Québec National Parks, one of the three magnificent Sépaq Networks

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	Conservation Mission

Mission Statement

The mission of Parc national des Grands-Jardins is to protect exceptional vegetation - taiga (lichen-spruce woodlands), usually found north of the 52nd parallel - and thereby to protect a herd of caribou.

Natural Environment

Located in the picturesque Charlevoix region, Parc national des Grands-Jardins protects a remarkable enclave of northern habitat typical of the James Bay area in Northern Québec. The park features peaks topping 1,000 metres, numerous geological formations dating from the last Ice Age, and a climate with only 40 frost-free days per year.

The harsh climate and diverse landscape have had a marked influence on the flora and fauna of the park, which is dominated by taiga and sparsely treed, lichen-rich stands of black spruce crucial to the survival of the caribou. From mountaintop vistas, visitors can look out over varied landscapes-everything from boreal forest and stands of hardwood to subalpine vegetation and tundra.

With its coniferous forests and numerous crystalline lakes, the park is a true wildlife paradise. The caribou population, which numbered an estimated 10,000 animals in the early 1900s, had been virtually wiped out by 1928, only to be reintroduced in the late 1960s. The population is now considered stable. The herd numbers 60 to 80 head. Along with this large member of the deer family, the park is also home to moose, wolves, beaver, black bear, foxes, speckled trout, Arctic char, and a variety of species of birds.