La Mauricie National Park, National park in Shawinigan, Canada.
La Mauricie is a national park in the Canadian Shield region with more than 150 lakes surrounded by forested hills of the Laurentian Mountains. The park territory stretches across gentle valleys and forests of maple, birch and spruce, crossed by hiking trails and canoe passages.
Archaeological findings confirm human settlements during the Archaic period between 7000 and 3000 BC in this area. The Canadian government created the park in 1970 to protect forests and waterways previously threatened by logging and dam construction.
The Atikamekw Nation has known this territory for thousands of years, leaving behind traditional routes and places that remain visible through archaeological sites today. Some lakes and waterways still carry indigenous names linked to old stories and travel routes.
The park territory has two entry points at Saint-Jean-des-Piles and Saint-Mathieu-du-Parc leading to campgrounds and equipment rental locations. Visitors should bring enough water and insect repellent, especially in early summer when mosquitoes are common.
The park territory shelters rare wood turtles that search for food in shallow streams and wet shoreline areas. Moose, black bears, beavers and otters also live here and can sometimes be spotted near lake shores or in wetland areas.
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