Lac Saint Jean & Girardville

After the bigger cities of Montreal and Sherbrooke,  I high tailed it north 300+ kilometres to get some outdoor wilderness action. Plus, in our line of work, it is important to research and confirm the tourism hot spots. And Lac Saint Jean-Saguenay region is a hot spot. Just the nuimber of campers and RVs on the road is a good indication.

The drive was a welcome relief – I saw forest of trees again, the traffic become very manageable, the mountains began to grow, and the lakes and rivers were clear blue with no garbage on their shores. Traveling Canada I cannot understand why we, as humans, litter so carelessly. The cross Canada trip has made me very conscious of air, water and land littering.

I eventually pulled into the Lac Saint Jean region and quickly got myself a local map of the area. Did you know you have to visit the community to get a local map. The neighboring villages do not stock maps of other villages. Which sucks for me, as I have to go to each village first to get a local map and then plan from there. Another change up in tourism when in Quebec and Ontario.

To my surprise the region was made up of many small villages – most under a 1000 population. The villages are scattered along the shores of Lac Saint Jean – all connected by the lake, rivers and the 200+ kilometre Highway 169 and the Veloroute des Bleuets (biking trail). Both, bike and vehicle routes, circle the lake.

The region is allot bigger than I thought.. hmm.. looks like I will have to stay longer than anticipated – ah shucks.

Girardville

I took  a few days to circle the lake visiting the main villages and scouting some of the smaller ones. Along the circle route I found the following larger communities were the major gathering spots for adventure, accommodations and sightseeing – Alma (east side of lake), Dolbeau Mistassini (north side of lake), Mashteuiatsh (First Nation village on west side of lake), Roberval and Saint Felicien (both on the west side of lake).

Not to say there were not smaller villages with adventures and unique accommodations because many of the smaller villages are jumping off points for adventures like backpacking, dog sledding, mountain biking, hunting, cross country skiing, etc. One smaller village which caught my eye immediately was Girardville. Hmmm..  a village after my own heart per say.

During my exploration it was obvious pretty quick what the attractions of the area are. Every where I turned there were cyclists enjoying the Veloroute des Bleuets.  In almost every village were marinas with boats, sailboats, kayaks, cruises and tours. And anytime, the road came close to the lake you could see that there were some wicked sandy beaches. One which was 7 kilometres long.

Lac Saint Jean Beaches

Unfortunately after a few trips to the beach I was disappointed to learn that many of the sandy beaches are like gated communities with paid admissions…  or they are operated by resorts and provide access to guests only. I found it weird since the tourism book said they are public beaches.

My persistence paid off as I found a few beaches open to the public. One beach in Dolbeau Mistassini was a score as it fronted white water rapids. I took some time to walk the rocks, wade out on the river and get as close as I could to the rapids.

The main congestion of life on Lac Saint Jean in in the Roberval and Saint Felicien villages.  They are only a stones throw apart. In the middle of the villages, sitting on the shores of Lac Saint Jean,  was the First Nation village of Mashteuiatsh. Along the waterfront of the village were some First Nation structures and a waterfront promenade. (Main BLOG photo). The waterfront is a popular spot for a rest when cycling the Veloroute des Bleuets.