Attractions and activities
Attractions in and around St-Mathieu-du-Parc
The municipality of St-Mathieu-du-Parc boasts dozens of lakes and a forest unique in the province. Nature lovers will be delighted by the many hiking trails on offer. You can canoe or kayak on any of the lakes. Motorboats are banned from almost all lakes, so the water is clean and the atmosphere absolutely calm. All our accommodations are located just 10 minutes from the magnificent National Park.
“Halfway between Montreal and Quebec City, the Mauricie National Park is a jewel and a majestic site in the province. It has more than 150 lakes and dozens of hiking trails.”
The riches of La Mauricie National Park
Close to Saint-Mathieu-du-Parc, less than 10 minutes from your accommodation, the fantastic Parc National is a sure bet for a change of scenery and ecotourism. Its wealth of plant and animal life will leave you breathless.
is home to 150 lakes of all sizes and attributes. Small bog lakes, with their dark, acidic waters, are found at higher altitudes, while large, clear lakes abound in the valleys. Hikers will love seeing, hearing and smelling the multitude of streams and small rivers that cascade through all these bodies of water. A complex network that joins the Matawin and Saint-Maurice rivers at the end of the trail. Just far enough south to receive a canopy of hardwoods, La Mauricie National Park boasts 30 species of trees and a hundred or so groups of vegetation; over 90% of its surface is forested. Sugar maples and yellow birches dominate sunny slopes and earthy soils, while pine, fir and spruce dominate escarpments and wetlands. To the north of the park, the boreal forest awaits.
The fauna is typical of the forests of Eastern Canada. Some fifty mammals live here: ungulates (including the majestic moose), carnivores (e.g. bear, lynx, wolf and fox), rodents (hares, beavers, squirrels, otters, etc.), chiropterans such as the brown bat and insectivores such as the grey shrew. The food chain here is complex, but representative of forest environments with a good supply of aquatic biotopes. You’ll find weasels, martens and pekans, as well as 19 species of amphibians and reptiles. You may also see a specimen of one of the most northerly populations of wood turtle.
To date, 211 bird species have been observed “in the park”, 124 of them breeding. Winged communities vary according to the physiognomy of the forest cover and the hydrographic network. Coniferous zones are home to abundant ruby-crowned kinglets, black warblers, solitary thrushes, wandering grosbeaks and slate juncos. Ruffed grouse, blue jays, black-capped chickadees, purple finches and thrushes are easy to spot in mixed forests. Crowned warblers, black-throated blue warblers, tawny thrushes, red-eyed vireos, woodpeckers and spotted woodpeckers are also frequently seen in deciduous areas. As for the birds of prey living in La Mauricie National Park, only two of the twelve species listed are easy to spot: the common buzzard and the osprey. At night, however, you’ll often hear the calls of the barred owl and the great horned owl.
Visitor activities at
Saint-Mathieu-du-Parc and in the Mauricie region
The spectacle of La Mauricie National Park’s forest ecosystem is an attraction in itself for all nature lovers, whatever the season. In addition to hiking in the forest, with or without a guide to interpret the natural environment, a host of other activities are available: canoe-camping, cycling, mountain biking, fishing, swimming, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and more. All this wonderful playground is just a few minutes from our facilities. The Parc Récréforestier is a jewel, offering a different kind of nature to the Parc National, but just as enchanting. Dogs are allowed. If you’re a mountain biker, you’ll be charmed by all the possible sites and the quality of the trails created and maintained by regional mountain bikers.
Canoeing / kayaking and fishing
In addition to forays on the St. Lawrence, which are possible under certain tide and wind conditions, paddlers can enjoy real water marathons in the Mauricie region, notably on the Saint-Maurice River, on the large Lac Mékinac or on the tormented Lac Wapizagonke, located in the heart of La Mauricie National Park. There’s also the Lac Saint-Édouard ecotourism park in Haute Mauricie, the rivière Batiscan park, navigable for 15 kilometers, and the small Lac Sacacomie in Saint-Alexis-des-Monts. Also in this area, further north, you’ll find Réserve faunique Mastigouche, where you’ll find a stirring wilderness atmosphere. Closer by, in Saint-Paulin, the Rivière du Loup unveils cascades and sporting waterfalls. Numerous adventure centers and packages (one-day, multi-day, group, camping, etc.) await you this summer.
Hiking
Of course, La Mauricie National Park is a major hiking destination, with 180 kilometers of trails. Long-distance hikers will appreciate the Sentier laurentien (several days’ walking). That said, with its 45 km of belvederes, magical panoramas and its Amphitheatre in the Heart of the Forestthe Saint-Mathieu-du-Parc ecoforest park is a winning option. Beginners and experts alike will love the invigorating scenery in Saint-Narcisse’s Parc de la rivière Batiscan, where there are also “geocaching” circuits (GPS-assisted treasure hunts in the forest). From Shawinigan to La Tuque, dozens of hiking sites are available, with trails patrolled until autumn.
Road and mountain bikes
A ton of great biking trails are right on our doorstep. The Route des Lacs offers a change of scenery, greenery and beautiful paved roads for cyclists of all levels. You can access it directly from our accommodations. Mountain biking, either at Parc Récréoforestier or Mont Saint-Mathieu, you won’t be disappointed! Top 10 most beautiful roads in Mauricie or Mountain biking in Mauricie
Cross-Country Skiing
There are 18 beautiful, easily accessible spots dotted around Mauritius. These include Club de Plein Air le Huard in Saint-Mathieu-du-Parc, Le Baluchon cross-country ski center in Saint-Paulin, Parc de l’île Melville in Shawinigan, Club de ski Le Sillon in Saint-Tite, Club de ski de fond Le Geai bleu, in Sainte-Thècle and many more.
Wildlife Observation
Feathered or furry, sheltered or wild, from foxes to great blue herons, many animals can be seen in the Mauricie region, whether at the zoo nature de Saint-Édouard-de-Maskinongéthe Ferme bisonnière in Saint-Prosper-de-Champlain or the Domaine de la Forêt perdue in Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Carmel. For an even more intense experience, black bear, moose, beaver and wolf sightings in the wild are second to none. In Saint-Mathieu-du-Parc, Excursions du Trappeurs offers 90-minute guided immersions.
Autumn colors
In autumn, Quebec’s forests take on flamboyant hues of striking beauty. Europeans who visit us in the Mauricie region at this time of year are never disappointed. Once again, La Mauricie National Park offers fantastic panoramic views, equally enjoyable from the road that circles it (if you opt for a drive). Must-see sites include the Le Passage lookout, with its breathtaking view of Lake Wapizagonke, the Île-aux-pins lookout and the Lac-Bouchard lookout (Saint-Jean-des-Piles).
Swimming
In addition to swimming pools, wave pools (the biggest in Quebec is in Trois-Rivières), giant water slides and water games, the Mauricie region offers natural swimming spots (campsites, parks, etc.), with beautiful brown sand beaches. These include Domaine familial Grosleau at Lac-aux-Sables, Station touristique Floribell at Saint-Élie-de-Caxton and Camping Plage Baie Martin at Lac-des-Piles. As at Lac Édouard and Lac Weber Falls (La Mauricie National Park), the water is crystal clear.
Maple Products
In Saint-Mathieu-du-Parc itself, a sugar shack offers its products year-round, as well as information on the production process and tours of its facilities. Just a few minutes from the village, the sugar shack owners will welcome you with a smile.