Lévis Between Waterfalls, Nature Trails and History

Lévis offers more than one reason to spend time outdoors: at Parc des Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, waterfalls and hiking trails come together with outdoor fitness facilities. Other facets of the area can be found in the landscapes along the St. Lawrence River and in the military history of Fort Numéro-Un. You can plan your trip around whether nature, exercise or culture is your main interest.

Waterfalls and Trails at Parc des Chutes-de-la-Chaudière

At Parc des Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, waterfalls plunge 35 meters. You can view them from several lookout points and from a bridge suspended 23 meters above the river. The changing views from the bridge and lookout points make the waterfall the focus of a park visit in different ways. If you enjoy exploring on foot, you’ll also find 4.5 kilometers of developed hiking trails here. Information panels line the trails and add details about the surrounding area to your walk.

You can also focus on a different kind of exercise: the outdoor fitness circuit has ten pieces of equipment and four exercise programs for different user groups. One is a special program for wheelchair users. If you’d like to include a workout in your visit, you’ll find a dedicated option alongside the hiking trails. The four programs and ten pieces of equipment give the circuit a clearly defined structure; the special program is specifically for wheelchair users.

Forest, River Landscapes and Winter Activities

Parc de la Rivière-Etchemin is a 4-square-kilometer nature and recreation park. It extends along both banks of the Etchemin River, from its mouth at the St. Lawrence River to the Saint-Jean-Chrysostome area. In collaboration with Sentiers La Balade de Lévis, it offers trails for hiking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, mountain biking and fat biking. An area is set aside for winter sledding. This range of options makes the park appealing if you’re looking for outdoor exercise and want to choose activities based on the season and your personal preferences.

A specific trail through the park was created in 2016: the 5.1-kilometer multi-use trail connects the Saint-Romuald and Saint-Jean-Chrysostome areas. Its length and connection between these two areas set it apart from the park’s other activities, which include a range of ways to get around. If you like to plan your outings around a particular route, this information gives you a clear guide for making your choice.

Parc de la Pointe-De La Martinière, dedicated to conservation, is also located on the banks of the St. Lawrence River. Its landscape includes extensive forest areas, fields and former pastures. A network of trails crosses these different habitats, offering opportunities to observe a particularly diverse range of wildlife and plant life. If you enjoy experiencing different kinds of natural landscapes when you travel, this park offers a different focus from the waterfalls and trails used for sports.

Military History and a Museum

Fort Numéro-Un is the last stronghold in a series of three outlying forts and represents a 19th-century technological innovation in military engineering. At the fort, you can enter historic casemates and visit a permanent exhibition on military defense. Trails around the fort are suitable for walks; you can also climb up to the Armstrong gun and enjoy a panorama of the surrounding area. This gives you the option of combining historic rooms, an exhibition and time outdoors during your visit.

Another cultural stop is Maison Alphonse-Desjardins. The museum focuses on the origins of the Desjardins movement, as well as the life of its founder, Alphonse Desjardins, and its co-founder, Dorimène Desjardins. It complements the fort’s military history with the story of a movement and the two people associated with its founding.

The parks and cultural sites mentioned here offer a range of ideas for choosing your excursions, without requiring you to focus on just one kind of experience. If you’d like to discover more destinations, you can also visit Saint-Henri.

For the broader travel overview: Desjardins.