Canyon Sainte-Anne

The Sainte-Anne-du-Nord river drops seventy-four metres into a narrow gorge cut through Precambrian granite, and the site is arranged around getting close to it: three suspension bridges cross the canyon at different levels, the highest about sixty metres above the water, with staircases and platforms down the walls. The rock is around one and a quarter billion years old. Potholes ground into the granite by trapped stones are visible along the walls. A via ferrata and zipline operate for those wanting more. The falls are strongest in spring melt and after rain, and thin considerably by late summer.

What you actually see

• The seventy-four metre fall - the main drop into the granite gorge.
• The three bridges - suspension crossings at different heights over the canyon.
• The potholes - cylindrical hollows ground into the granite walls.
• The billion-year rock - Precambrian granite exposed through the gorge.

When to go

May to October; the site closes for winter. Spring melt in May gives the strongest flow and by August it can be much reduced. Autumn colour in the gorge is good.

Honest expectations

Closed roughly November to April. Flow drops noticeably in late summer. The route involves many stairs and the bridges move underfoot.

Nearby

Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré lies west; Mont-Sainte-Anne is close.