Québec National Parks, one of the three magnificent Sépaq Networks

Français

1-800-665-6527

	Conservation Mission

Mission Statement

The mission of Parc national de la Jacques-Cartier is to ensure the conservation and the development of a sample of territory representative of the Laurentian Massif north of Québec City, as well as an exceptional element, the Rivière Jacques-Cartier. The park makes this territory accessible for purposes of education and outdoor recreation.

Natural Environment

The Parc national de la Jacques-Cartier allows visitors to explore the Laurentian Massif, a vast mountainous plateau with gently rolling topography, interspersed with deep notches, at the bottom of which are rivers whose waters range in temperament from calm to wild.

The most spectacular of these, the Jacques-Cartier Valley, cuts so deep that it has created a microclimate on the valley floor where yellow birch and sugar maple grow alongside the black spruce forests.

This surprising ecological diversity is also the reason for the rich and varied plant life, notably, the presence of Québec's three great cervids; the caribou, the moose and the white-tailed deer. Mammals typical of a boreal forest are also present, such as grey wolves, red foxes, lynx, black bear, otter, porcupine and beaver. More than 100 species of birds may be observed in the park, including the barred owl and spectacular osprey.

The park's cold, oxygen-rich rivers and lakes are an ideal habitat for speckled trout. The trout also share the Jacques-Cartier and Sautauriski rivers with Atlantic salmon, who have returned to the park after a century of absence. The Arctic char (red trout), which inhabit certain lakes, is another particularity of the Parc national de la Jacques-Cartier.