Les Escoumins

Les Escoumins is a municipality of La Haute-Côte-Nord Regional County Municipality, in administrative region of Côte-Nord, in the province of Quebec, Canada. This locality is part of the tourist region of Manicouagan, on the Route des Baleines and the Route Nature aux mille délices (gourmet route).

The village of Les Escoumins is crossed by Route 138, which runs along the north shore of the St. Lawrence River. This route serves the administrative regions of Quebec of Montérégie, Montréal, Lanaudière, Mauricie, Capitale-Nationale and Côte-Nord.

This locality has many ancestral and well restored houses. In the summer season, many boaters enjoy boating on the Saint Lawrence.

Understand

Les Escoumins is a member of the "Association des plus beaux villages du Québec" (Association of the most beautiful villages of Quebec). Les Escoumins is a village-relay, that is to say that the municipality has, through its traders, all the services normally offered by a service area located along a highway.

Geography

The village of Les Escoumins is located on Route 138 east of Tadoussac and west of Baie-Comeau.

Facing the village, the bay of Escoumins displays a bucolic setting in summer, because this bay reflects the mood of the St. Lawrence River under the effect of tides, waves, fog, as well as the current of the Escoumins river which crosses the bay on the sandstone at low tide. In winter, the scenery of this bay is magical because the ice is then lifted by the underlying rocks and broken under the effect of the tides, piling up pell-mell and creating piles of ice.

This bay has a dimension of 0.6 km (0.37 mi) between the mouth of the river Les Escoumins and Pointe de la Croix; and 0.9 km (0.56 mi) between the end of the bay and the Pointe-Rouge peninsula which juts east into the river to the ferry wharf connecting Les Escoumins and Trois-Pistoles. At high tide, this bay is navigable for pleasure craft with shallow draft; at low tide, the rocky and sandy bottom emerges. The Pointe de la Croix peninsula stretches 0.6 km (0.37 mi) towards the southwest to block the bay, leaving a passage of about 0.4 km (0.25 mi) at the entrance (at high tide). The metal cross erected there is legendary; formerly, it served as a landmark for navigation on the river, along the coast.

The Highway 138 bridge spans the mouth of the Escoumins river; it was built parallel to the footpath bridge. This path goes around this village bay.

Economy

The main economic activities in the municipality of Escoumins are recreational tourism activities (accommodation, restaurants, hiking, cycling, mountain biking and snowmobiling, grocery stores, convenience stores), forestry, transportation (e.g., ferry, gas stations, maintenance of roads) and public services including a hospital, the health centre of La Haute-Côte-Nord and the municipality.

Salmon fishing on the Escoumins River attracts many fishermen. The "Zec de la Rivière-des-Escoumins" administers a 34 km (21 mi) segment of the Rivière des Escoumins for sport fishing. The Escoumins River flows on 84 km (52 mi) from north to south-east. It reaches its annual flow of 13 to 20 m3/s in July. A forest road runs along the river, thus facilitating access to the salmon pools. Since 2014, salmon have been able to swim upstream beyond Grand Falls Falls using a fish pass.

In addition, the entrance to the Saguenay–Saint-Laurent Marine Park, located in Les Escoumins, is one of the most sought-after dive sites in eastern Canada thanks to the diversity of species that inhabit the seabed.

Get in

The village of Les Escoumins is accessible by road, boat (via Saint Lawrence River), snowmobile and all terrain vehicles.

By car
  • From Baie-Comeau (161 km (100 mi). Time: 1 hr 48 min. From Baie-Comeau, take route 138 (north shore) west, to the village of Les Escoumins.
  • From Quebec City (252 km (157 mi). Time: 3 hr 26 min. From Quebec City, take route 138 (north shore) eastbound, via the Tadoussac ferry, to the village of Escoumins.

