Mont-Mégantic National Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mont-Mégantic National Park |
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IUCN Category II (National Park)
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| Location | Hampden / La Patrie / Val-Racine, Quebec, Canada |
| Nearest city | Sherbrooke |
| Area | 54.86 km2 |
| Established | June 16, 1994 |
| Visitors | 50 000 |
| Governing body | SÉPAQ |
Mont-Mégantic National Park (also known as Parc national du Mont-Mégantic) is a special nature park in Quebec, Canada. It is found near the town of Notre-Dame-des-Bois in the Estrie area. The park was created in 1994. It is right next to the Samuel-Brisson Ecological Reserve.
Mont Mégantic is the main mountain in the park. At the very top of this mountain is the Mont Mégantic Observatory. This is a very important place for studying stars in eastern Canada. The park is also a key spot for protecting different kinds of birds.
The park is looked after by the Quebec government. They work through an organization called the Société des établissements de plein air du Québec (SÉPAQ). SÉPAQ manages many outdoor places in Quebec.
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Exploring Mont-Mégantic Park
The park is part of the Appalachian Mountains region. It has unique mountain features. You can hike to four different mountain peaks here. These include Pic de l'Aurore (about 835 meters high), Mont Victoria (about 1050 meters high), Mont St. Joseph (about 1075 meters high), and Mont Mégantic (1105 meters high). Mont Mégantic is the tenth tallest mountain in Quebec. It is also the highest peak you can reach by car.
The Mont-Mégantic Observatory
The park is famous for its Mont Mégantic Observatory. This science observatory is at the very top of Mont Mégantic, at 1111 meters high. It has a powerful Ritchey-Chrétien telescope that is 1.6 meters wide. This is the strongest telescope of its kind in North America.
The University of Montreal and Laval University own and use this observatory. Sometimes, during the Mont Mégantic Astronomy Festival in early July, you can look through the telescope yourself. This is only possible if the sky is clear.
A Dark Sky Preserve
On September 21, 2007, Mont-Mégantic became very special. It was named the first international Dark-sky preserve by the International Dark-Sky Association. This means the area works hard to reduce light pollution. This helps people see the stars much better at night.
The Public Observatory
Near the main observatory is the Observatoire populaire du Mont-Mégantic (OPMM). This public observatory has a telescope that is 61 centimeters wide. It is one of the biggest observatories in the world built for everyone to use. ASTROLab, which is part of Mont-Mégantic National Park, runs this observatory.
ASTROLab: Your Space Adventure
About 500 feet below the main observatory is ASTROLab. This is a museum and activity center all about astronomy for the public. You can see cool exhibitions and watch movies about stars in their star cinema. At night, ASTROLab opens two public observatories. They also have many telescopes and other tools for you to use to look at the night sky.
Outdoor Activities
Mont-Mégantic National Park offers many ways to enjoy the outdoors. There are over 50 kilometers of hiking trails. The park also has trails for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and mountain biking.
Flying High
Sometimes, the wind conditions are just right for hang gliding and paragliding. Many people jump from the top of Mount St. Joseph. The gliding club in Thetford Mines helps supervise these flights. In 2003, Marco Levasseur set a Quebec record for hang gliding from this mountain. He reached an amazing height of 3749 meters!
Cycling Challenges
Riding a bike up Mont Mégantic is one of the hardest climbs in Quebec. It is also the highest road in the province. The long, steep parts of the road offer a great challenge for cyclists. The Tour de Beauce, a famous bike race, often includes this tough climb. This has made the park well-known in the international cycling world.
