Top 3 Gorges in Québec

Maskinongé River flows through forests and rolling countryside in the Mauricie region before eventually reaching the St. Lawrence River, carving the rocky gorge that shapes Sainte-Ursule Falls Park. From this picnic area viewpoint, you can look out over a long stretch of the fast moving river framed by forest, with beautiful views toward the gorge. The picnic tables set among the trees make it an easy place to pause and enjoy the sound of the water away from the main waterfalls.

Sainte-Ursule Falls Park is a picturesque spot nestled where the Maskinongé River cascades through a series of seven waterfalls over a dramatic rocky gorge, with a total elevation drop greater than that of Niagara Falls. There are forested hiking trails, long boardwalks and suspension bridges that wind through mixed woodland, wetlands, and conifer forest, leading to several lookouts and a 20-metre observation tower overlooking the falls and river valley. Once an important forestry site, the park now offers a peaceful setting for walking, nature viewing, and enjoying the sound and power of the waterfalls.

From the upper wooden walkway in the Sainte Anne Canyon you have a fantastic view of the Sainte-Anne-du-Nord river with the rapids just before the spectacular waterfall. It is worth a visit even when it rains. The canyon is open from May to October.

The Sainte-Anne Falls are 75 m high, 15 m higher than Niagara Falls. The water flow varies greatly throughout the year, reaching 100,000 litres per second in April and May, while in August/September it only reaches 10,000 litres. The river has its source in over 30 lakes located in the huge Laurentides Wildlife Reserve. After 90 km, it flows into the Saint Lawrence River at Beaupré.

The Rivière-à-Mars is a tributary of the Saguenay Fjord in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean administrative region in the east of the Canadian province of Quebec. This part is easy to hike and is very wild and really worth seeing. The Rivière-à-Mars rises in the Laurentian Mountains in the Laurentides Wildlife Reserve. From there it flows in a predominantly northerly direction. It takes in the Rivière à Mars Nord-Ouest on the left. Shortly before reaching the town of La Baie, which is part of Saguenay, it flows through a 700-meter-long gorge. It then turns east-northeast, flows through the center of La Baie and finally flows into the Baie des Ha! Ha! on the south bank of the Saguenay Fjord. The Rivière-à-Mars is 129 kilometers long. It drains an area of 660 square kilometers. To the east, its catchment area borders that of the Rivière Ha! Ha!, which also flows into the Baie des Ha! Ha!. To the west is the catchment area of the Rivière du Moulin, which flows into the Rivière Saguenay in Chicoutimi. The average discharge of the Rivière-à-Mars is 14 cubic meters per second.