Bic National Park

Bic National Park

Located in the St. Lawrence Estuary, the Bic National Park is a peaceful; and relaxing territory of breathtaking sunsets, unique bays, coves, islands, mountains, and maritime breezes.  The park was established in 1984. This 33.2 square kilometres (8,200 acres) national park is located near the villages of Bic and Saint-Fabien, southwest of Rimouski.

Many species of seabirds come to nest in the park, and rare plants bloom on its rocky capes. Visitors are delighted by seals basing in the sun near the shore, by Raoul-Roy, Pic-Champlain and other pics.

Twenty-five km of laid-out trails reveal the great beauty of this coastal park and non laid-out walking area can be taken along the coastline. Biker can explore over 15 km of bike trails, several of which are suitable for the entire family. On the trails or in the mountains, the forests of the Bic Park are home to a wide variety of plant and animal life, which, with a little patience and caution, you can catch a glimpse of.

Biker can explore over 15 km of bike trails, several of which are suitable for the entire family.

In the spring, most birds of prey migrate from south of the Appalachians to the north. During their travels over long distances, the birds take advantage of the almost constant updrafts along the cliffs, such as Les Murailles, to preserve their energy. In the park, to the great pleasure of birdwatchers, the birds fly though a relatively narrow corridor near the Raoul-Roy lookout. From late March till early June, several thousand of these birds of prey fly over the lookout. Some fifteen species are counted every season, such as the Golden Eagle, the Northern Goshawk, the Osprey, the Red-tailed Hawk, the Rough-legged Hawk, the American Kestrel, the Sharp-shinned Hawk, the Peregrine Falcon and many others.

In the summer and early fall, seal watching is undoubtedly one of the park’s major attractions. Two seal species share the park’s haul-out sites. The harbour seal, also the park’s animal emblem, stays in the estuary year-round, while the grey seal arrives in about mid-July. Visitors can watch the seals from the shore. Also, seal-watching sessions with park warden-naturalists give tourists a chance to learn even more about their ways of life.

Bic National Park. Many species of birds come to nest in the park.

White-tailed deer are being spotted more and more often in the park. Several other species can also be seen, such as the fox and some small mammals.

In winter, guests can slide into their skis and explore over 20 km of ungroomed trails and discover less-travelled sectors. It is possible to take a break in the 2 warming huts: the Porc-Épic, located 1.2 km from the reception area, and the Pékan, 4.5 km from the reception area.

Bic National Park is typical of the southern coast of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, containing several characteristics of this region:  low-flow rivers, salt marshes (the marsh at Pointe-au-Spruce), rocky hills with a very steep northern slope and a relatively gentle southern slope (Pic Champlain, Citadelle, Cap-l’Original.)

Human occupation of Bic dates back almost 7,000 years, when Native Americans visited the site: the park’s interpretive center displays tools they left behind.

The park’s management was given to Société des établissements de plein air du Québec (SÉPAQ) in 1999, by the same act which established Bic as a National park.

Twenty-five km of laid-out trails reveal the great beauty of this coastal park and walking area.

On the trails or in the mountains, the forests of the Bic Park are home to a wide variety of plant and animal life, which, with a little patience and caution, you can catch a glimpse of. 

All the photos: V. Petrovskiy