Each hiker/pilgrim, as well as each group, walks independently at their own pace and according to their physical condition. However, you should be prepared for the large crowds that flock to the area during the summer tourist season. Almost all accommodations are booked months in advance at high prices. It is therefore advisable to register and obtain your Long-Distance Hikers’ Passport and Kapoah Pilgrims of North America membership to gain priority access to essential services, including communal lodging and transportation options.
While it opens doors, the passport makes it easier to arrange appropriate accommodations based on the specified hiking dates.
The “Kapoah” Certificate for Walkers or Pilgrims of North America is awarded based on the passport stamped at various points along the route, marking the end of the “equivalent” Camino de Santiago for North America (Kapoah).
Yes. The mountain trails and the routes of the Notre-Dame de Québec Pilgrimage Trail— the North American “equivalent” of the Camino de Santiago (Kapoah)—are very safe. The best way to avoid being afraid of animals in the woods is to walk while making noise, singing, or carrying a bear bell. However, you shouldn’t assume that such encounters are common; on the contrary, animals usually stay away from paths used by humans, including the Kapoah Pilgrims of North America.
We never hear of pilgrims or long-distance hikers being bothered by wild animals.
Open from early May through late October.
There are various factors to consider when choosing the right time to take advantage of the best conditions—based on your personal or group circumstances—for the “equivalent” Camino de Santiago for North America (Kapoah), intended for Kapoah pilgrims from North America.
Temperature: Despite occasional rain, the most comfortable temperatures for hiking are in May, June, September, and October. Temperatures are higher in July and August.
Lodging: Outside of these periods, some lodging options are not available. Community lodging will be offered only during the summer at the centers, except where there is a youth hostel. Mountain trails will offer lodging from late June through mid-October.
Mountain trails: Open from late June through Thanksgiving (in CANADA, a holiday celebrated on the second Monday in October) due to the presence of winter snow in the forests and mountains. From late October to late June, forest and mountain trails are closed, as are a number of mountain huts offering lodging.
Outside the period from mid-June to mid-October, the driving routes remain accessible to adventurers, as do the inns and hotels. However, Route Q138 has heavy traffic; from Baie-Saint-Paul to Saint-Joachim de Beaupré, you may want to use public transportation. You can take a taxi or minibus to Route des Carrières (5 km past Saint-Tite des Caps, turn left toward Saint-Joachim de Beaupré) or the “Intercar” bus to Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré.
Climate change is having an impact all over the world. However, temperatures in the areas traversed by the Kapoah hikers have ranged from 22 to 30 degrees Celsius / 62 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit in recent summers.
In Quebec, where forest fires have always occurred as natural, regenerative events, coniferous forests are the most susceptible to burning. These fires occur mainly in the northern part of the province; they do not inconvenience hikers. The long-distance hike and/or “equivalent” Camino de Santiago pilgrimage for North America (Kapoah) —intended for Kapoah Pilgrims from North America —takes place further south in boreal forest regions that form an effective protective barrier against the intense heat found on many continents.
If occasional flooding occurs, it is by no means catastrophic, and most of the time the damage is repaired the very next day, or the day after that at the latest.
It all depends on your pace. However, to avoid exhaustion—and depending on your luggage (a sleeping bag is required) as well as the time needed for laundry and meal preparation—the suggested daily distance ranges from 15 to 25 km. For the Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean Trail, this amounts to 12 days; for the Fjord Crossing Trail in Charlevoix, allow 5 days; for the Notre-Dame de Québec Trail, allow 10 days. That makes a total of 27 days. Adjustments can be made along the way: for example, a one-day stop (2 nights) at the Palissades de Charlevoix, extending your stay at the Monastère de la Croix Glorieuse, the Sanctuaire de Sainte-Anne de Beaupré, or Old Quebec to enrich your pilgrimage with activities in Quebec City; or volunteering with the work of Notre-Dame des Écoles (Baie-Saint-Paul) or at the Moulin du Petit-Pré, etc. Other possible stops: please indicate at the time of registration or arrange on site.
A family-friendly route will eliminate 3 days of the (athletic) Caps du Saguenay route on the Sentier du Fjord in Charlevoix (reduced to 3 days) as well as 4 days of the (athletic) Caps de Charlevoix route on the Sentier Notre-Dame de Québec (shortened to 6 days). Transportation will be provided to skip these stages as needed.
Optionally, hikers and pilgrims can add one (1) extra day for a round trip to the Cape Trinity statue (in Rivière-Éternité) on the Saguenay River, as well as one (1) day of hiking between Sagard and Les Palissades de Charlevoix (dormitory) and another day on the Palissades grounds.
Various types of accommodations can be found throughout the region: bed-and-breakfasts, motels, youth hostels, and campgrounds. In many areas where these types of accommodations are unavailable, expensive, or fully booked, shelters or other types of community lodging—such as church basements or community centers—have been set up: a donation is recommended at the hikers’ discretion. Our list of accommodations provides information, phone numbers, and links to their websites.
