Set out to explore a magnificent 32-km hiking trail that runs along the banks of the Saint-Charles River, from its end at the Old Port to its source, the Lake Saint-Charles.

Observe a wide variety of bird and plant species, and take the time to rest in one of the many parks and historic sites lining the trail. While hikers reign supreme here year-round, cyclists and inline skaters can still enjoy nature in the city on the 4-kilometer paved section from early May through late October. This same section is maintained for walking and cross-country skiing in winter.

It was right where the Saint-Charles River meets the Saint-Lawrence River that Jacques Cartier spent his first winter on Canadian soil in 1535–1536. It is also where the Indigenous village of Stadaconé was built. This is why hikers will encounter, along one of the park’s sections, the Cartier-Brébeuf National Historic Site of Canada, as well as a waterfall and an exceptional canyon near the Wendake Indigenous Reserve.