Bic National Park
| Bic National Park | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | Quebec, Canada |
| Nearest city | Rimouski |
| Area | 33.2 km2 (8,200 acres) |
| Established | 7 Nov 1984 |
| Visitors | 166,450 (in 2005 [1]) |
| Governing body | SEPAQ |
Bic National Park is an 33.2 square kilometres (8,200 acres) national park of Quebec, Canada, located on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, near the villages of Bic and Saint-Fabien, southwest of Rimouski. It was founded on October 17, 1984, and is home to large populations of harbor seals and gray seals. Its highest point is Pic Champlain at 1140 feet. Slightly less than half of the park is a coastal marine environment.
The park is owned by the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks of Quebec. It is managed by the Société des établissements de plein air du Québec (SÉPAQ).
Bic National Park is typical of the southern coast of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, containing several characteristics of this region:
- low-flow rivers (la rivière du Sud-Ouest)
- 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'Orignal, etc)
History
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. No French lord came to live here during the period of New France, but after the Battle of Quebec in 1759, an English lord named Campbell settled there.
In the decades that followed, a maritime pilot post was established at Bic Island, opposite the park. It remainded there until 1905, when it was officially transferred to Pointe-au-Père. The pilots had meanwhile settled on the banks of the St. Lawrence River, where they undertook subsistence farming.
At the end of the 19th century, several English villagers built cottages and country huses in the area of the park. Many of these homes are still in good condition today, although ownership has passed to the park. One can can find Lyman Cottage, Feindel Cottage, and Wootton House on the shores of Anse à l'Orignal (on le Chemin du Nord trail).
From the late 1970s, preparations began to allow the formal establishment of the park, in 1984. The park's management was handed over to Société des établissements de plein air du Québec (SÉPAQ) in 1999, by the same act which established Bic as a National park.
Hikes
| Trail | Length | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| Le Contrebandier The Smuggler |
Template:Km to mi | Easy |
| Le Miquelon | Template:Km to mi | Easy |
| Les Escaliers The Stairs |
Template:Km to mi | Difficult |
| La Pinède The Pinewood |
Template:Km to mi | Difficult |
| Le Scoggan | Template:Km to mi | Intermediate |
| Le Sentier archéologique The Archaelogical Trail |
Template:Km to mi | Easy |
| Le Chemin-du-Nord The North Road |
Template:Km to mi | Easy |
| Le Pic-Champlain The Champlain Peak |
Template:Km to mi | Intermediate |
| Les Murailles The Walls |
Template:Km to mi | Difficult |
| La Citadelle The Citadel |
Template:Km to mi | Intermediate |
| Les Anses The Handles |
Template:Km to mi | Intermediate |
Bicycle Trails
| Trail | Length | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| Le Portage The Portage |
Template:Km to mi | Easy |
| La Grève The Strike |
Template:Km to mi | Easy |
| La Pointe-aux-Épinettes Spruce Point |
Template:Km to mi | Easy |
| La Coulée | Template:Km to mi | Intermediate |
References
- ^ "Communiqué de presse: Québec investit 1,55 M$ dans la région du Bas-Saint-Laurent" (in French). Ministère du Développement durable, de l'Environnement et des Parcs. 2008-08-13. Retrieved 2010-07-22.
- This article was initially translated from French wikipedia
External links
48°20′31″N 68°48′14″W / 48.342°N 68.804°W
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