The cost of the “equivalent” Camino de Santiago for North America (Kapoah), designed for Kapoah pilgrims in North America, depends on how long it takes you to walk the various trails (215 km in Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean; 130 km from the Traverse Fjord–Charlevoix trail; 200 km from Notre-Dame de Québec).
The most accurate estimate is to budget about 225 CAD per day per person if you choose bed-and-breakfast accommodations. But you’ll cut your lodging costs in half if you hike with someone who will share your room. You can also opt for less luxurious communal accommodations, which you can select from the list of available options on the Kapoah website. Communal accommodations are free. Donations are voluntary but always appreciated.
The Traverse Fjord/Saguenay Trail and the Notre-Dame de Québec Trail have more community lodging options.
The cost per day will depend on the cost of your meals.
You’ll need to add the cost of travel from your home to the starting point of your chosen hike or pilgrimage, as well as the cost of the return trip from Quebec City to your home. Don’t forget to set aside some money for unexpected expenses.
Overall, the “equivalent” Camino de Santiago for North America (Kapoah) —designed for Kapoah pilgrims in North America—is a journey on foot through towns and villages. At times, it follows linear parks designed for walking and biking, sometimes on hiking trails through wooded areas, sometimes on mountain forest trails, sometimes on gravel roads, sometimes along paved farm roads or country lanes, sometimes along secondary roads, and rarely on a national highway. It often runs alongside bodies of water.
It is therefore necessary to wear good hiking shoes; if you plan to hike in the mountains, it is best to wear sturdy hiking boots.
Therefore, you should pack only very light luggage. Avoid having to drop off non-essential items at the post office to be mailed home a few days after the hike begins.
Visit the Accommodations and Dining page, where you’ll find tips and general information, as well as a breakdown of each route detailing the main food and drink stops in each stopover town.
Please note: Kapoah Pilgrims from North America who plan to hike the Cape trails or go camping should purchase dehydrated food in advance, as it is easier to carry and prepare.
The lodging facilities located along the Sentiers des Caps (Rivière-Éternité in Saguenay, Petite-Rivière-Saint-François at Cap Tourmente in Charlevoix) may be able to accommodate hikers at a reasonable cost. For its part, tucked away from it all, the Monastery will offer prepared meals.
This service is not currently offered by the central organization. However, some lodging providers offer to transport your luggage to your next destination; simply make arrangements with them when you make your reservation or check in for the night.
It depends. The trails in the Caps region and other “equivalent” routes to the Camino de Santiago in North America (Kapoah) are not accessible to cyclists; they are marked and designed for hikers. The organizations in charge either do not allow it or lack the necessary expertise to offer the route as a cycling tour.
Cyclists— the Kapoah Pilgrims of North America—will need to use rural or state highways to travel from one point to another. Please note: Highways QC-170 and QC-138 see particularly heavy traffic, which makes them more dangerous.
It is entirely possible to take the trails in the opposite direction to travel from Notre-Dame de Québec to the Ermitage du Lac Bouchette. In fact, some pilgrims have already chosen to do so in reverse: they had no trouble finding their way.
For Kapoah pilgrims from North America traveling to the Notre-Dame de Québec Basilica-Cathedral from the western or southern parts of the country, it is possible to continue on to the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré and the Sentiers des Caps all the way to the Charlevoix region.
This is especially an issue if you limit your long-distance hike to the trails along the Saguenay Fjord, as there is no regular public transportation: see the instructions on the website regarding this trail.
As for the entire “equivalent” Camino de Santiago route for North America (Kapoah), public transportation is available at the main stops; see the “Plan My Itinerary” tab at> to choose your hiking route.
Yes. The camping route is described in the itinerary starting from Rivière-Éternité (Option 2), with an overnight stay in a mountain hut on Day 1.
Kapoah Pilgrims from North America who will be hiking the Fjord-Charlevoix Traverse Trail will be better prepared if they bring a tent with them. However, arrangements are being considered at various locations to avoid this additional burden of carrying a tent.
Yes, especially for families and older hikers; transportation can be arranged for certain sections. The main goal is to avoid athletic trails—which are more challenging—as well as roads with heavy traffic. For example, from Rivière-Éternité to Petit-Saguenay, from Sagard to the entrance of the Bataram forest road, from Baie-Saint-Paul to Rang La Martine, and from Rang La Martine to Saint-Joachim de Beaupré, minibuses and taxis can be called upon as backup as part of the North American “equivalent” of the Camino de Santiago (Kapoah). Check with your lodging providers.
There is a need for staff throughout the entire journey. Kapoah Pilgrims from North America who are not Canadian citizens cannot hold a job without a work permit obtained from Immigration Canada, nor can they receive a salary. There is a temporary work permit program for French citizens. However, occasional volunteer work is possible for walkers of any other nationality.
info@kapoah.com
Phone: (581) 745-7553