By bus

By boat
  • 🌍 Traverse Trois-Pistoles / Les Escoumins, 11 rue du Quai, ☏ +1-418-851-4676, toll-free: +1-877-851-4677. Operates a seasonal vehicle and passenger ferry from mid-May to mid October between Trois-Pistoles and Les Escoumins (1 hour 30 minutes). When operating, there are 1-3 round trips daily. In high season, advance reservation are strongly recommended. If you are lucky, you can see whales and dolphins from the ferry. Foot passengers one-way/same day round-trip: adult 12-64 $24.50/30.50 adult 65 and over $22.75/29.50, child 5-11 $15.75/24.50, child under 5 free. Vehicles each way: car or truck (up to 6.4 m) $54, motorcycle $36, bicycle $9.75. (updated May 2022)

Tourist information
  • 🌍 Centre d'information touristique (Tourist information centre), 154, route 138, ☏ +1 418-233-2663. Tourist information centre providing information to the public about the region: activities, attractions, activities, events, accommodation, and restaurants. (updated Dec 2021)

Get around

Gas stations

Charging station for electric vehicle

See
  • 🌍 Centre de découverte du milieu marin (Marine Environment Discovery Centre), 41, rue des Pilotes, ☏ +1 418-233-4414. Discovery centre about the underwater world of the St. Lawrence. Offers the activity "The St. Lawrence Live" allowing to observe, on a giant screen, the diver-interpreters at the bottom of the water and to interact with them as well as to observe the marine organisms. It is also possible to rent snorkel gear or observe marine mammals from the land. Picnic areas with a view of the St. Lawrence. (updated Dec 2021)
  • 🌍 Pointe de la Croix (Viewpoint from the Point of the Cross), 23, rue de la Croix (View from the end of the Pointe de la Croix peninsula.). The iron cross erected at the end of the peninsula once served as a landmark for coastal navigation and as a protection for the village. (updated Dec 2021)
  • 🌍 Point de vue du Quai des Pilotes (Viewpoint from the Pilots' Quay), 38, rue des Pilotes (View of the rock from the end of the peninsula north of Anse aux Basques.). Observation of the St. Lawrence River from the Quai des Pilotes, including the passage of marine mammals and boats. (updated Dec 2021)
  • 🌍 Point de vue de la Pointe-Rouge (Viewpoint from Pointe-Rouge), rue du Quai (View from the rock at the end of the peninsula Pointe-Rouge located next to the ferry boarding ramp.). Observation of the St. Lawrence River from Pointe-Rouge, in particular the passage of marine mammals and boats. Starting from the pedestrian bridge at the mouth of the Escoumins river, a path along the bay of Escoumins goes to the ferry boarding ramp where a rocky camp allows you to see the panorama of the river. (updated Dec 2021)
  • 🌍 Église catholique Saint-Marcelin (Les Escoumins church and presbytery), 2 rue de l'Hôpital (on the hillside, facing the bay), ☏ +1 418-233-2838. Church administered by the Parish of St-Marcelin Les Escoumins. free. (updated Dec 2021)

