Cap-Tourmente National Wildlife Area

This 2,308-hectare protected area is located in the municipality of Saint-Joachim on the north shore of the St. Lawrence, 50 kilometers northeast of downtown Quebec City. The Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area was created in 1978 to protect the bulrush marsh ecosystem used by migrating Greater Snow Geese. It has been designated a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention and an Important Bird Area (IBA).

Located where the Canadian Shield, the St. Lawrence River and the Appalachian Mountains meet, and at the confluence of the fluvial and middle estuaries of the St. Lawrence River, the Cap Tourmente NWA is made up of a variety of ecosystems, including intertidal marshes, coastal swamps, agricultural plains and forests, and is home to a wide diversity of plant and animal species. This protected area is home to some 180 species of birds every year, as well as 35 species of mammals, 21 types of forest stands and 700 species of plants.

The Cap-Tourmente NWA boasts 20 km of trails, including the 9.2 km Cime trail, which leads to lookouts and the Caps de Charlevoix trail. Activities permitted during opening hours include hiking, nature observation and picnicking in authorized areas, as well as farming and migratory game bird (waterfowl) hunting with permit and in designated areas.