The trail follows the Ouiatchouan River for 30 km, between the historic village of Val-Jalbert and the Ermitage Saint-Antoine du Lac-Bouchette. There are several viewpoints from which you can see numerous rapids, as well as Maligne and Ouiatchouan Falls. The 72-metre-high river, which flows into the pulp mill, is magnificent. The route winds through a mixed forest, with some trees over 100 years old. We’ll pass over mountains offering, among other things, a panoramic view of Lac Saint-Jean.
At the halfway point, two refuges offer interesting shelter, while bivouacs can be set up at certain points along the trail.
The access points at the ends allow you to hike the entire 30 km of the Ouiatchouan trail. A central access point allows shorter hikes. These include the 20 km sentier des Draveurs section, from Saint-François-de-Sales to Val-Jalbert, and the 10 km sentier des Portageurs section, from Saint-François-de-Sales to Ermitage Saint-Antoine de Lac-Bouchette.
Two other circuits offer shorter hikes. Le sentier de Philomène, a 6 km loop through mountainous terrain, starting from the Val-Jalbert campground. The Sentier du Flâneur, an easy 5 km loop starting from the Ermitage Saint-Antoine du Lac-Bouchette.
In the Innu language, Ouiatchouan means “white broth rapids”.
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