The Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie National Park (, ) is a provincial park in the

Charlevoix Charlevoix ( , ) is a cultural and natural region in Quebec, on the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River as well as in the Laurentian Mountains area of the Canadian Shield. This dramatic landscape includes rolling terrain, fjords, headlands ...

region of Quebec, Canada. Centring on the

Malbaie River The Malbaie River in the Charlevoix region empties into the Saint Lawrence River at La Malbaie. Until 1985 the river was used to transport logs downstream. It flows through a steep valley known as Les Hautes Gorges. A sugar maple and American e ...

Gorge, it is the centrepiece of the

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

Charlevoix biosphere reserve. It is administered by the Société des établissements de plein air du Québec ( Sépaq). The park can be reached via a local road, northwards from Route 138 in

Saint-Aimé-des-Lacs Saint-Aimé-des-Lacs () is a municipality in the Capitale-Nationale region of Quebec, Canada. Saint-Aimé-des-Lacs is primarily dependent on vacationers and cottagers that support its tourism industry. History Settlement began in the 1820s, wit ...

. The park has a total area of and was created as a provincial park in 2000. The

Grands-Ormes Ecological Reserve Grands-Ormes Ecological Reserve (, ) is an ecological reserve of Quebec, Canada. It was established in 1994. The reserve is enclosed by Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie National Park The Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie National Park (, ...

is an enclave within the park. The park lies within the

Eastern forest-boreal transition Eastern or Easterns may refer to: Transportation Airlines *China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai * Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways *Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 192 ...

ecoregion An ecoregion (ecological region) is an ecological and geographic area that exists on multiple different levels, defined by type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and c ...

Description

This provincial park is represented by a deep valley in high mountains with steep walls over in height. There are many waterfalls and falls, the highest of which is , as well as many mammals typical of the boreal forest, including the

American marten The American marten (''Martes americana''), also known as the American pine marten, is a species of North American mammal, a member of the Family (biology), family Mustelidae. The species is sometimes referred to as simply the pine marten. The n ...

and the

Boreal woodland caribou The boreal woodland caribou (''Rangifer tarandus caribou''; but subject to a recent taxonomic revision. See Reindeer: Taxonomy), also known as Eastern woodland caribou, boreal forest caribou and forest-dwelling caribou, is a North American subsp ...

which frequent the isolated summits of the park. The park also encloses the

. At the heart of this valley, whose walls can reach up to in height, flows the

, frequented among others by the

Sea Lamprey The sea lamprey (''Petromyzon marinus'') is a parasitic lamprey native to the Northern Hemisphere. It is sometimes referred to as the "vampire fish". It was likely introduced to the Great Lakes region through the Erie Canal in 1825 and the Wel ...

as well as by the

Atlantic salmon The Atlantic salmon (''Salmo salar'') is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Salmonidae. It is the third largest of the Salmonidae, behind Hucho taimen, Siberian taimen and Pacific Chinook salmon, growing up to a meter in length. Atlan ...

. The park is managed by the Quebec government through the

Société des établissements de plein air du Québec The ''Société des établissements de plein air du Québec'' (, ''Quebec Outdoor Establishments Company''), also known as ''Sépaq'', is the agency of the Government of Quebec that manages parks and wildlife reserves. Sépaq falls under the auth ...

(Quebec Outdoor Establishments Society) (SÉPAQ). Fullsize - DSC03110 - 2 of 2

History

Canadians first visited the area in the 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 William Hume Blake (10 March 1809 – 15 November 1870) was an Irish-Canadian jurist and politician. He was the father of Edward Blake, an Ontario Premier and federal Liberal party of Canada leader, and the first Chancellor of Upper Canada. H ...

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

World biosphe reserve. In 2000, the government of Quebec officially opened the national park. * 1970: The first field surveys take place by the Ministry of Tourism, Hunting and Fishing to specify what a park project could be in the Hautes-Gorges. * 1975: Even if it is not yet a National Park in the legal sense, the Parc des Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie appears for the first time in the programming of the Ministry of Tourism, Hunting and some fishing. * 1977: An investment of $64000 is made there by the Ministry of Lands and Forests in order to build basic reception facilities. * 1979: While the

Laurentides Wildlife Reserve Réserve faunique des Laurentides (), also known by its former name of parc des Laurentides, is a List of protected areas of Quebec, wildlife reserve in Quebec, Canada, located between Quebec City and the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region. This r ...

is about to be created, the Ministry of Recreation, Hunting and Fishing gives up creating at the same time the Hautes-Gorges Park as expected since this would have increased the compensation costs to be paid to the logging company too much then benefiting from a forest concession which included these two parks. * 1983: The Ministry of Recreation, Hunting and Fishing announces its intention to create the Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie park during the Summit on the economy of the greater region of the Capital. * 1985: The last logging takes place in the Hautes-Gorges since the Ministry of Energy and Resources proceeds to the retrocession of the part of the concession of the Donohue company located in the park project. * 1996: The flood of July 19 (see Saguenay Flood) wreaks havoc in the park and it is closed for the rest of the season because its roads have become unusable. * 2000: Legal creation of the park by the Government of Quebec, thus becoming the 20th park of the Parc-Québec network. * 2017: On September 13, the park boundaries are extended by to reach .

