When we decided to explore the best parts of Quebec, we immediately picked the Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean region as our starting point. The obvious reason was that neither Derek nor I had ever been there, even if we’ve lived here our whole lives. Another reason was that this place, in the middle of Northern Quebec, is one of the most beautiful in the province, especially when you consider that the Fjord du Saguenay resembles the amazing fjords and sounds of New Zealand.
Whether you have lived in Quebec your whole life, or if you’re just going on a road-trip around the province, we hope that these recommendations about the best things to do in the Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean region will get you excited to explore this amazing part of Quebec.
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Where is the Sageunay-Lac-St-Jean Region?
The Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean area is located north of the St-Lawrence river, and contains the Saguenay Fjord, the estuary of the Saguenay River and stretches all the way to the lake bearing the same name: Lac St-Jean. Fun fact: With a land area of 98,712.71 km2 (38,113.9 sq mi), the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean is the third-largest region of Quebec, after the Nord-du-Québec and Côte-Nord regions.
The lake (Lac Saint-Jean), as well as the Saguenay River not only mark the landscape of the region, but they have also driven the major historical developments of the area, which we’ll get into later. There are about 275,000 people living in the whole region (about 3% of Quebec’s total population), but expect those numbers to go up in the summer, as the Saguenay region becomes a tourist hotspot.
We can’t blame people for flocking to the region – it has so much to offer in beautiful landscapes and nature, but also, in culture. So here are the best things to do in Saguenay Lac-St-Jean
The 12 best things to do in Saguenay Lac-St-Jean in the summer
Rain or shine, summer or winter, there are always a ton of amazing things to do in the Saguenay Lac-St-Jean region. Here is our list of the top 12 things to do in the summer in Saguenay Lac-St-Jean:
1. Bike around the Lac St-Jean in the summer
This is probably the most popular thing to do for cyclists (and hikers alike), especially in the warmer spring and summer months. The Véloroute des Bleuets bicycle circuit, or the Blueberry Route, is a bike path that circles Lac-Saint-Jean. It’s a lengthy 256-kilometer pathway that crosses 15 municipalities and stretches from the estuary all the way up and around the lake.
There are many starting points for this route, and different companies who will carry your bags for you from one destination to the next. The full route can be done between two and five days, depending on your skills and physical condition. But don’t let this be a daunting task for you. You can easily decide to bike the path for any distance you’d like. You can also decide to walk on the path, as it is a multi-use path.
Expect to see a ton of beautiful landscapes along the way, passing through some of the quaintest towns in the region. And if you’re in the right season, expect a ton of blueberries to eat!
2. Chill on the many beaches of the Lac-St-Jean in the summer
Remember how we said that the Saguenay Lac-St-Jean region becomes super popular in the summer. This is why! The Lake St-Jean offers amazing beaches all around the lake. Most of the cities around the lake have municipal beaches that are free to chill out on.
We were staying in Chambord, with the closest beach being Park Point Scott with its municipal beach (we didn’t get much sun, so the beach wasn’t as popular as it would have been). But these beaches are everywhere. You can find a full list of them here.
3. Visit the historic ghost town of Val Jalbert
As photographers, we love discovering abandoned places. You can really get some cool pics in ghost towns. That’s the main reason we wanted to visit the ghost town of Val Jalbert in the Saguenay Lac-St-Jean region. However, we were worried that it would be a very touristic experience. Luckily, it was not. It was actually one of the places we loved the most in the whole region.
The village of Val Jalbert was founded in 1901, after the Compagnie de pulpe Ouiatchouan was also founded. The whole reason this village was created was for the families of the workers of the pulp mill. You can learn the history of this village by visiting the ghost town.
Entrance to the site costs around $30-35, and it’s also possible to sleep in the village. Certain historical homes have been renovated to house visitors overnight. There is also a campsite a few meters away from the historical village. This is where we stayed during our visit to the region. Sleeping at the campground gets you a discount on your entry ticket.
The beginning of the site’s visit seems a little touristic, but as you go deeper into the village, the visitors seem to dwindle down. By the end of the visit, we were left admiring these abandoned homes all by ourselves, which was great! It really made the whole ghost town vibe more eery, and we loved it.
You can also choose to visit the site by hopping on the guided tour trolleybus. It runs daily starting at 10:10 am, and the last ride is at 4:15 pm. Other attractions on the site are the immersive show, the general store, the restaurant (where you can eat a set menu at dinner, just make sure you reserve beforehand), and the lighting of the waterfall at night.
