Mont-Mégantic National Park, National park in Estrie, Quebec, Canada
Mont-Mégantic National Park covers 59.9 km² at the junction of Notre-Dame-des-Bois, La Patrie, Val-Racine and Hampden in the Estrie region. Its terrain belongs to the Appalachian frontier mountains, with four summits reached by hiking trails: Pic de l'Aurore, Mont Victoria, Mont Saint-Joseph and Mont Mégantic. At 1,105 m, Mont Mégantic is the park's highest point and the highest peak in Quebec reachable by car.
Mont-Mégantic National Park was created in 1994 as a representative territory of the frontier mountains natural region. It lies at the junction of Notre-Dame-des-Bois, La Patrie, Val-Racine and Hampden in the Estrie region and is adjacent to the Samuel-Brisson Ecological Reserve to its northeast. On 13 September 2017 its area was enlarged by 504 hectares, reaching 59.9 km2.
The observatory here draws people interested in astronomy and science, offering a focal point for understanding the night sky above the region. Visitors can experience stargazing in an environment specifically protected for this purpose.
The park has marked trails that lead through forests and up to mountain summits, suitable for different activity levels. You can hike, cross-country ski, or snowshoe depending on the season and your preference.
On 21 September 2007 the park became the first International Dark-Sky Preserve designated by the International Dark-Sky Association, after sustained efforts to cut light pollution around Mont-Mégantic. The 1.6 m Ritchey-Chrétien telescope at the summit observatory, owned by the Université de Montréal and Université Laval, is the most powerful of its type in North America.
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