Saint-Pierre-De-Broughton: Forest Trails, Hiking and Local History

Saint-Pierre-De-Broughton particularly appeals to travelers who want to combine forests, hiking trails and traces of local history in one stay. The Sentier des Campions offers several ways to do just that: information panels focus on the history, flora and birdlife of the forest, and a lookout provides a panorama of the Appalachians. The Sentier des Campions is near the Whetstone River.

Forest trails and different levels of hiking

The three trails, Whetstone, Le Petit Cap and Les Campions, wind through a mixed forest with a wide variety of tree and plant species. If you’re looking for a short hike, the Whetstone hiking trail at the Sentiers des Campions is a specific option: it is less than 1 km long, takes under an hour and is rated easy. Its length, estimated duration and difficulty rating give you a clear guide when choosing a shorter trail.

Another distinctive natural feature is the Trou des Campions, a wooded depression southwest of the town center. It can be reached via the Sentier des Campions. The depression adds a distinct type of landscape to the forest trails and lookout. If you want to explore the nature of Saint-Pierre-De-Broughton, you can choose between a short trail, the panorama or this distinctive terrain.

The area also offers longer hiking stages. Depending on the route, the stage from Église Saint-Pierre in Saint-Pierre-De-Broughton to East Broughton is about 15 or 19 km long. It passes mining waste heaps along Vieille Route. The two distance options let you choose between stages of different lengths; the heaps provide a link to the region’s mining history along the way.

Saint-Pierre-De-Broughton also lies on the Chemin de Saint-Jacques-Appalaches, a long-distance hiking and cycling trail that extends for more than 250 km across twelve municipalities. One of its hiking stages runs from the Site patrimonial de Saint-Jacques-de-Leeds to Église Saint-Pierre in Saint-Pierre-De-Broughton. Depending on the route, this stage is about 16 or 19 km long. If you’re planning a trip with longer hikes, you can distinguish this stage from the route to East Broughton by their respective lengths and itineraries.

Traces of local history

Several original buildings remain on the site of the former Cyr-Broughton Mine, including the primary crusher, the office and the main part of the factory. The site also includes a small building made of cut and polished soapstone blocks. It served as the administrative office of Broughton Soapstone and Quarry Co. Ltd. The surviving structures and former administrative building offer different insights into the town’s industrial past.

Another facet of local history is Chapelle Sainte-Anne, a Catholic place of worship built in 1890–1891. For travelers interested in sacred sites as well as nature and hiking, it adds a religious point of interest to the picture of the town.

The town center is a useful landmark when visiting the Sentier des Campions: the trail can be reached via Rue Saint-Pierre. The parking lot is on the right at 55, rue St-Pierre, by the fire station. When choosing a vacation rental, you can consider whether short hikes are your main focus or whether you want to include Saint-Pierre-De-Broughton as part of a trip with longer stages.

If you’d like to discover more town pages, you’ll also find Disraeli and Thetford Mines here.

For the broader travel overview: L'amiante.