Grands-Jardins National Park — Hotel in Lac-Pikauba

This grading is not a reflection of the park itself but the way we were treated. We drove over 1200 miles to see the park after years of planning. Our first stop was at the Mont-du-lac-des-Cygnes visitor center. They told us that the shortest hike will take about three hours and the altitude along the trail changes by about 250m. We realized that this is not for us because of health reasons. They however mentioned that there is a trail in the Le Boreal area that is a short 1.4km hike on a relatively flat ground. As we were planning to leave, they asked for park access fees even though we didn't go to the hiking trail. In any case, they said we can pay at the Le Boreal visitor center. We drove to Le Boreal visitor center which is about 20km away and asked about the trail at the visitor center. They showed it on the map and also said that there are no trees along the trail to provide any shade. The weather was not cooperating; it was about 90F with bright sun. We saw people at the parking lot putting on sun tan lotion as they were heading to the trail. We decided to abandon the idea to hiking. At that point, they said we must pay CA$9.55 plus tax per person anyway for park access fees which we paid and left the area.

Overall, we had make two round trip "hikes" in the park from the parking lot to two visitor centers for a total of about 6 minutes! There is nothing at the visitor centers except for a small souvenir shop. We saw people hanging around at the souvenir shop and leaving; nobody asked them if they paid park access fees. We also saw people parking their cars in the parking lot and heading to the trailhead right away- there was nobody to check if they have paid park access fees. Overall, our whole experience was nothing short of an harassment rather than enjoying the park.

In any case, if you are not a hiker, just drive along the highway QC-381 from Baie Saint Paul to La Baie, which runs through the park. This will be your best option to enjoy the park which I would grade as 5 stars on a scale of 5.

A quick note- if you plan to drive in the Charlevoix region, make sure that you get a good car. The roadway is hilly with steep uphill-downhill segments, and there are many areas where roadway grade changes by as...

I did La Chouenne two times during my day visit (not for good reason, keep reading) and for a rather easy trail, the views were surprisingly amazing! Definitely a must if you're at this park! The second time i did it was a couple hours before sunset, and I had the summit all to myself! Although, I do feel kind of ripped off. I purchased my day pass ($9) and had a little list of hikes I was hoping to do. But after completing La Chouenne, I was told I would have to purchase a pass from "ZEC" to do the other trails in the park that I had on my list.

It's too bad the National Parks in Quebec are not also operated under Parks Canada. I find Sepaq parks to be very inconsistent, unsophisticated, and they are under NO circumstances catering to ANYONE who does not speak french. If you came here and were unable to read french well, it could be very dangerous. No signage in english either on the roads through the park...

One of the best national parks in Quebec. The level of cleanliness for the size and busy-ness of the park is outstanding. Staff are knowledgeable and provide great friendly service.

Tried the ready-to-camp for a few nights, it was extremely convenient and spacious. Open views of the landscape are available for most campsites, most sites have a radio/noise limitation :(, but the upside is quiet and calm views. A drawback is the camping areas tend to be isolated from the hikes and picnic spot. Though there are a lot of things to in the camp areas too (swim/kayak/canoe/trek). Things tend to be pricey in the park, so make sure to stock up in the city before heading in.

There are a number of great hikes and views in this park, lots of different photo opportunities and experiences to be had. Don't forget to be mindful of the ever...