Grands-Jardins National Park in Quebec, Canada - map and visitor information

Research checked: 2026-10-24. Check linked official notices before travel.

Parc national des Grands-Jardins brings northern-looking forests, mountain terrain, and lakes into Québec's Charlevoix region. Sépaq operates this Québec national park. Choose the Mont-du-Lac-des-Cygnes or Arthabaska sector before setting out. Their roads, visitor-center seasons, and campground reception arrangements differ.

Highlights of the Grands-Jardins landscape

• Open black-spruce woodland and lichen create a landscape associated with much farther northern latitudes.
• The Mont-du-Lac-des-Cygnes area provides views toward the Charlevoix impact structure and surrounding valleys.
• Lakes, forest routes, and seasonal interpretation offer alternatives to a summit-focused day.

Choose a sector and service season

Fees, hours, and seasonal access

Use the sector access and service information for the current schedule. A closed reception building does not establish that every trail is closed or that all services remain available.

Prepare for a colder mountain environment

The park's climate is colder and wetter than surrounding lower areas. Plan your clothing and turnaround time for the route and forecast. A comfortable temperature in a nearby town does not establish conditions on a summit.

Choose the current designated route with staff guidance or the official map. Do not infer an open trail from a general year-round park description.

Protect slow-growing vegetation

Remain on the designated paths. Leave lichens, plants, and rocks in place. Do not feed wildlife. Dogs are restricted to authorized locations, and recreational drones are prohibited.

Match camping to its reception point

Reserve your overnight stay through Sépaq and check the selected campground's instructions. Pied-des-Monts and Étang-Malbaie visitors use Mont-du-Lac-des-Cygnes for reception and supplies. La Roche and Arthabaska visitors use the Arthabaska center.

Check separately for paid equipment, guided activities, or seasonal rentals. Park admission does not reserve one of these services.

Arrive from Route 381

Route 381 links the approaches from Saint-Urbain and La Baie. The Mont-du-Lac-des-Cygnes visitor center is at kilometer 21. For Arthabaska, leave Route 381 near kilometer 31 for Route 60 and follow the official park map to the center.

The office at 25 Boulevard Notre-Dame in Clermont handles administration. It is not the mountain trailhead or the Arthabaska campground entrance.

Other Charlevoix and fjord road stops

Parc national des Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie is approached through Saint-Aimé-des-Lacs. Parc national du Fjord-du-Saguenay's Baie-Éternité sector is reached from Rivière-Éternité on Route 170. Check their current trail and sector restrictions before adding either to a road itinerary.

Explore the mountain and lake sectors

Mont-du-Lac-des-Cygnes is a difficult 8.6 km round-trip hike with about 480 m of ascent. It starts at the kilometer-21 visitor center. For a shorter option, Le Gros-Pin is a 2.1 km easy loop from the Pied-des-Monts campground area at kilometer 19 of Route 381.

In Arthabaska, Le Boréal is an easy 3.4 km return walk. The official trail table distinguishes these routes. Its route characteristics do not prove that a trail is open today; check current conditions before departure.

Arthabaska provides a different base for lake-oriented exploration and seasonal equipment rental. Winter visitors can plan snowshoeing or Nordic skiing when the designated routes operate. Confirm the specific activity and approach before relying on a summer map.

Two centers with different roles

The centers provide information, small stores, and seasonal supplies. Equipment rental is associated with Arthabaska. Both visitor centers offer access for people with reduced mobility; that does not imply that every mountain route or campsite has the same access.

Plan around the correct building's opening period if you need supplies or staff assistance. Buy your access authorization before travel or use the designated self-registration arrangements when available.

About Parc national des Grands-Jardins

From private clubs to public conservation

Québec established conservation-park protection in 1981. Before that, the area had a long history of Indigenous use, private hunting and fishing clubs, and forestry. Club La Roche began in 1890. Traces of former logging and fishing activity remain part of the park's cultural landscape.

Boreal forest animals

Spruce grouse are associated with the park's northern forest character. Moose, black bears, beavers, and other mammals also use its varied habitats. Watch without following animals off the path or trying to attract them.

Contact the Grands-Jardins team

Call 418-439-1227 for sector and stay information. The official park discovery guide introduces the landscape and interpretation themes.