You also have people dressed ‘in character’ dispersed around the site – they tell you anecdotes about the village, inviting you to visit certain historic places like a family home, the convent-school, and the post office. They only speak French, and to be honest, their jokes and ‘animation’ is kind of cheesy. You’re not really missing out on much if you don’t see them.
Overall, we do recommend visiting the historic town of Val Jalbert. It’s a perfect way to spend about 2-3 hours of your day! Make sure you bring your mask. It’s mandatory to gain access to the village. You’ll be asked to wear it in all the homes and historic places you enter.
4. Check out some of the coolest museums in the area, a great thing to do on a rainy day in the Saguenay Lac-St-Jean
The Historic Village of Val Jalbert is a part of a museum circuit called the ‘Circuit des amusées‘. It’s a grouping of 10 museums that are dispersed around the Lac-St-Jean. There are an additional 12 other historic places that are adjoining to the circuit that you can also visit. If you happen to have a rainy day while you’re in the area, these places are a great way to discover the history of the area, while keeping warm and dry!
The list features some really cool places like Parc de la caverne du Trou de la Fée, where you can visit the only hibernaculum cave in Quebec and the tremendous Metabetchouan River canyon. Or the Musée amérindien de Mashteuiatsh where you can learn the history and culture of Pekuakamiulnuatsh, the only Innu First Nation in the Lac-Saint-Jean region.
Regardless of what you’re into, this list of 22 sites to visit is surely enough to keep you busy on a rainy day in the Saguenay Lac-St-Jean area.
5. Hike the Sentier Ouiatchouan over a few days in the Saguenay
If you’re looking to fully escape humanity for a 2-3 day hike, we recommend you check out the Sentier Ouiatchouan. It’s a 30-km linear hiking trail that goes connects Lac Bouchette to Val-Jalbert in the Lac-Saint-Jean area. The trail is rated as being difficult, and warns that you’re sure to run into some wildlife, so make sure you’re well-equipped if you choose to hike it.
There are many entrances to the Sentier Ouiatchouan – The south end of the trail is near L’Ermitage Saint-Antoine in Lac-Bouchette. The north end of the hike is in the campground of Val-Jalbert, a few kilometers west of Chambord. The trail can also be accessed 12 km north of Lac-Bouchette by following Rue Bouchard west from Saint-Francois-de-Sales.
If you don’t want to hike the full 30km, you can opt to hike parts of the trail. Although the trail is free to hike, there are donation boxes to help the team maintain the trails. And make sure not to miss the beautiful waterfall that bears the same name as the trail.
6. Check out the Ouiatchouan waterfall while in the Saguenay region
Visible from the Historic Village of Val Jalbert, this waterfall is a must if you’re in the area. The best way to access it is by the Val Jalbert campground. From there, you have to start hiking the Ouiatchouan trail. After about 20 minutes on the main trail, you will see a sign that points toward the waterfall.
Walking down a path, you will find yourself at the bottom of this impressive waterfall. To truly appreciate and feel its power, we highly recommend you head down to the trail and get a closer look. Just be warned, you will get wet. This is one powerful waterfall!
7. Explore one of the many national parks in the Saguenay Lac-St-Jean
If you’re looking to get out and explore a national park while you’re in the Saguenay region, you’re in luck! There are actually 4 Sepaq national parks in the Saguenay region. Each offers you something different in terms of landscape, wildlife, and activities.
Near the Lac St-Jean, you have Pointe-Taillon national park, known for its sandy beaches and cycling paths, which are linked to the Veloroute des bleuets. Next, you have the Saguenay fjord National Park with its impressive hikes, amazing fjord landscapes. Just note that the Fjord-du-Saguenay national park has sites on either side of the Saguenay river. This is the national park we got to explore, and we loved it!
You also have the Centre Touristique Lac Kenogami, a huge lake with 136 islands and a shore made of fine sand. And finally, there is the Monts-Valin national park. This park looms 984 meters high and dominates the landscape of the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region. It’s known for its water activities like fishing or swimming, as well as its impressive hiking trails.
No matter what you’re looking for, one of the national parks in the Saguenay Lac-St-Jean region is sure to be a perfect fit for you!
8. Eat all the Saguenay blueberries when in Lac-St-Jean in the summer
The Saguenay region is renown all across the province of Quebec for being the producer of the best blueberries. Something about the soil and the weather here make it that the blueberries here are the just the right amount of sweet! If you’re looking to feast on some Saguenay blueberries, know that the best season to get them is from the beginning of August until the beginning of September.
