Route des Monts Notre-Dame
Québec’s latest tourist route winds through the Notre-Dame Mountains, which were formed some 200 million years ago. From Sainte-Luce to Saint-Jean-de-la-Lande, nature lovers can admire landscapes of forests, fields and pastures dotted with lakes and rivers. Follow in the footsteps of the people who first settled this area in the 1930s and meet the proud and welcoming communities living here now.
In Sainte-Luce, go for a stroll along the St. Lawrence on the Promenade de l’Anse-aux-Coques boardwalk and then head south on Route 298 towards Domaine Valga in Saint-Gabriel-de-Rimouski. Located in an old-growth sugar maple grove, this site features a lovely log inn and offers treetop trekking as well as forest and lake activities.
Continue south on Route 298 and then head west on Route 234, which becomes Route 232. Follow the signs to Canyon des Portes de l’Enfer (Hell’s Gate Canyon) in Saint-Narcisse-de-Rimouski, where you can go hiking and cross the highest suspension bridge in the province of Québec!
Next, keep driving west on Route 232 to Esprit-Saint, where you can visit the Centre de mise en valeur des Opérations Dignité (a centre that commemorates protests against forced government relocations in the 1970s). Continue on to Route 296 to Saint-Michel-de-Squatec, which is the gateway to Parc national du Lac-Témiscouata. In the park, you can enjoy water activities on the region’s largest lake as well as hiking and mountain biking in the forest, archeology- and history-related activities, wildlife observation and more.
Keep driving to Domaine Acer in Auclair. This sugar bush is renowned for its alcoholic beverages made with maple sap. Join a guided tour to learn more about how maple syrup is produced and sample the exquisite maple products in the gift shop.
Next, take Route 295 to Dégelis. Located where the Madawaska River meets Lake Témiscouata, this town will delight nature lovers and those seeking relaxation: it offers a wide range of activities, including cycling, camping, water sports, swimming and more.
Finally, you will reach Saint-Jean-de-la-Lande near the New Brunswick border. This community is home to two large lakes as well as the only covered bridge left in the Témiscouata area, which was built in 1940.
