Québec Parks Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie
Perfect National Park for Hikers and Nature Lovers in the Charlevoix
Most people stay along the picturesque northern banks of the Saint Lawrence River when travelling through the Charlevoix region east of Québec City, which are beautiful in their own right. But they do not know what they are missing! Just a few miles north of La Malbaie at the mouth of the Malbaie River lies a nature wonderland for all those canoeists, boaters, hikers, leaf peepers and nature lovers who come to the area.
Getting to the National Park Les Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie
From the turnoff to Saint-Aimé-des-Lacs just a few kilometers north of La Malbaie on route 138 west, a drive through hilly country awaits the visitor which is especially beautiful in fall, when the leaves are turning in color. The route to the park alone turns into a memorable and unforgettable experience. After leaving the small village of Saint-Aimé-des-Lacs the road leads into mountainous countryside over some quite impressive hills offering views which grow better and better with every mile. A stop sign in the road directs cars to the visitor center, where every visitor to the National Park has to stop and pay his entrance fees. During the summer months shuttlebusses will take them into the park from here. But when visitors get there in fall they may be allowed to use their own vehicle.
Indian Summer is the best Time of the Year to visit the Park
Fall is the best season to visit the park since it is covered with deciduous forest and offers spectacular views of hillsides which glitter in all imaginable colors fall foliage can produce. Besides, this is the time when visitors can experience the park from their own car and they can drive along the road which leads through the valley of the Malbaie River to the second Visitor Center at the end of the tar road at their own pace.
Wide Range of Activities in the Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie National Park
From the second visitor center there are different options how to enjoy the deeper regions of the park: one can hike along mostly flat trails along the river's edge or - if visitors are more adventurous - climb uphill to enjoy a fantastic overview of the valley. If they enjoy water sports, they can rent a kayak or a canoe and paddle upriver to the quiet regions of the river, where they can watch out for the occasional beaver dam or even be lucky and view a black bear or a moose on the valley floor. And even if they are not very much into sports, they have an option to experience the beautiful river valley: they can just take the cruise which takes them upriver on a one and a half hour tour to one of the most impressive views the valley has to offer.
Thus the national parks offers something for everybody. More information on the park can be found online in the website of the Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie National Park.
Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie National Park
|
What do you think about this article?
More in Travel
Latest Articles