I often go to the Montérégie region as I have family members who live on the south shore of Montreal. Last weekend, I decided to take advantage of a trip through the region to stop at a place I had never been to before: the Pointe-des-Cascades Nature Park.
In fact, until recently, I had never heard of this place (even though it is located not far from Highway 30, on which I drive quite regularly). I didn’t even know Pointe-des-Cascades, the small village where the park is located. When I also learned that you could snowshoe there in winter, I promised myself that I would stop there the next time I had to go to the area.
From Highway 30, you have to follow the Soulanges Canal to its eastern end. At the very end of the point, where the Ottawa River and the St. Lawrence River meet, is the nature park. The trails seemed very quiet to me when I arrived there, and I was looking forward to exploring this park for the first time!
The Pointe-des-Cascades Nature Park includes approximately 6 kilometres of trails which are used for hiking in summer, and for snowshoeing and fat biking in winter. With the freezing rain of the previous days, the trails were more icy than snowy, and I decided to wear crampons for my hike.
As soon as I arrived, I was struck by the tranquility of the park… and by its maritime side! From the shore, I could see a sailboat stuck in the ice, and at the very end of the pier was an old lighthouse marking the eastern entrance to the Soulanges Canal.
I decided to start my hike with the trail that follows the shore, Les Faucilles trail. This trail gave me a good overview of what this hike would offer me: wide and easy to follow trails, a very quiet forest, and several benches to enjoy the landscape and the tranquility of the place.
I particularly liked a trail called Le Bout du Monde (The End of the World), which leads to a small island, which is accessed via two small metal bridges. Even if from the island you can see the Highway 30 bridge in the distance, the completely icy landscape could almost make me believe that I had reached the end of the world.
The trails are generally well marked, and I liked their original names. I followed a loop combining the Les Faucilles, La Borne and La Carrière trails, but before leaving the place, I also followed the Belvédère trail. As its name suggests, this trail located at the top of an embankment (I had to climb an icy staircase to get there), gives access to a look-out, from which you can see the Soulanges Canal.
The Soulanges Canal played an important role in the development of navigation and the expansion of maritime commerce in Canada. Opened in 1899, the canal allowed ships to bypass a series of rapids on the St. Lawrence River, and to continue on their way towards the Great Lakes. The canal was considered a technological feat, since its locks and swing bridges were electrified.
The increase in the size of ships eventually spelled the end of the canal and it ceased to function with the opening of the current St. Lawrence Seaway in 1959. The place is now listed as a historic monument of Quebec.
Maybe it’s because of my long hike along the Rideau Canal in Ontario, but I have a soft spot for old historic canals and I really enjoyed learning about the history of this one. A bike path runs along the canal over its entire length (23 kilometres). This might be a project for next time!
In short, I left Pointe-des-Cascades enchanted. There is nothing I love more than exploring beautiful trails for the first time, and learning more about the history of a place!
C’est magnifique
Merci!
Avec plaisir et au plaisir de continuer de vous lire 😌
It looks absolutely magical in the blanket of snow, what a lovely walk!
Yes! Even if it wasn’t sunny, the snow made everything feel so peaceful! 🙂
Looks like a scenic park to enjoy in the winter with all that snow. It looks very peaceful and quiet.
It was indeed very peaceful and quiet, which was surprising to me considering this park is located in the suburbs of Montreal. Thanks for reading 🙂
I love the lighthouse and being able to read this from a warm, cozy spot 🙂
Hahaha, I understand you! Although, I will not complain, winter has been pretty mild so far. January and February can get very cold up here, but it hasn’t been the case so far! 🙂
Thanks for the tour, been a long while since I have hiked through snow and ice. It sure I could do that now, the numerous layers of clothing I would need could be a problem. Hot and humid is more my style now.
I totally understand! Although we are having a pretty mild winter so far (usually, it is way colder at this time of the year), so you might actually find the weather bearable 🙂 Although, we are still far from the hot and humid!
This park is very beautiful, the first photo really got me! Such a familiar sight in Michigan with trucks and fishing shanties on the ice. I would love to have a good look at the old locks too. grteat post, Vanessa! ❤️🇨🇦☺️
I can see this being a familiar sight in Michigan! I love that time of the year where rivers and lakes are frozen and the landscape is so peaceful. Thanks for reading, John! 🙂
You’re very welcome, Vanessa. I’ve experienced that quietness more than once and it’s incredible. All I could hear is nothing. Wow. Life in a northern town…
Even though the weather is cloudy, it seems to add to the look of this place. Love the first picture especially. Maggie
I agree, the cloudy helped making everything feel so peaceful and quiet. Thanks for reading, Maggie! 🙂
This looks like an interesting place to hike, but I am with you Vanessa. Hiking on icy trails is seldom fun. It is the same here as the melt continues. 1 step forward, 2 steps back. Happy Saturday. Allan
I agree with you! It’s been an odd winter here so far, with not much snow, a lot of freezing rain and mild temperatures. The trails are still enjoyable so far though. Happy Saturday to you too!