Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie National Park

The Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie National Park is a provincial park in the Charlevoix region of Quebec, Canada. Centring on the Malbaie River Gorge, it is the centrepiece of the UNESCO Charlevoix biosphere reserve. Despite its name, it is not in Canada's national park system, nor administered by Parks Canada. It is administered by the Société des établissements de plein air du Québec (Sépaq). The park can be reached via a local road, 30 kilometers (19 mi) northwards from Route 138 in Saint-Aimé-des-Lacs.

Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie National Park
Parc national des Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie
IUCN category II (national park)
LocationLac-Pikauba, Charlevoix Regional County Municipality / Mont-Élie, Charlevoix-Est Regional County Municipality, Quebec, Canada
Nearest cityLa Malbaie
Coordinates47°56′00″N 70°31′00″W
Area224.7 km (139.6 mi)
EstablishedJune 28, 2000
Governing bodySEPAQ
www.sepaq.com/pq/hgo/fr/

The park has a total area of 224.7 square kilometres (86.8 sq mi) and was created as a provincial park in 2000.[1] The 9.2 km2 Grands-Ormes Ecological Reserve is an enclave within the park.

The park lies within the Eastern forest-boreal transition ecoregion.[2]

History

Canadians first visited the area in course of exploration of the Malbaie River only in the first half of the 19th century. In the beginning of the 20th century, commercial exploitation of the forest started, accompanied by timber rafting. At the same time, tourists started to frequent the area. William Hume Blake was one of the early tourists who repeatedly visited the gorge. On 13 September 1988, the regional park was opened. In 1989, it became part of the UNESCO Charlevoix World biosphe reserve. In 2000, the government of Quebec officially opened the national park.[1]

Recreation

Activities available in the park include hiking, riverboat cruises, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, cycling, rabaska, birding, ice climbing, and camping.[3]

There are three camp sites in the park, one of which can only be reached by canoeing or biking.

The park contains seven hiking trails totaling 32.9 kilometers (20.4 mi), including one that is 10.5 kilometers (6.5 mi) long with an 800 meters (2,600 ft) elevation gain. On these trails, hikers can reach the top of the Montagne des Érables, the highest summit in the park, at an elevation of 1,048 meters (3,438 ft).[4]

The 8 kilometers (5.0 mi) bike trail takes visitors through the gorge along the Malbaie River, while a short hike leads to the chute du Ruisseau Blanc (White Stream Waterfalls) 45 meters (148 ft) high, which is fed from one of the many high altitude lakes and suspended valleys.

Cars are not allowed in the park. There is a parking at the gate, where one needs to register and pay to get access to the park. From there, visitors may take a bus that will get them to some points in the park, and to the Draveur Service Centre.

See also

References
  1. "Portrait du parc". Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie National Park. 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2019.
  2. Olson, D. M, E. Dinerstein; et al. (2001). "Terrestrial Ecoregions of the World: A New Map of Life on Earth". BioScience. 51 (11): 933–938. doi:10.1641/0006-3568(2001)051[0933:TEOTWA]2.0.CO;2. Archived from the original on 2011-10-14.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. "Parc national des Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie - Parcs Québec - Sépaq". Retrieved 4 August 2014.
  4. "Montagne des Érables". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2 Aug 2014.
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