This summer’s opening of the Rivière-Kipawa adventure sector will allow visitors to live the Opémican experience at Québec’s newest national park.
The Minister of Forests, Wildlife and Parks and Minister responsible for the Abitibi-Témiscamingue Region, Luc Blanchette, and the President of Sépaq, John Mackay, introduced the Opémican experience Friday at the Laniel Registration Centre.
“I’m very proud to inaugurate this park, now the second in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region. It’s surely among the most extraordinary outdoor destinations anywhere, and one of Québec's best-kept secrets! Parc national d’Opémican protects magnificent spaces for future generations, and its rich historical and cultural heritage helps it stand out from all the rest. This is a very promising foretaste of the experiences visitors can look forward to at its grand opening in 2019,” Minister Blanchette pointed out.
“In time, people will come to Opémican to navigate the Kipawa river and lake waterways, to climb the Lac Témiscamingue cliffs and to gather around a crackling fire under tall pines while listening to Anishinabeg legends. In short, people will come to connect with nature,” said MacKay.
"The inaugural Rivière-Kipawa sector will provide thrilling experiences in a sublime natural setting, made up of dizzying cliffs, raging rapids, crystal-clear water, an island labyrinth, and immense trees," according to a news release. "Through a network of high-quality trails and nautical circuits, visitors will discover its main natural attractions, including Rivière Kipawa and its imposing waterfall, the Lac Témiscamingue cliffs, and the Lac Kipawa islands."
Operating as of June 22
- Laniel Registration Centre
- Laniel canoe rental station (Lac Kipawa)
- Interpretation program
- Guided visit of the Pointe-Opémican worksite
Operating as of July 20:
- Four rustic campsites
- Four new Étoile model ready-to-camp units
- Three hiking trails:
- Grande-Chute trail (suitable for the whole family, 1.6 km): Visitors can skirt the most imposing waterfall of Rivière Kipawa, with its over 15 m drop, and even soak up the spray in the very heart of the tumult, thanks to an observation deck suspended in mid-air.
- Inukshuk trail (2 km): It offers spectacular views of Lac Témiscamingue from the top of the cliffs and enables visitors to reach the shores of the lake by way of an impressive stone staircase and admire the mouth of Rivière Kipawa.
- Paroi-aux-Faucons trail (1.4 km): It provides access to the highest cliff of the sector, offering a breathtaking panorama.
- A pair of independent canoe rental stations:
- Lac Témiscamingue
- Baie Dorval (Lac Kipawa)
- Discovery activities
Two other sectors will be added in 2019:
- Pointe-Opémican (discovery), which will offer thorough cultural and natural immersion in the world of a 20th-century industrial forestry complex, with a millennial Algonquin presence as its backdrop.
- Lac-Marsac (nature), where visitors will discover a natural landscape typical of the Témiscamingue forest while fishing and canoe-camping.
Date of creation: December 19, 2013
Area: 252.5 km2
Administrative region: Abitibi-Témiscamingue
Natural region: Southern Laurentians
Société des établissements de plein air du Québec (Sépaq) is a government corporation comprising a network of 46 locations entrusted to it by the Government of Québec. It administers, operates, and showcases 23 national parks, 1 marine park, 13 wildlife reserves, Sépaq Anticosti, and 8 tourist establishments.
