Summer and Fall Ecotourism Activities and Excursions in Québec City

Vallée-Bras-du-Nord 

Vallée Bras-du-Nord, Philippe Jobin

Located an hour outside of Québec City, Vallée Bras-du-Nord has endless options for playing outside. There’s hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, canoeing, canyoning, and even a via ferrata, all in a park with an ecotourism certification from Québec Aventure Plein air.

The park has been run by a co-op since 2002 and is often cited as one of Québec’s finest examples of ecotourism for its eco-friendly practices and approach to sustainable development. It’s also part of the 1% for the Planet network. The mountain valley is a patchwork of private and public (crown) land, so ensuring harmony between the different communities and users and the environment is a priority.

The co-op also runs a workforce reintegration program that gives struggling young adults the opportunity to work in nature. As part of the program, some 300 youth have helped the park build trails over the past 20 years.

Jacques-Cartier National Park

Parc national de la Jacques-Cartier, Mathieu Dupuis

Located 30 minutes from Québec City, Jacques-Cartier National Park is home to over 100 km of hiking trails in one of the most beautiful glacial valleys in the province. The outdoor experiences in this vast SEPAQ park take visitors far from the beaten path.

In the summer and fall, there’s kayaking, canoeing, river rafting, SUPing (stand-up paddleboarding), and even inner tubing on rivière Jacques-Cartier. There are also miles and miles of hiking trails along the river and through the mountains. Plus, there’s an easy, low-impact way to get to the park from Old Québec: a shuttle run by Quatre Natures.

As with all of Québec’s national parks, Parc de la Jacques-Cartier was created to give people a better appreciation of the natural area and a chance to connect with nature, all according to the SEPAQ model of sustainable development.

Parc de la Chute-Montmorency 

Sépaq - Parc de la Chute-Montmorency

Crashing down from a mind-boggling height of 83 metres (272 ft.), Québec’s Montmorency Falls are also in the province’s SEPAQ park network. In the summer, visitors can hike above, below, and beside the falls to enjoy the refreshing spray and gaze in awe at the power of nature.

For an extra adrenaline rush, there’s a via ferrata along the rockface beside the falls and a zip line that goes flying right past it! To explore the history of the site, there are also guided tours. The park is even more spectacular in the fall when the leaves turn bright shades of orange, yellow, and red. The falls are so close to the city centre that it can be reached by bike and by bus.

The park recently obtained a Biosphere certification for its sustainable practices and for upholding its commitments to the planet. Visitors are encouraged to reduce, reuse, and recycle, and the park has implemented a range of energy-efficient solutions.

Guided excursions and activities create unique opportunities to connect with locals and discover the region through their eyes. After all, sustainable tourism is also about increasing the positive impact of our stay on local communities.

In terms of guided outdoor activities, some companies offer excursions that are safe and fun for everyone and take the environmental impacts of adventure tourism into account. Quatre Natures, an official member of the Leave No Trace Canada community and a Québec Aventure Plein air ecotourism-certified business, takes visitors out rafting on the Montmorency River in the summer, has guided hiking expeditions in Parc national de la Jacques-Cartier and sea kayaking excursions around Île d’Orléans.

The Québec City area also has activities for people with limited mobility. Some attractions are partially or fully accessible and there are also a few options for guided outdoor excursions.

Québec’s Old Town is like an open-air museum! Guided walking tours and biking tours give visitors a chance to dive into Québec’s storied past and provide the perfect opportunity to be an ecofriendly tourist. Of course, exploring Old Québec on a self-guided tour can also be pretty fun. All it takes is a good pair of walking shoes! Whatever the tour, be sure to include some of the many parks perfect for enjoying nature in the city, like the Plains of Abraham.

The greater Québec City area is home to a vibrant, authentic Indigenous community that’s open and welcoming to visitors. A trip to the Huron-Wendat museum can be a good place to start.

For an immersive experience, we recommend staying at Hôtel-Musée Premières Nations. Be sure to catch one of the storytelling evenings in the long house and take part in one of the unique workshops and activities on offer.

@eliane.outdoors

Using green transportation to get to major attractions and choosing activities that don’t involve a car are two great ways to limit the carbon footprint of any trip. To make it easy, Québec City has an e-bike sharing service called àVélo for trips around the city. Just be sure to pack a helmet!