Grands-Jardins National Park

Grands-Jardins holds taiga and lichen barrens that belong a thousand kilometres further north, growing here because of altitude, thin soil over the Canadian Shield and a fire history that favoured lichen over forest; the white caribou lichen carpets the ground, which is what gave the park its name, the great gardens. A caribou herd was reintroduced in the 1960s and has struggled since. Mont du Lac des Cygnes at nine hundred and eighty metres is the main climb, about four kilometres and four hundred and fifty metres of gain, ending on bare summit with the Charlevoix crater laid out below. The park sits inside that meteorite structure.

What you actually see

• The lichen barrens - white caribou lichen carpeting the ground.
• The arctic taiga - northern vegetation growing far south of its usual range.
• Mont du Lac des Cygnes - a summit climb over the Charlevoix crater.
• The caribou - a reintroduced herd, small and under pressure.

When to go

June to October for hiking; autumn colour in late September contrasts strongly with the lichen. The park is open in winter for skiing with limited services. Summits are cold and exposed.

Honest expectations

The summit trail is steep in its upper half. The caribou herd is small and sightings are unlikely. Weather on the barrens changes fast and the ground offers no shelter.

Nearby

Baie-Saint-Paul lies south; Hautes-Gorges is east.