New Richmond: Nature, Trails and Culture

In New Richmond, the shoreline of Chaleur Bay meets the river landscape: Parc de la Pointe-Taylor lies both on the bay and along the Petite-Cascapédia River. If you enjoy spending time outdoors on holiday, you’ll find a variety of ways to explore on foot and on the water. Other highlights include the Estuaire-de-la-Petite-Rivière-Cascapédia wetland, a public market and the collections at Pointe Duthie / Ne’sueg.

Shoreline, Wetland and Trails

The Estuaire-de-la-Petite-Rivière-Cascapédia nature reserve is a 135-hectare wetland located entirely within the town limits of New Richmond. Together with Parc de la Pointe-Taylor’s location on both the bay and the river, it gives the landscape a distinct water-and-shoreline character. If you like to combine your trip with nature experiences, you can consider these places as different points of interest.

Parc de la Pointe-Taylor has 4.2 km of hiking trails along the Rotary-Cascapédia Trail. The Rotary trails also run for about 2 km along the river’s east bank and 800 m along its west bank. During your stay, you can choose between the Rotary-Cascapédia Trail and the paths along either riverbank. Another way to enjoy the park is the 1.5 km Desjardins Trail, which can be used on foot, by bicycle or on inline skates.

Pointe Duthie / Ne’sueg also offers trails in a different landscape. There are forest trails and a pebble beach at the mouth of the Grande-Cascapédia River. You can walk or snowshoe on the trails at Pointe Duthie. If you’d like to include cross-country skiing in your trip, you’ll also find trails maintained there by the Club de ski de fond New Richmond: 8 km for classic skiing and 4 km for skating.

Paddling, Cycling and Active Days

A 12.5 km loop for kayaking, canoeing or stand-up paddleboarding starts at Parc de la Pointe-Taylor. It is intended for paddlers of intermediate ability. This makes it a practical option for travellers who want to include a longer paddling trip in their plans; the stated skill level is a helpful consideration when deciding whether it’s right for you. If you’d rather stay on land, you can use the Desjardins Trail on foot or by bicycle. The different routes and ways of getting around offer a variety of ways to make your stay active.

In New Richmond, the Route verte follows a safe route with shared road space for cyclists. Regional Route 595 also connects New Richmond with Matane. These connections add a regional dimension to the local trails. When looking for a holiday rental, you can first consider whether paddling, riverside trails, forest activities or cross-country skiing will be the main focus of your trip. The experiences described offer practical ideas, without requiring you to choose just one kind of holiday.

Market and Collections at Pointe Duthie

New Richmond’s public market offers another way to discover the town. Around 15 local agricultural and food-processing producers, artists and craftspeople come together there. Local products are sold at Parc de la Pointe-Taylor on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. If you enjoy including local food and handmade goods in your trip, you can add the market as a separate stop.

Pointe Duthie / Ne’sueg combines nature experiences with collections and exhibitions. The site covers 82 acres and includes 18 buildings. Displays and exhibitions feature items from the collections, including agricultural machinery, antique furniture and handcrafted household items from an earlier era. A visit to the Pointe therefore complements the trails and beach landscape with a cultural focus. When choosing a holiday rental in New Richmond, you can consider which side of the town you’d like to shape your trip: the water and trails, activities at Pointe Duthie or a visit to the market.

Other places to explore: Paspébiac, Bonaventure and Caplan.

Return to the main travel overview: Bonaventure.