Church of St. Joachim

Riding stable.

The Sainte-Anne canyon is on the border of Saint-Joachim and Saint-Ferréol-les-Neiges. It all started 1.2 billion years ago (Precambrian era) with the formation of the rock of the walls and the bottom of the canyon which are part of the Canadian Shield. It was during the melting of an ice cap 75,000 years ago that the current Quebec hydrographic network was formed (St. Lawrence River, Île d'Orléans, Îles de la Madeleine and the rivers known today) as well as the Canyon as we can see it today.
This extraordinary natural site has been accessible to the general public since 1973, but Indigenous peoples used to frequent the site. The waterfall was painted by the famous Cornelius Kreighoff and described by the American ecologist and philosopher H.D. Thoreau.
Easy-to-access family footpaths allow you to enter the spectacular canyon carved out by the imposing 74 m fall which constantly rumbles between the rocky walls of the gorges. Visitors cross 3 suspension bridges… including one 60 m high! One of the largest giant's pot in Quebec (15 m in diameter) is visible as well as several waterfalls when you are at the bottom of the Canyon.
The exceptional beauty of the site has often been recognized, both in Quebec (recipient of 3 Grands Prix du tourisme) and in Canada (national winner Attractions Canada). When John Travolta came to shoot his film Battlefield Earth in Montreal, several scenes were shot in Charlevoix and at Canyon Sainte-Anne.
"Roc-ambolesque" family games allow young people and their parents to have fun by decoding riddles and legends in a section of the park different from that which allows the visit of the site.
For adventurers and thrill-seekers, it is possible to do vias ferrata, abseiling and zip-lining in the gorges of the Canyon. In fact, the Via des Marmites was the first via installed in Quebec. The concept is imported from Europe by well-known Quebec adventurer François-Guy Thivièrge.
For people who have difficulty walking, it is possible to take advantage of a shuttle service that runs along the entire North Rim of the Canyon and provides access to 2 of the 3 suspension bridges.
On site, the main building offers a snack service and a pleasant terrace. There are also 2 wooded picnic areas, one of which is directly by the river.

The Cap Tourmente NWA is a wildlife reserve in Saint-Joachim and Sault-au-Cochon. The international fame of this protected area is particularly derived from the awe-inspiring displays of tens of thousands of greater snow geese during their biannual migratory gatherings. In spectacle in the reserve, they fly away in clouds or form large webs of white dots floating on the waters of the river. Located near Quebec City, this reserve offers visitors a special cachet of observation of fauna, flora and nature in every season.