Cap-a-l'Orignal Trail

Cap-a-l'Orignal Trail (“Le Tour du Cap-à-l'Orignal”) is a short day hike in Parc national du Bic, near Rimouski, Quebec, built around the shoreline at the base of a tall coastal cliff. It’s mapped as a single main loop of about 4.31 km (often described around 5.5 km for the full tour).

The route’s challenge is the footing: expect rugged, uneven ground with rock scramble/breaks and slippery sections, especially where the path crosses rocky beach surfaces and uneven slabs.

A practical constraint for this hike is timing with the tide. The departure is planned ahead of the lowest tide so you’re not forced onto unsafe/blocked sections when water levels are up.

Terrain alternates between rocky coastal stretches and short forested segments that feed you back to the cliff base and the estuary shoreline. That mix of beach rock and rough traverse is what makes the walk feel technical despite the short distance.

If you’re targeting wildlife and coastal geology, the trail is set up for it along the St. Lawrence Estuary—frequent observations include seals and seabirds, and the route passes areas of crumbling rock where careful hand/foot placement matters.

Allow about 2–3 hours for the main tour, depending on how slowly you move over the rockier sections and how much time you spend at the shoreline tight spots and along the cliff-base traverse.

More information: Map, Le tour du-cap-à-l'orignal - Wanderlog, The Most Beautiful Hiking Trails in Parc du Bic