The National Trail in Canada

The National Trail is a pan-Canadian trail project dedicated to hiking in natural environments. It was designed for a wide range of users and is intended for both long-distance hikers and day hikers.

The idea of creating a hiking trail linking the Pacific to the Atlantic began to take shape among a few outdoor enthusiasts in the early 1970s. The goal was to bring hikers together around a shared challenge: creating an uninterrupted trail crossing Canada from west to east over some 10,000 kilometres.

Mr. Doug Campbell, of the Canadian Hiking Association (CHA), was behind the first initiatives. In 1971, a meeting with national outdoor recreation stakeholders helped move the concept forward, and in 1977, the organization obtained official status. This marked the creation of the Canadian National Trail Association (CNTA).

The National Trail in Québec

In Québec, the story dates back to the fall of 1974, when three friends met with several people interested in developing hiking and created the Comité québécois des sentiers de randonnée inc.

In 1978, the committee merged with the Fédération québécoise de la raquette, giving rise to the Fédération québécoise de la raquette et de la randonnée pédestre.

The name Fédération québécoise de marche was officially adopted in 1982. Born from the desire to see the creation of a continuous hiking trail crossing Québec and linking neighbouring provinces, the Fédération québécoise de la marche (FQM) was designated as the official representative of the Canadian National Trail Association.

In 1990, the Comité québécois pour le Sentier national was created. This name was changed to Sentier national au Québec (SNQ) in 1993. Regional coordinators were appointed to oversee trail development in their respective regions.

Marked, mapped and maintained, the Sentier national au Québec runs through eight administrative regions: Outaouais, Laurentides, Lanaudière, Mauricie, Québec, Charlevoix, Manicouagan and Bas-Saint-Laurent. In total, approximately 1,400 kilometres of trails are planned. By 2010, nearly 1,000 kilometres of trails had been completed.

In 2015, the Fédération québécoise de la marche, in association with the magazine Marche-Randonnée, merged to form Rando Québec. This new direction coincided with a renewed commitment by the organization to the development and long-term sustainability of trails.

Thanks to the involvement of many passionate individuals over the years, Rando Québec continues to pursue its primary mission today: to promote the sustainable development of hiking and snowshoeing.

The National Trail in Bas-Saint-Laurent

In Bas-Saint-Laurent, the first regional volunteer committee was formed in November 1996. Two routes were selected: a 144.4-kilometre north-south corridor linking Trois-Pistoles to Dégelis, and an east-west corridor linking Trois-Pistoles to Amqui, where it connects with the International Appalachian Trail (IAT).

The mission of the Sentier national au Bas-Saint-Laurent is to promote and ensure the long-term sustainability of the trail, as well as to support its activities and sustainable recreational tourism development as a whole.

The development and maintenance of the trail is currently carried out by the Corporation PARC Bas-Saint-Laurent.