Geography

The park is located in a mountainous environment, in the chain of the

Laurentian Mountains The Laurentian Mountains, also known as the Laurentians or Laurentides, are a mountain range in Canada. The range is long and ranges in height from with peaks over . The Laurentian Mountains extend across Labrador and Quebec within the Laurent ...

, more precisely in the east of the

Jacques-Cartier Massif The Lac Jacques-Cartier massif is a massif and the highest mountain range of the Laurentian Mountains, in the Canadian province of Quebec. Located between the St. Lawrence River and the Saguenay Graben, the altitude of its plateau varies between 80 ...

. The rugged terrain of the Hautes-Gorges structures the landscape of the park into five major physiographic units: * The high mountains: occupies the east of the park, over an area of , and includes most of the park's peaks, including the

Montagne des Érables The Montagne des Érables, also known as Mont des Érables (translation: ''Maple Mountain''), is a massif located in the Charlevoix-Est regional county municipality in the Charlevoix region of Quebec, Canada. It lies in the Hautes-Gorges-de-la- ...

, the

Mont Élie Mont may refer to: Places * Mont., an abbreviation for Montana, a U.S. state * Mont, Belgium (disambiguation), several places in Belgium * Mont, Hautes-Pyrénées, a commune in France * Mont, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, a commune in France * Mont, Sa� ...

and Mont Jérémie. * The Scott Lake plateau: with an area of , this plateau occupies the northern part of the park and its altitude is in the 750 class at . Flat or gently sloping areas are rare and mainly located in the depressions of Lac Scott and Ruisseau Blanc. * Vallée de la rivière Malbaie: as its name suggests, this unit includes the valley of the

as well as the peaks adjacent to it. This unit has an area of and crosses the park from side to side, in its center. The valley and its river are initially oriented north-south to become abruptly east-west in the sector aptly named L'Équerre. The lowest point in the park is located in this area on the southeastern border of the park where the topographic reading indicates an elevation of . * The West Plateau: With an area of , this unit is characterized by the altitude class 750 to , although the class 600 to also occupies significant space. A few summits over also exist there, particularly in the Porc-Épic lake sector. * Martres River Valley: located south of the West Plateau and east of the Malbaie River Valley, this fifth physiographic unit covers an area of . Its relief is the lowest in the entire park, around .

Recreation

Activities available in the park include

hiking A hike is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century. Long hikes as part of a religious pilgrimage have existed for a much longer time. "Hi ...

riverboat A riverboat is a watercraft designed for inland navigation on lakes, rivers, and artificial waterways. They are generally equipped and outfitted as work boats in one of the carrying trades, for freight or people transport, including luxury ...

cruises,

canoeing Canoeing is an activity which involves paddling a canoe with a single-bladed paddle. In some parts of Europe, canoeing refers to both canoeing and kayaking, with a canoe being called an 'open canoe' or Canadian. A few of the recreational ...

kayak ] A kayak is a small, narrow human-powered watercraft typically propelled by means of a long, double-bladed paddle. The word ''kayak'' originates from the Inuktitut word '' qajaq'' (). In British English, the kayak is also considered to be ...

ing,

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...

cycling Cycling, also known as bicycling or biking, is the activity of riding a bicycle or other types of pedal-driven human-powered vehicles such as balance bikes, unicycles, tricycles, and quadricycles. Cycling is practised around the world fo ...

, rabaska,

birding Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device such as binoculars or a telescope, ...

ice climbing Ice climbing is a climbing discipline that involves ascending routes consisting entirely of frozen water. To ascend, the ice climber uses specialist equipment, particularly double ice axes (or the more modern ice tools) and rigid crampons. ...

, and

camping Camping is a form of outdoor recreation or outdoor education involving overnight stays with a basic temporary shelter such as a tent. Camping can also include a recreational vehicle, sheltered cabins, a permanent tent, a shelter such as a Bivy bag ...

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

trail A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or a small paved road (though it can also be a route along a navigable waterways) generally not intended for usage by motorized vehicles, usually passing through a natural area. Ho ...

s totaling , including one that is long with an elevation gain. On these trails, hikers can reach the top of the

, the highest summit in the park, at an elevation of . The bike trail takes visitors through the gorge along the

, while a short hike leads to the (White Stream Waterfalls) 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.

Gallery

File:Laurentides (Parc des Hautes-Gorges, Charlevoix, Quebec).jpg, The

seen from the Acropole des Draveurs in the Parc des Hautes-Gorges File:Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie.jpg, Bottom of the valley of the

File:Malbaie lac.jpg, The Malbaie River not far from the dam File:Gélinotte huppée - Montagne des Érables 2018.jpg,

Ruffed Grouse The ruffed grouse (''Bonasa umbellus'') is a medium-sized grouse occurring in forests from the Appalachian Mountains across Canada to Alaska. It is the most widely distributed game bird in North America. It is non-migratory. It is the only spe ...

References

External links

Official website of the park
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Riviere-Malbaie National Park National parks of Quebec Protected areas of Capitale-Nationale