What if Lotbinière hid more than you imagined? Just 20 minutes from Quebec City’s bridges, this area is full of surprises. Forget the classic highway stops: we went on a road trip and discovered an area where nature, culture and gastronomy go hand in hand. Roadtrip for a day? Here are three stops well worth the detour!
Hiking in an enchanted forest
Located in Leclercville, the Sentiers du secteur des Trois-Fourches are a discovery to be made with family, friends or pitou! How about a hike through the ancient Forêt de la Seigneurie de Lotbinière, with its diverse flora and unspoiled natural character?
From rang du Castor, we headed for parking lot P3 on chemin 13 to take the easy 4.2-km “La Petite Boucle” trail. We recommended the easiest option, being with the little family! Through ferns, spruce, hemlock and maple, the trail takes us to the banks of the lovely Rivière du Chêne. Simply magnificent!
A three-sided shelter provides a dry snack, not far from an access point to the river. Next, the 600-meter-long “La Pente douce” trail took us to a pebble beach facing rock faces, where the kids loved throwing pebbles into the water after their snack. Throughout the hike, they also learned more about wildlife via the “seek and find” panels illustrated by local painter, Clodin Roy. Are you a geocaching enthusiast? Good news for you, the Trois-Fourches area has 15 caches to enjoy at www.geocaching.com. See an overview of caches here.
Good to know! Four-season access is free for all, and snowshoes are recommended in winter. Distances on the four easy-to-intermediate trails range from 600 metres to 15.6 km for experienced hikers.