Do
  • 🌍 Sentier pédestre faisant le tour de la baie des Escoumins (Footpath circling the bay of Escoumins). 2.8 km (35-minute walk) footpath going around the Baie des Escoumins. Starting from the iron cross erected at the Pointe de la Croix, hikers take the rue de la Croix (towards the north-west); take rue St-Marcellin Est (westbound); take the promenade path that runs along Route 138 and the west shore of the bay; take the pedestrian bridge spanning the Escoumins river; take rue St-Marcellin Ouest up to the bend; take the Véloroute des Baleines to Pointe-Rouge where you can observe the river and marine mammals along more or less the coastline of the bay; take rue du Quai (north-east direction) which becomes the ferry ramp, passing next to the ramp, to the whale watching point at the end of the peninsula. (updated Dec 2021)
  • Tours d'observation des mammifères marins (Observation of marine mammals tours). From land or by boat. From Les Escoumins, cruises aboard light boats allow you to approach the marine mammals that frequent the Saint Lawrence estuary, in particular: fin whales, humpback whales, beluga and seals. Given the steep underwater relief near the coast, marine mammals (mainly beluga whales and minke whales) venture near the shore of Les Escoumins. (updated Dec 2021)
    • 🌍 Croisière Baleines Neptune Escoumins (Whales cruise Neptune Escoumins), 50, route 138 (Located at the junction of rue des Pilotes), ☏ +1 418-233-4343. Whale watching excursions in ecological Zodiac mode with retractable windows. Cruise between Tadoussac and Les Escoumins. (updated Dec 2021)
    • 🌍 Croisière Escoumins (Escoumins cruise), 35, rue des Pilotes (Located near Anse aux Basques), ☏ +1 866-225-3463. Whale watching excursions in Zodiac mode or in "Air and sea" mode. (updated Dec 2021)
    • 🌍 Les Écumeurs du Saint-Laurent, 31, rue des Pilotes (Located near Anse aux Basques), ☏ +1 418-233-2141, toll-free: +1 888-817-9999, . Whale watching excursion agency. (updated Dec 2021)
  • Chasse (Hunting), ☏ +1 418-362-2722. Big or small game. (updated Dec 2021)
    • 🌍 Zec Nordique, 268, route Forestière, Les Escoumins, QC, G0T 1K0, ☏ +1 418-233-3062, . Controlled exploitation zone (zec) administered by the Association de Chasse et Pêche Nordique inc, a non-profit organization, covering an area of 458.3 kilometres (284.77 mi) in the unorganized territory of Lac-au-Brochet. In addition to wilderness camping, the zec offers four rustic campgrounds: Trois-Portes, Rapide-Blanc, Petit lac Maclure and Lac Rond. It is a game-rich territory where the species subject to hunting quotas are moose, black bear, grouse, grouse and hare. Quotas and terms apply depending on the time of year, hunting gear or the sex of the moose. Fishing for brook trout is also restricted on the zec. (updated Dec 2021)
    • 🌍 Club de Chasse & Pêche (Hunting & Fishing Club), 13, rue du Fleuve, Les Escoumins, QC, G0T 1K0 (Local located along the river in the village of Les Escoumins.), ☏ +1 418-233-3331. (updated Dec 2021)
  • Pêche sportive (Sport fishing). Atlantic salmon fishing, lake fishing and ice fishing. (updated Dec 2021)
    • 🌍 Zec de la Rivière-des-Escoumins, 24, rue de la Rivière, Les Escoumins, QC, G0T 1K0, ☏ +1 418-233-3121, . Controlled exploitation zone (zec) administering a 34 km (21 mi) segment of the Escoumins river for sport fishing. This is a salmon river and there is a forest road running alongside the river allowing easy access to the salmon pools. Fishing is done by wading. In general, the pits are quite long and shallow. The zec is divided into four sectors, three of which are subject to quotas and we have listed 66 pits. (updated Dec 2021)
  • Kayak de mer (Sea Kayak). The coastline of the Haute-Côte-Nord is an ideal place for sea kayaking. Kayakers enjoy exploring the surrounding bays because of the scenery and the safety. (updated Dec 2021)
  • Plongée sous-marine (Scuba diving). Scuba diving or snorkelling. (updated Dec 2021)
  • Motoneige (Snowmobile). (updated Dec 2021)
  • 🌍 Totem Aviation, 14, chemin du Lac St-Onge, ☏ +1 581-235-5235. Offer of plane tours, in particular for the observation of whales, mountains . (updated Dec 2021)
  • 🌍 Parc de la rivière (River Park), 23, route Forestière (on a peninsula in the Escoumins river, southwest of the village). This nature park also has a dog park. free. (updated Dec 2021)

Events
  • Festival des oiseaux migrateurs de la Côte-Nord (de Tadoussac à Forestville) (North Shore Migratory Bird Festival (from Tadoussac to Forestville)). 16-19 June 2022. Longue-Rive is an appropriate place for observing migrating shorebirds. This municipality has on its territory one of the largest salt marshes in Quebec. Several species of birds shelter in these marshes, including dabbling ducks, passerines and shorebirds (waders). Ornithologist guides can accompany amateurs during their ornithological discoveries. This festival is under the aegis of the Tadoussac Bird Observatory in association with QuébecOiseaux. (updated Sep 2022)

Outfitters
  • 🌍 Pourvoirie des Grands-Ducs (Outfitter of the Grand Dukes), 90, rue St-Marcellin Ouest (administrative office) (territory (between 7 and 10 km2) 9 km from the village of Les Escoumins), ☏ +1 418-514-8661. The Pourvoirie des Grands-Ducs operates an exclusive territory for hunting, fishing and the outdoors. Main game species: moose, partridge, hares and bears. Game evisceration assistance services, game recovery, winches and sleds, cold room service nearby. Renovated chalets with mosquito net gallery. Main fish species: brook trout (referred to as "speckled trout"). Twelve lakes open for fishing; the lakes are mostly accessible by car and some by mountain bike. New boats. (updated Dec 2021)
  • 🌍 Pourvoirie Domaine Sportif du Lac Loup (Outfitter Domaine Sportif du Lac Loup), 32, rue de la Réserve, Les Escoumins, QC, G0T 1K0, ☏ +1 418-233-2266. Outfitters offering whale watching zodiac cruises, as well as accommodation in condo-hotels, cabins or camping. The outfitter also specializes in guided sea kayak and paddleboard excursions from Anse à la Cave aux Bergeronnes or from the beach in Tadoussac. Campsite offering 35 sites on sand or wooden platforms, as well as four "ready-to-camp" tents and 8 rustic shelters. (updated Dec 2021)
  • 🌍 Pourvoirie Grand Lac du Nord (Grand Lac du Nord outfitter), 27, rue de l'Église (administrative office), ☏ +1 418-233-3367, +1 418-476-5030. The outfitter offers 12 cabins (electricity and propane) in the Grand Lac du Nord sector and 10 cabins (propane and solar energy) in the Lac des Perches sector. Available on site: rental of engines and pontoons. Activities: playground, pedal boats, bicycles, swimming, hiking and picking wild fruits. (updated Dec 2021)

