Exploring Baie-de-Rochers
Hiking, Kayaking, and Camping in Baie-de-Rochers Municipal Park, Quebec | July 2024
I admit, when we left Tadoussac after being there just a couple of hours and not even doing anything in Saguenay Fjord National Park, I felt like we were missing out on some great trails and views. I knew that it was logistically very difficult to hike there since we had Charlotte, had to make reservations, and pay per person to enter, and I had accepted that this trip simply wasn’t the time for us to visit these Quebec National Parks. But after just getting a little glimpse of the fjord views from the mouth of the river, we got a taste of what we were missing out on, and it was just disappointing not knowing when we could come back to explore more. At this point, I also knew our time on the Cote-Nord was coming to a close, and that soon we wouldn’t have any more of these mountains-by-the-sea views. It was strange feeling this way, because these feelings were conflicting with our very real desire to return to the US where hiking in the national forests was free and much more accessible. I don’t often feel regret leaving places anymore since we moved into the van, because we’re constantly going to different places and enjoying wherever we are, so I guess this just goes to show how special this area — both the Cote-Nord and the Gaspe peninsula — had been for us.
Our plan for the evening was to camp in Baie-de-Rochers Municipal Park, a half hour South of Tadoussac. We had heard about it through iOverlander, our go-to app for finding boondocking and free camping sites. The reviews (that we could translate) made it sound more like a trailhead parking locale than anything else. And when we pulled off the main highway and drove through the village of Baie-de-Rochers, we got strong ‘private property, do not park for longer than a couple hours’ vibes. But as we drove towards the coast, the private cottages disappeared and the road got gravelly and potholed, and soon enough we were in a steep valley.
We found where others had previously parked their rigs, and it really was very trailhead like. But we were out of sight from the main road and figured we would give it at least one night. And as it turned out, we ended up staying two nights here we liked it so much. Down at the end of the road, well within walking distance, was a boat launch right into the center of the bay (the Baie-de-Rochers as it translates) along with several small waterfalls. There were several trails going off to lookouts and even a couple other van-lifers.
After eating lunch and aquatinting ourselves with the area (and meeting a father-son duo from the Netherlands), we saw that the tide was in and decided to carry the kayak down to the dock and paddle around. We set up and started going around the isle in the center of the bay. Inside the bay, the water was calm and easy, but as we approached the open sea the waves came up a bit, so we opted to turn and go the long way around the island, but not after sighting a couple of freighters out to sea. The other side of the island was equally scenic, and we spotted one of the lookouts up on the cliffs and decided that would be a good hike for tomorrow. As we paddled, we spotted several cabins along the bay that were accessible only by boat. We imagine that being very complicated given that the bay had pretty extreme tides — at low tide, the bay was nearly completely empty, and the boats at the dock would sit on the muddy ground!
We slept well at our little trailhead parking, and weren’t bothered here. A few others spent the night at the parking for the boat dock, and also went unbothered even though there were ‘no camping’ signs scattered around. It probably would have been a more scenic spot to stay, but we slept better knowing we were following the rules and were basically out of sight. The next morning, we had our breakfast, then readied ourselves for a hike.
The trail up to the closest lookout was a little less than a mile, and besides the very beginning was pretty well maintained and not too muddy. Since we had slept at the trailhead, we had an early start and were the only ones on the trail for our trip up. The forest was lush and green, the air was cool and crisp. It was really the perfect conditions for Charlotte to hike, and she made it to the peak with much encouragement on our part. We arrived at the scenic little shelter, sat down and enjoyed the views of the bay and the island in the middle. We had timed the hike perfectly with high tide that morning, and the water was a lovely shade of turquoise, mirroring the moody sky. We stayed here for as long as Charlotte would allow, then made our return trip.
We spent the rest of the day hanging out by the boat dock, reading and soaking up the afternoon sun (which we were very thankful for, because it helped recharge our solar!) After dinner and one last walk for Charlotte that evening, we put her to bed and then went on one more hike together. We walked a ways back up the road to a trailhead that started off by crossing the creek, then following it on the other side of the valley. We saw the waterfalls from a different perspective, and followed the trail all the way out to another lookout shelter near where the creek empties into the bay, across from the boat ramp. The trail was not quite as well maintained as the one from this morning, and had lots of steeps ups and downs — I was glad we didn’t make Charlotte hike this one. But it was still fine for us to explore together, and to enjoy every last bit of this area.
I know it wasn’t anything like Saguenay Fjord, but the views here in Baie-de-Rochers were stunning and honestly just the idea that we had found this little park in the middle of nowhere, that we had never heard of before seeing it on iOverlander, made up for the fact that we had potentially missed out on something else. And the fact that we could camp, kayak, hike, and relax with a view all in one place for free made it even better! It really felt like the perfect way to end our time on the Cote-Nord. We loved our time here and were so glad we could fit it into our itinerary, and I also love that there’s still so much more to do should we ever have the chance to return!
