La Mauricie National Park of Canada

Hikers on the Deux Criques Trail.

A skier leaves one of the park's heated shelters.

Relaxing at a beach.

La Mauricie National Park is in the Laurentians, the chain of mountains flanking the northern shore of the St. Lawrence River.

In 1970, La Mauricie became the 23rd park in the Canadian National Parks network. It covers 207 square miles and protects a sample of the Canadian Shield, the central part of the Precambrian region of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence.

With an abundance of lakes and forests, La Mauricie is an ideal environment where outdoor lovers can pursue their favorite activities year-round.

The Wabenaki and Andrew lodges offer comfort in an exceptional setting on the shore of Lac à la Pêche. The lodges are located along a large network of trails.

The park also offers several campgrounds. Visitors can reserve sites at Mistagance, Wapizagonke and Rivière-à-la-Pêche. A section of the Rivière-à-la-Pêche campground is adapted for visitors with disabilities.

Primitive camping is available year-round. All sites are accessible by canoe and those that are near trails can be used by hikers, mountain bikers and skiers.

Hikes in the park range from one-mile routes with an observation post and a telescope to a 46-mile, five to eight-day trek along the Laurentien Trail.

Black bears, loons and beavers are among the residents of the park.

The 0.8-mile Lac-Etienne Trail has seven interpretive panels, a telescope, three-dimensional models and a brochure to help visitors discover the area and its rich plantlife and wildlife.

The trail, which includes no steep inclines, features a number of footbridges so that people in wheelchairs may make their way safely and easily around natural obstacles.

Benches placed at intervals of 600 feet offer convenient spots for rest while admiring the beauty of the landscape.

A section of the Rivière-à-la-Pêche campground is adapted for visitors with disabilities, with the campground itself, service buildings (complete with showers and toilets), and the kitchen shelter providing ease of access and use.