Parc national du Bic

Bic protects a stretch of the lower St. Lawrence where the shore breaks into capes, bays, islands and coves, with the water salt and the tides substantial. Grey and harbour seals haul out on the rocks at low tide in numbers, and the Cap-Enragé sector has a viewpoint above one of the main sites; sunsets over the water are the park's other draw. Porcupines are common and often seen in the trees. Trails run along the shore and over the capes, and the park is small enough to walk much of in a day. Kayaking among the islands is popular in settled weather.

History

People have lived at Bic for almost 7,000 years, and the park's interpretive centre displays tools from that time. No French seigneur settled here, but from 1759 an English lord named Campbell did, a pilot station worked on Bic Island opposite the park until it moved to Pointe-au-Père in 1905, and at the end of the 19th century English families built cottages and country houses here, among them Lyman Cottage, Feindel Cottage and Wootton House, which still stand inside the park, created in 1984 (Wikipedia, Bic National Park).

The landscape

• The seal haul-outs - grey and harbour seals on the rocks at low tide.
• The capes and coves - a broken shoreline of headlands and small bays.
• The porcupines - commonly seen in trees along the trails.
• The sunsets - the park's reputation on the lower St. Lawrence.

When to go

June to September; seals are present through the season and easiest at low tide, so a tide table helps. The park runs winter activities with reduced access. Autumn colour is good.

Practical notes

Seals are on rocks at a distance and binoculars matter. The park is small and busy on summer weekends. Camping books ahead.

Nearby

Rimouski lies east; Kamouraska is southwest.

Key facts