Trisha Shetty (Editor)

Anticosti National Park

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Location
  
Quebec, Canada

Visitors
  
5500 (in 2009)

Area
  
571.9 km²

Province
  
Québec

Nearest city
  
Port-Menier, Quebec

Governing body
  
Sépaq

Established
  
April 2001

Phone
  
+1 800-463-0863

Anticosti National Park

Address
  
25 Chemin des Forestiers, Port-Mernier, QC G0G 2Y0, Canada

Anticosti National Park (French: Parc National d'Anticosti) is a provincial park of Quebec, Canada. It consists of 3 non-contiguous areas totalling 572 square kilometres (221 sq mi) of land in the centre of Anticosti Island.

Contents

It is organized into 6 tourist sectors and 1 central zone:

  • Baie-de-la-Tour
  • Chicotte
  • Chute-Vauréal
  • Grotte-à-la-Patate
  • Observation
  • Vauréal-la-Mer
  • Zone centrale
  • History

    The idea of creating a park on Anticosti Island goes far back. Already in the 1920s, the richness of Anticosti's flora was highlighted by botanist Marie-Victorin, who described the canyon of the Vauréal River as a "remarkable sanctuary" for ferns. But for the following decades, the entire island was privately owned by a succession of logging companies who invested little or nothing in environmental protection.

    In 1974, Anticosti Island was bought by the Government of Quebec and became public land once again. In 1987, the Regional County Municipality of Minganie officially incorporated the idea of creating a park in the Vauréal River area in its development plan. Thereafter, it took 14 years to complete the research, studies, planning, and public hearings. The Quebec government created the Anticosti National Park on April 26, 2001.

    Park features

    Natural attractions:

  • Vauréal Canyon and Waterfall - At the Vauréal Waterfall, the Vauréal River drops 76 metres (249 ft) and then flows through a 90 metres (300 ft) deep gorge.
  • Tour Bay (Bay de la Tour) - This bay on the north side of the island is noteworthy for its breathtaking seascape with huge cliffs surrounding the bay and excellent bird watching opportunities.
  • Potato Cave (Grotte à la Patate) - This 625 metres (2,051 ft) cave is one of the longest underground caves in Quebec. It is named after the Potato River (Rivière à la Patate) which gets its name from a large granite erratic boulder shaped like a potato that is located at the river's mouth.
  • Brick River Canyon
  • Observation River Canyon
  • Activities:

  • Hiking - 45 kilometres (28 mi) of trails of various difficulty
  • Horseback riding
  • Sea kayaking
  • Guided tours
  • Park amenities:

  • 2 Visitor centres with restaurant, gasoline, and equipment rental
  • Accommodation in inns, cabins, or campgrounds
  • Picnic areas
  • References

    Anticosti National Park Wikipedia