You can find farmers that allow you to pick your own fruit, or find places that harvest the blueberries and sell them to you in many shapes and forms in their stores.
If blueberries aren’t your thing, that’s ok too! The region actually produces a lot of other berries in the summer months. If you’re more into strawberries, the best time to go is from the end of June until mid-July. Haskap berries are fresh from mid-June until the end of July, and raspberry season is from mid-July until the end of August. So no matter what month of the summer you head to the Saguenay region, you’re sure to find a berry for you!
9. Eat amazing local food in the Saguenay lac-St-Jean area
From amazing fine dining to great breweries, the Saguenay region has really stepped up its game in terms of culinary experience. If you’re looking to try some delicious food from the region, or taste the specialty beers in the area, the Saguenay has you covered.
The spot that stood out to us, and that we highly recommend you visit, is Kao chocolaterie. We loved stopping by here on our way to Anse-de-Tabatière in the Fjord-du-Saguenay national park. Not only was the owner super nice, but their chocolates are out of this world! Ethically sourced chocolate that is then transformed into delicious treats.
Luckily for us, they even had a vegan option (a basil chocolate infusion!) for Carine. Plus, all their chocolates are so beautiful, you ALMOST feel bad eating them… but then again, they’re so delicious that you can’t help yourself!
10. Check out the different cities in the Saguenay region
Driving down from the Lac St-Jean region to the Fjord du Saguenay national park, we had the pleasure of stopping in Chicoutimi. For so long, we have heard of places like Chicoutimi, Jonquière, Saguenay, and never had the chance of going. Luckily, we needed to stop for food, so we checked out these towns. There are so many beautiful places along the coast and beautiful vistas to take in.
We didn’t have a ton of time to explore the cities, but we will be back to check out everything they have to offer next time!
11. Catch an epic sunset on the water
Ok. So we’re going to be honest here. We didn’t actually end up catching an epic sunset as we had planned. Sometimes, Mother Nature just doesn’t like to cooperate… and that’s ok. We will be back for an epic sunset sometime soon!
Here are some places you can catch a beautiful sunset, as per the locals of the area. The Alma Marina and the Roberval Marina are said to be beautiful spots to see the sunset. We also heard that the Anse-de-Tabatière viewpoint in the Fjord-du-Saguenay national park and the Government Wharf are perfect spots too. We tried on many occasions to see the sunset but just got cloudy skies instead… Hope you have better luck!
12. Go camping in the Saguenay Lac-St-Jean area
The road trip we went on was actually a full out camping trip. Fourteen days of living in a tent, with the bare minimum. We loved it, even if it rained half the time we were out there!
We actually camped in two different locations in the Saguenay Lac-St-Jean region. The first spot was in Chambord. We stayed at the Val Jalbert campground. This campground is associated with the ghost town, which is awesome because it gives you a discount to visit the historic village. Another reason we loved it was because of its prime location on the Ouiatchouan river. Certain campsites were right on the water, and the hiking trail and the waterfall were steps away from the campsite.
The next spot we camped in the Saguenay Lac-St-Jean region was at the Fjord-du-Saguenay national park. Another great Sepaq park. We were in the Baie Eternité area and loved the easy access to some of the best hikes (and best views) of the fjord.
When is the best time to visit the Saguenay Lac-St-Jean?
Well, the obvious answer here is the summer! That’s when the weather is the warmest and nicest, and you’ll be able to have the freshest fruit, enjoy the beaches and get as much hiking in as possible. But there is a risk that there will be more people around.
From June to August, expect big crowds, especially in July. However, if you go at the end of August, or early September, the crowds diminish significantly, but the weather is still nice and warm. We were there in mid-September and it was a great time to go to the Saguenay region – no crowds and pretty good weather!
The 12 best things to do in Saguenay Lac-St-Jean in the summer
Here’s a quick recap of the best things to do in Saguenay Lac-St-Jean in the summer:
- Bike around the lake
- Go to the beach
- Visit the ghost town
- Check out the many museums
- Hike the long trail
- Check out the waterfall
- Explore a national park
- Eat blueberries
- Eat amazing local food
- Check out one of the cities in the Saguenay region
- Catch an epic sunset on the water
- Go camping
We hope you enjoyed this list of amazing things to do in the Saguenay. It’s really a beautiful region that has plenty to offer, regardless of what you’re into.
Let us know in the comments if the Saguenay Lac-St-Jean region made it to your list of places to visit, and what you’re looking most forward to.
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