Quebec is a large province that has a great deal of natural beauty awaiting visitors and photographers. In Quebec you can find powerful waterfalls, deep gorges and fjords, forests, wildlife, rock formations, and much more. On this page we’ll showcase some of the best places in Quebec for landscape photographers.
Each location covered in the article is also shown on the interactive map below. As you are planning your trip to Quebec, one thing to be aware of is that provincial parks (the equivalent to state parks in the US) are called “national parks” in Quebec. There are 3 true national parks that are managed by Parks Canada (Forillon, La Mauricie, and Mingan Archipelago). The others that you will see listed here are provincial parks managed by Sépaq, the Société des établissements de plein air du Québec.
Saguenay Fjord National Park (or Parc National du Fjord-du-Saguenay) is a beautiful park about a 3-hour drive northeast of Quebec City. It lies on the Saguenay River (Rivière Saguenay) adjacent to Saguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park. The fjord is more than 100 km long and up to 4 km wide. The cliffs reach as high as 350 meters. The park features more than 100 km of hiking trails and photographers love the amazing views.
Just north of Quebec City, Jacques-Cartier National Park (or Parc National de la Jaques-Cartier) showcases a beautiful glacial valley. It is in the Laurentian Mountains and along the Jacques-Cartier River. The Jacques-Cartier Valley is up to 550 meters deep, and quite picturesque. Plenty of hiking trails make it possible to see this amazing landscape and the abundant wildlife in the area.
Bic National Park (or Parc National du Bic) is in eastern Quebec along the St. Lawrence River. It is not a far distance from Saguenay Fjord National Park, but there is no quick way to drive between the two parks. About half of the Bic National Park is a coastal marine environment, with large populations of harbor seals and gray seals. The picturesque capes, bays, coves, and islands give photographers plenty to love.
Oka National Park (or Parc Natioanl d’Oka) is in southern Quebec, less than an hour’s drive from Montreal. The park features marshes and beaches on the north side of Lac des Deux Montagnes. The Calvaire d’Oka Trail is one of the highlights of this park, providing great views.
Mont-Tremblant National Park (or Parc National du Mont-Tremblant) is roughly a two-hour drive from both Montreal and Ottawa. This large park is bordered to the north by Rouge-Matawin Wildlife Reserve. At Mont-Tremblant National Park you’ll find six rivers and 400 lakes and streams, with plenty to photograph. You can canoe to see this park, or hike and catch some amazing river views.
To the north of Mont-Tremblant National Park is Rouge-Matawin Wildlife Reserve (or Réserve faunique Rouge-Matawin). The reserve includes The Rouge River and the Matawin River, plus several lakes. Fishing and hunting are major draws here, but the scenery is also worth a visit.
The Gaspésie or Gaspé Peninsula is in eastern Quebec along the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, extending into the Gulf of St. Lawrence. At the tip of the Gaspé Peninsula is Percé Rock (or Rocher Percé). This massive rock formation is a beautiful icon of Quebec. At low tide Percé Rock is connected to the mainland by a sandbar. The formation is more than 400 meters long and nearly 90 meters high.
Forillon National Park (or Parc National Forillon) is in eastern Quebec along the Gulf of St. Lawrence, on the outer tip of the Gaspé Peninsula. The park features beautiful coastal areas, salt marshes, forests, cliffs, and sand dunes.Wildlife in the park includes whales, seals, moose, black bears, foxes, and more. Photographic opportunities include Cap Gaspé, the rugged coast, wildlife, and some waterfalls.
Cap des Rosiers is the gateway to Forillon National Park, and home to a picturesque lighthouse. The lighthouse, cliff, and rugged coast make it an excellent location for photographing.
Plaisance National Park (or Parc National de Plaisance) is along the Ottawa River, about 60 km from the city of Ottawa. Here you will find beautiful bays, ponds, and marshes that are waiting to be photographed. The Zizanie-des-Marais Trail is a good place to photograph the landscape and birds.
La Mauricie National Park (or Parc National de la Mauricie) is about a two-hour drive west of Quebec City in the Laurentian Mountains. This beautiful park features more than 150 lakes and ponds and is bordered by the Saint-Maurice River and the Matawin River. The forests and water within and around the park provide for plenty of photographic opportunities. Access to the park is possible from Saint-Jean-des-Piles and Saint-Mathieu-du-Parc. Much of the park is best seen by canoe. There are several camping sites that are accessible only by boat.
The Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve (or Réserve de parc national de l’Archipel-de-Mingan) is in eastern Quebec, on the north shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Countless islands provide plenty of beautiful scenery. The park features impressive limestone monoliths formed by erosion. Wildlife includes whales, seals, and many birds. Most of the boat tours that make it possible to explore the park only run from June through September.
Montmorency Falls (or Chutes Montmorency) is just a sort distance northeast of Quebec City, where the Montmorency River drops into the St. Lawrence River. Montmorency Falls Park (or Parc de la Chutes-Montmorency) provides easy access to the impressive 80-meter waterfall. Many different views are possible here. There is a suspension bridge above the falls that connects both sides of the park. There are also stairs that give you different views. The volume of water is quite impressive, and the height is about 30 meters higher than Niagara Falls.
The Laurentides Wildlife Reserve (or Réserve faunique des Laurentides) is near Jacques-Cartier National Park and Grands-Jardins National Park. This large wilderness area is home to much wildlife, as well as picturesque scenery, including many lakes.
Grands- Jardins National Park (or Parc National des Grands-Jardins) Jacques-Cartier National Park and Laurentides Wildlife Reserve. The boreal forest and tundra of this park provide a beautiful landscape waiting to be photographed. There are over 30 km of hiking trails in the park. Mont du Lac-des-Cygnes offers a view of the Charlevoix meteorite crater and Vallée du Gros-Bras.
Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie National Park is northeast of Grands-Jardins National Park. The Malbaie River Gorge is the centerpiece of this park. There are more than 30 km of hiking trails, and a bus will take visitors to certain spots in the park (cars are not allowed in). The deep gorge provides plenty of awesome scenery in this park.
Mont Megantic National Park (or Parc National du Mont-Megantic) is in southeastern Quebec, not far from Vermont and Maine. It is adjacent to the Samuel-Brisson Ecological Reserve. An observatory is located at the top of Mont Megantic. Mont Megantic is the highest peak in Canada that is accessible by car, and is known for its dark night sky. More than 50 km of hiking trails provide access to plenty of beautiful scenery.
Gatineau Park (or Parc de la Gatineau) is home to the Wilson Mill ruins, next to a nice waterfall. The park is located northwest of Ottawa. To reach the ruins you can park in the O’Brien Beach parking lot and take the trail. The hike to the ruins is about 3 km round trip.
The Magdalen Islands in the Gulf of St. Lawrence are close to both Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia, but are actually a part of Quebec. The white sand beaches and rugged cliffs make this a stunning destination. The islands can be reach by ferry from Souris, Prince Edward Island and Montreal.
Quebec City is the capital of Quebec, and is located on the St. Lawrence River. This beautiful city features architecture that is very frequently photographed, including the Château Frontenac. The beautiful skyline and view from across the river make this a great place to photograph.
The places mentioned here are a great start, but there is still much more to see throughout Quebec. Please feel free to leave a comment and suggest other locations that should be added to this page. We’re planning to add descriptions and photos of the following locations:
Photo license links: CC BY-SA 3.0, CC BY 3.0, CC BY-SA 2.0, CC BY-ND 2.0, CC BY 2.0, CC BY-SA 2.5
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