There are two Canadian national parks in the province of Quebec administered by the Canadian National Parks Administration. They are Forillon and La Mauricie, and we visited both. In addition to these two Canadian national parks, the province of Quebec also has its own provincial parks, which it also calls national parks. So the names can be confusing for the average visitor. Of the 25 provincial parks in Quebec, we visited two: Fjord du Saguenay and Parc de la Gaspésie.
In addition, we visited the historical site Forges-du-Saint-Maurice.
Forillon National Park is the most beautiful one we visited on this trip so far. It is a national park in Canada’s province of Quebec.
And so we logically extended our stay on its territory to 4 days. The weather also agreed with us. And we walked all the planned trails. The photo gallery of the trails is here:
Moreover, the park’s visitor center is simply amazing. It has literally breathtaking exhibits and video presentations. And the adjacent campground, Des Rosiers, is exactly to our taste. It offers everything we need – silence, privacy, safety, in addition to services such as water, dump, showers, etc., for an affordable price – 28.50 CAD per night. We left with a mix of excitement and sadness. Gallery of the Forillon visitor center, its surroundings, and campground.
Fjord du Saguenay Parc national is actually a provincial park in Quebec, not a national park in Canada. However, here in the province of Quebec, everything is a little different from the rest of Canada. It’s just that it’s very difficult to communicate in English. And the roads are of even worse quality than in other provinces. Anyway, we chose one part of this provincial national park to visit. A one-day stay in the park per person costs 10.10 CAD. There are enough parking spaces at each entrance. Unfortunately, it is not possible to stay overnight there. It was a part near Riviére Éternité. And there is a trail called Kapatakan. In addition, in the village itself, just outside the park border, there is a beautifully maintained park “des Artists” where not only overnight stays are allowed but also water, toilets, and other amenities are available, and everything is kept sufficiently clean and tidy.
The second part of the Fjord du Saguenay Park is located near the city of Tadoussac. From the daily parking lot there, we made a beautiful hike called the Pointe-de-l’Islet to the bay of the St. Lawrence River. We were again enchanted by the local fauna and the village’s picturesque setting, nestled in the bay.
In the provincial and thus Quebec national park of Gaspésie, we had planned to hike to one of its highest peaks, Mount Albert. We arrived at the visitor center and discovered the trail was still closed. There was a lot of snow on it. So we chose two other trails. The first was around the Saint Anne River and to its falls. It led directly from the visitor center.
Then we drove about 14 km along a gravel road to the second one.
This trail led to Ernest Laforce Peak, from which there was a 360° view of the park’s highest peaks. And here we got an extra bonus. Along the trail, we could observe a moose family resting on the cold snow and in a pit. For them, these high temperatures in June are unprecedented and hard to bear.
While waiting for the delivery of new tires and a new rim, we used the opportunity to visit La Mauricie National Park in the province of Quebec. The national park is located around the La Mauricie River, after which it is named. However, it is also interwoven with other rivers, streams, and lakes. There are dozens of kilometers of very well-maintained hiking trails in the park. A high-quality circular road runs through the park, less frequented and popular among cyclists. We stayed at the Riviére à la Péche campground. Although it was already mid-June, the campground was very sparsely occupied. So we once again enjoyed the peace, quiet, and shade of the forest where the campground is located, since summer temperatures had already set in here, too.
In addition to driving the entire scenic route, we chose to hike at Les Cascades on the Shewenegan River. As in every national park in Canada, there are many day-use parking lots at trailheads or viewpoints. The park is also very popular among kayakers due to its many interconnected lakes and rivers.
La Mauricie National Park Gallery
As we drove along the gravel sections of Highway 389 from the Labrador border, past the vast iron ore mining area in Quebec, we had no idea that we would also visit the place where the first ironworks were founded, not only in Quebec, but in all of Canada. It is the Forges-du-Saint-Maurice historic site, managed by the national parks. The ironworks were founded here by the Frenchman François Poulin in 1737. Production ended in 1883. The place is nicely landscaped, renovated, and the house called Ironmaster’s House has interesting exhibitions on three floors. Outside, there is a preserved water mill that was powered by a tributary of the Saint Maurice River. And as a bonus, there is a 1.5 km-long trail along the river. After leaving the place, the only question that kept bothering us was what ore mining looked like back then. Now there are large mining machines, railways, trucks… but back then?
For now, we are leaving the province of Quebec. Behind us is the last stop in the town of Percé, which seems to be a popular tourist destination. Mainly because of the rocky cliff and the nearby island. And although we had planned to visit the northeast of Quebec, we decided to skip it. The reason is Quebec’s terrible, poor-quality roads. It won the competition for the worst roads. We hope that no province will surpass it. We don’t want to completely destroy our little house on wheels, so we are leaving the province of Quebec, otherwise full of beautiful nature.
June 2025