Anticosti National Park (French (official): ''Parc National d'Anticosti'') is a

provincial park Ischigualasto Provincial Park A provincial park (or territorial park) is a park administered by one of the provinces of a country, as opposed to a national park. They are similar to state parks in other countries. They are typically open to the ...

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

.Registre des aires protégées du Québec
, Ministère du Développement durable, de l'Environnement et des Parcs. It consists of 3 non-contiguous areas totalling of land in the centre of

Anticosti Island ; moe, Notiskuan; mic, Natigostec , sobriquet = , image_name = RiviereHuileAnticosti.jpg , image_caption = Salmon fisherman on Rivière à l'Huile , image_map ...

. It is organized into 6 tourist sectors and 1 central zone:''Parc national d'Anticosti - Park Journal 2008-2009 Edition'', Parcs Québec * Baie-de-la-Tour * Chicotte * Chute-Vauréal * Grotte-à-la-Patate * Observation * Vauréal-la-Mer * Zone centrale

History

The idea of creating a park on Anticosti Island goes far back. Already in the 1920s, the richness of Anticosti's flora was highlighted by botanist

Marie-Victorin Brother Marie-Victorin, F.S.C. (April 3, 1885 – July 15, 1944), was a Canadian member of Brothers of the Christian Schools and a noted botanist in Quebec, Canada. He is known as the father of the Botanical Garden of Montreal. Biograph ...

, who described the canyon of the Vauréal River as a "remarkable sanctuary" for ferns. But for the following decades, the entire island was privately owned by a succession of logging companies who invested little or nothing in environmental protection. In 1974, Anticosti Island was bought by the Government of Quebec and became public land once again. In 1987, the Regional County Municipality of Minganie officially incorporated the idea of creating a park in the Vauréal River area in its development plan. Thereafter, it took 14 years to complete the research, studies, planning, and public hearings. The Quebec government created the Anticosti National Park on April 26, 2001.

Park features

Natural attractions: * Vauréal Canyon and Waterfall - At the Vauréal Waterfall, the Vauréal River drops and then flows through a deep gorge. * Tour Bay (''Bay de la Tour'') - This bay on the north side of the island is noteworthy for its breathtaking seascape with huge cliffs surrounding the bay and excellent bird watching opportunities. * Potato Cave (''Grotte à la Patate'') - This cave is one of the longest caves in Quebec. It is named after the Potato River (''Rivière à la Patate'') which gets its name from a large granite

erratic boulder A glacial erratic is glacially deposited rock differing from the type of rock native to the area in which it rests. Erratics, which take their name from the Latin word ' ("to wander"), are carried by glacial ice, often over distances of hundred ...

shaped like a potato that is located at the river's mouth. * Brick River Canyon * Observation River Canyon Activities: * Hiking - of trails of various difficulty * Horseback riding * Sea kayaking * Guided tours Park amenities: * 2 Visitor centres with restaurant, gasoline, and equipment rental * Accommodation in inns, cabins, or campgrounds * Picnic areas

References

{{Protected Areas of Quebec National parks of Quebec Protected areas of Côte-Nord Anticosti Island Protected areas established in 2001 2001 establishments in Quebec