Parc Regional de la Riviere du Nord

During wintertime, Parc Régional de la Rivière du Nord offers 14.4 km of winter trails, 17.2 km of cross country trails, a mini slope for sledding, and 19.3 km of snowshoeing trails in the forest. During summertime, it offers hiking and cycling trails, and nautical activities.

Why we love this park:

– Nearby Montreal, less than 45 mins drive
– Super nice scenery with the river rapids
– Simple trails, flat terrain, ideal for little hikers and beginners – circular and short trails
– Unique trails such as Sentier des Arts, a short trail with impressive wooden installations, Circuit Historique and Circuit Écologique – short trails with interpretation panels along the path

Canyon Sainte-Anne

Only 30 mins north from Quebec City, Canyon Sainte-Anne is a beautiful gorge, carved by the Sainte-Anne-du-Nord River with a drop of 75 meters waterfall. With three suspension footbridges and many overlooks, you will not miss a drop. The hike is circular, from the main entrance, along bridges, walking on both sides of the gorge, first downhill until reaching the bottom of the canyon and then climbing uphill. Other activities are available in the park, Air Canyon, a high-speed short and zipline experience, 90 meters above the gorge and also rock climbing – via Ferrata.

Parc des Chutes de Sainte Ursule Hike

Parc des Chutes de Sainte Ursule offers great lookouts of the Maskinongé river’s waterfalls. This 2km hiking trail allows you to walk along the waterfalls and to view an impressive 70 meters drop. The hike is considered an intermediate level of difficulty. Picnic areas and a kids’ playground will let you enjoy nature with the strong sound of the streaming water. 

Jacques​ Cartier National Park Les Cascades

The nicest Sepaq park in terms of scenery (out of the 9 we have visited so far), located in the Laurentian Mountains, 50km north from Quebec City.  This post is about our 4km loop winter walk “Les Cascades”, a relatively simple walk for families (difference in altitude about 40m). The walk is beside a stream (mostly frozen in the winter) and inside a forest, reaching a viewpoint of the Sautauriski mountain. The first part of the walk is along the Jacques Cartier River, starting at the Sepaq discovery and visitor centre (at km 10).

Parc régional de la Chute à Bull

This all-year trail is a super fun walk, about 1.9km return, part of the Parcs Regionaux MRC Matawinie. It is not suitable for very small kids as the trail during wintertime can be very slippery. There are about 90 stairs to reach the small waterfall. During our visit, it was mostly frozen and impressive to watch from close proximity. The trail is well maintained and has clear indications. Interpretive signs along the trail will explain the wood logging history of this region.

Val Jalbert

A must-see in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean area. This village is a great opportunity to learn about the history of the region. The village was created in 1901 with a purpose for one industry only, pulp and paper mill.  The location was ideal for this industry as the energy required to operate the machinery was produced by two waterfalls on the Ouiatchouan river. However, the village has been deserted in 1929 due to low demand for non-transformed mechanical pulp and is considered since a ‘ghost town’. With more than 70 original abandoned buildings still standing, the convent-school, general store and the post office, you can feel the sense of community this place once held.

Parc des Chutes Dorwin

Only 1 hour away from Montreal, you can find the streaming Ouareau River surrounded by forest trees. This regional park has few lookout points of the Dorwin waterfall and 2.5km of trails along the river with information points. This is a good place to take visitors – a nice viewpoint of the falls and a simple & relaxed walk in the forest (and of course so close to Montreal). 

Mauricie Lac Castor and​ Trembles waterfalls

Aux Berges du Lac Castor is a large resort located on the shore of Lake Castor. The resort offers many accommodation options along with a sandy beach and a wooden deck. Canoeing, 30km of hiking trails, playground, beach volley, petanque, BBQ grill – all part of the entry fee. We went there only for a few hours for a dip in the water and relaxation time before heading to see the beautiful Trembles waterfalls, less than 10 mins away by car.

Huron Wendat Museum and Kabir Kouba Waterfall

The place to learn about the Huron-Wendat First Nations history. Wendake is a reservation of the Huron-Wendat and is located in the La Haute-Saint-Charles borough of Quebec City. Just 30 minutes from Quebec City you will find this beautiful reservation, with a great walk to see Kabir Kouba waterfall and the Huron-Wendat Museum.

Desjardins waterfall hike Porte Ste Béatrix

I am happy to write about this hike as we were confused from the information about this walk when we first looked at it. Hopefully it will be easier to follow now.

This great park is totally worth the visit. It has three main entrances, Porte Ste- Béatrix, Porte St-Jean de Marta and Porte Ste-Mélanie. The Rivière L’Assomption crosses this park and offers three waterfalls which can be viewed from bridges. The walk – Sentier Desjardins which is described here is about 5km return.