Buy
Food/alcohol
  • 🌍 Dépanneur Voisin Essipit, 44, rue de la Réserve (Located in the area of the Essipit reserve.), ☏ +1 418-233-2202. (updated Dec 2021)
  • 🌍 Intermarché, 259, route 138 (in the village, facing the Baie des Escoumins and near the mouth of the Escoumins river), ☏ +1 418-233-2774. Family grocery store. Purchase on site or order online. (updated Dec 2021)
  • 🌍 Boucherie Escoumins (Escoumins Butcher), 226, route 138 (south of the village), ☏ +1 418-233-2837. Butcher. (updated Dec 2021)

Eat

Restaurants

Canteens

Drink

Sleep

Chalet, gîte, inn

Gîte

Camping
  • 🌍 Camping Le Tipi (Le Tipi Campground), 27, rue de la Réserve, ☏ +1 418-233-2266. Site in the heart of the Essipit Innu community. Main activities offered: hiking, swimming, whale watching. Ready-to-camp formula is offered. (updated Dec 2021)
  • 🌍 Camping Essipit (Essipit Campground), 46, rue de la Réserve, ☏ +1 418-233-2266. 50 sites available for tents and RVs. Concept Prêt-à-camper is offered in tent mode. Main activities: bear watching, sea kayaking, fishing and hiking. Offer of zodiac whale watching tours. (updated Dec 2021)
  • 🌍 Camping la maison Jackelson (Jackelson House campsite), 552, route 138 (Campsite near the river, facing the Caye aux Harengs.), ☏ +1 581-235-1719. Direct access to the mountain bike trail. Access to the edge of the river, a hundred feet from the campsite, for whale watching or launching small boats (kayak, paddleboard). 17 locations available. (updated Dec 2021)

Cope
  • 🌍 Bibliothèque Blanche-Lamontagne (Blanche-Lamontagne library), 2, rue de la Rivière. This toponymic designation evokes Blanche Lamontagne, who was born in Les Escoumins in 1889 and was named the first poet of Quebec. Some of his literary works are exhibited in the municipal library. The library is affiliated with the Réseau Biblio de la Côte-Nord. free. (updated Dec 2021)
  • 🌍 Centre Sportif Charles Édouard Boucher (Charles Édouard Boucher Sports Centre), 23, route Forestière. This sports centre includes the arena. (updated Dec 2021)

Go next
  • 🌍 Les Bergeronnes Locality where recreational tourism activities are developed thanks to the magnificent landscapes of the coast and the bay of Petites Bergeronnes and bay of Grandes Bergeronnes. It offers a rest stop and an attractive relay on the road to the North Shore.
  • 🌍 Longue-Rive Picturesque riverside municipality on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River.
  • 🌍 Lac-au-Brochet Unorganized territory of the RCM of La Haute-Côte-Nord comprising four controlled harvesting zones (zec). Huge territory for hunting and fishing, wilderness camping, ATV/snowmobile trails, river descent in light boats and nature observation.
  • 🌍 Saguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park A marine protected area of the St. Lawrence and Saguenay rivers, covering 1,245 kilometres (773.61 mi). Its mission is to protect all species including the beluga and the blue whale. Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Parks Canada, ROMM and GREMM teach boaters to navigate in whale habitat. Whale watching tours or cruises are offered to tourists.
Routes through Les Escoumins
Quebec City ← Les Bergeronnes ←  W  E  → Forestville → Sept-Îles


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