Québec National Parks, one of the three magnificent Sépaq Networks

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	Conservation Mission

Mission Statement

The Parc national d'Aiguebelle was created to protect a representative segment of the Abitibi clay belt and one of its most remarkable features, the Abijévis Hills.

Natural Environment

Parc national d'Aiguebelle is representative of the natural region known as the Abitibi clay belt. The park has a variety of remarkable natural features, notably the Abijévis Hills, which include the highest point of land in the Abitibi region (570 m). Abitibi is a native word meaning "place where the waters divide". Indeed, the line separating the St. Lawrence River and James Bay drainage basins cuts right through the park. This explains why two lake trout populations in two lakes, only 1 km apart from each other, have evolved without any contact for the past 8,000 years.

The park's rocky basement dates back some 2.7 billion years and is composed of volcanic rock that formed on what was then ocean bottom. Park geological formations are a good example of the volcanic accumulation that helped build today's ocean floors. Some 20 volcano-related geological phenomena and a dozen or so glacial geomorphologic features are readily viewed in the park. The most spectacular, the stunning faults that now form lakes La Haie and Sault, are the most popular with visitors.

Forests in the park are relatively young as a result of a number of past fires. Pioneering second growth species include white birch, trembling aspen, black spruce, and jack pine. When you go hiking here, you can discover other species that are less common for the region such as white pine, black ash, yellow birch, and red maple. Here and there, the flames spared the trees, leaving mature forest intact, notably in the northern sector near Lac Loïs.

The park is also home to a wide variety of wildlife. Moose and beaver are abundant and otter, mink, porcupine, hare and fox are also common. The park's many lakes also attract numerous birds. Lac Loïs is notable for its ducks, herons, Osprey, loons and mergansers and, occasionally, a Bald Eagle. Find out more about the park's biophysical resources and wildlife.