products.
• 3 Saint-Urbain (Quebec) A rural, forest and mountainous community, Saint-Urbain has a lot to offer in terms of recreational tourism (vacation, snowmobiling, ATV, mountain biking, hunting, fishing, hiking trails, picking wild fruits, observation of panoramas, flora and fauna). Nestled in the magnificent valley of the Rivière du Gouffre, tucked into the Laurentians, Saint-Urbain is the gateway to the Grands-Jardins national park and the Charlevoix hinterland.
• 4 Saint-Aimé-des-Lacs A locality offering plenty of recreational and tourist activities (resorts, fishing, nautical activities, Trans-Canada hiking trails and local trails in the Grands Monts sector, observation of the nautre, flora and fauna). Several organizations offer many services: the zec des Martes, the Pic-bois outfitter and the Hautes-Gorges de la rivière Malbaie national park. Among the main events, there is the Charlevoix triathlon, the Charleboix rodeo (end of June).
• 5 ZEC des Martres Controlled harvesting zone (ZEC) created in 1978 following the abolition of private hunting & fishing clubs on public lands. This territory of 424 km² (164 sq mi) and includes 219 lakes. This wild territory is suitable for hiking, quad/snowmobile rides, camping, hunting, fishing, as well as the observation of landscapes, flora and fauna.