cap tourmente national wildlife area

you can take a easy walk on a flats, around the area of park offices and watch geese (quite a lot of them) on a distance, or take a short hike to the top (everything marked clearly) and enjoy truly beautiful views down the river valley. Worth visiting for a couple hours. Can be very windy while you on a bottom!

The wildlife sanctuary at Cap Tourmente was busy with tourists and schoolchildren during the fall when we visited. Only about 45 minutes east of Québec City, we were all there to enjoy the brilliant autumn colours and see massive flocks of snow and Canada geese during their annual southern migration. During the spring migration, birds crowd the fields all around the sanctuary, but in the fall the flocks stay out on the St. Lawrence River mudflats instead. We strolled the “Le Bois-sent-bon” boardwalk over the marshes to the edge of the mudflats to look at the flocks using big binoculars on stands inside a blind. We then walked a 3.1-kilometre path called “La Cédrière” through fields and woods, looping back toward the sanctuary’s Interpretation Centre (where you can learn about all the many species of birds making their migratory stops at Cap Tourmente) past rugged cliffs. Splashes of brilliant autumn colours infused the surrounding hillsides.Cap Tourmente is a most beautiful and relaxing place to enjoy the splendours of autumn, and a birdwatcher's paradise.

It was raining but nonetheless 41 species of birds were seen in a few hours including an officially estimated 38500 Greater Snow Geese. There can be as many as 200000 at the peak of migration. But the top birds for me were the rarely seen Carolina Wren, and the American Bittern. The only mammals I saw were Chipmunks. The walk towards the headland and then up in to the forest and back through it to the car park is great even when raining heavily. Missed seeing the Pileated Woodpecker that is a habitual resident: they had more sense and stayed in their holes. The autumn/fall colours in the forest and over the hills were bright despite the grey sky. The old house is well conserved. Entry fee of $6 is worth every cent.

The best time to visit this area is either in May or in October when the Canadian Snow Geese are migrating south or on their way back north. They are attracted by the vast acres of bull rushes which they eat with their serrated beaks. Unfortunately August was the only time we could visit. We had a several very pleasant walks around the designated trails, saw some of the extensive reed beds, many lovely wild flowers and a total of three birds!There is still plenty to do and see, however. There are 14 hiking trails ranging from 0.4 km to 9.2 km in length. These cover three areas, the tidal zone, reed beds and ponds and hill walking on the adjacent peninsula. Le Bois-sent-bon (1.0.km) is a board walk and accessible. At the Interpretation centre you can learn about the history and management of the area.In addition, there are several picnic areas, some of which are covered. We were only there for a quick visit but, for those with more time, there are guided tours and nature activities for children. Also, you can rent a GPS device which gives you the history of the area as well as information on the flora and fauna Staff are bi-lingual.

This lovely wildlife area is only 30mins drive from Quebec City. Cost $6 for an adult, which we thought was excellent value as there are numerous tracks to walk and lots to see. We saw thousands of Snow Geese, a first for us and they were close enough to photograph. They have a very good information centre with displays and staff to answer questions. Bears with cubs had been seen but unfortunately we didn't see them. Park closes at 5pm. Well worth a visit.

We were here last week and saw a lot of snow geese. It is the beginning of the migration and there are between 15,000 and 20,000 geese on the river. When we were there the tide was out so they were not close. Saw some other birds and deer. Nice trails. Very pleasant day.

We went last week while trying to see some migratory birds, and saw nothing. We did see a few hawks, some humming birds, and a lot of bear poop though. With that said, the flowers surrounding the paths are beautiful, and it's not a very far drive from Quebec.

a great place for solitude and beauty--wild raspberries and wildflowers are everywhere; peregrine falcons nest above the forest and marshes; nice interpretation center and helpful staff who love talking about the snow geese who flock there in fall and spring

Every fall I get restless and have to make my annual pilgrimage to see the snow geese as they feed up to get ready to fly south. It was a changeable day when we went but somehow the alternance of sun and cloud made for a soulful atmosphere. There were thirty thousand geese the day we went but I have been when there were sixty thousand. The hiking trails are for every level of enthusiasm and energy with rest stops along the way. the fall colors against the cliff and the shining river are wonderful. Try to find out the tide schedule and go at high tide (the st. Lawrence has tidal influence) That way the geese are closer to the observation site. Take a picnic and a bottle of wine and comune with nature. Great B&B's on Ile D'orleans. Enjoy!

Many of the trails are elevated boardwalks over intact natural areas including wetlands and praries. We saw birds, fish, frogs, and a raccoon helping himself to a bird feeder outside the snack bar. All the trails we walked were wide, smooth, and very passable. Trails are dog friendly. Trails are clearly marked with distance and difficulty. Information center staff was helpful, friendly, and spoke English very well! Bring some sunscreen, some water, and a camera!

This was a great spot to visit. There were so many snow geese at the time of our visit (late April). We saw lots of birds, toads, chipmunks, muscrats and even a mother and baby porcupine. I was hoping to see a bear because they warned us that there are around, but we didn't. There are many different trails to walk so wear sensible shoes and pack a lunch since there is an eating area. There is a snack bar but it wasn't open when we were there because the season was not officially on until May. The staff were really helpful and put the films on in English for us even though there were only three of us. The fee to park and get in was only $6 or $8 each and free for kids.

Famed as the gathering spot for virtually all Atlantic Flyway snow geese prior to their northward migration to tundra nesting grounds, Cap Tourmente didn't disappoint. Thousands upon thousands of the birds were there at our visit (12 May, 2010), and virtually no people. As a wildlife biologist, one recommendation I'd make is that the habitat needs some serious work, in particular the fields nearer the St. Lawrence could use a good burning to remove woody shrubs that generally deter the birds from using those areas for fear of predators hiding in the brush. While it's trendy to manage habitat for "all wildlife" as of late, Cap Tourmente's highlight is snow goose habitat, and management should key on that focal point. The staff were very accomodating while we where there, playing the "Cap Tourmente History" film despite our only being four people!

Une visite effectuée en semaine sur les sentiers très bien entretenus et parsemés d'une quinzaine de mangeoires d'oiseaux. En semaine il n'y a pas de frais pour accéder au sentier, c'est gratuit. Les sentiers totalisent 6 kilomètres et ils sont bien balisés prévoir plus de 2 heures si vous arrêtez regarder les oiseaux.

Cette réserve n'est recensée dans aucun guide touristique français. Nous sommes tombés dessus par hasard via google map. Que dire si ce n'est que cet endroit vaut vraiment le déplacement! Nous avons combiné plusieurs ballades et observés pas mal d'animaux différents (oies des neiges, pygargues à tête blanche, faucon péllerin...).C'est vraiment un bel endroit à visiter, bien loin des sentiers touristiques habituels.

Tout simplement magnifique! Plein de sentiers dans une nature diversifiée, magnifique et grandiose! Nos poumons s'ouvrent sur l'air Marin qui semble contenir tout l'oxygène de la planète au complet! Et à l'automne, des milliers de goélands s'y posent lors de leur périple hivernal.