SCIRBI – Berthierville
Region : Lanaudière (Qc)
Start : Parking lot
Distance from start : up to 9km
Parking : Yes
Fee : Free
Trail Markings : Maps & Posts
Difficulty : Easy
Washroom: Bécosse at the Start and a couple along the trail
Map : Click here
Weather : Weather Conditions
Location : 100, Rue de Bienville (Route 158)
Website : SCIRBI
Annexe : Trail list
Date of hike : 2015-07-31 (Ben R., Julie R. and Richelle) 7.5km/3hr
We found the Société de Conservation, Interprétation et Recherche de Berthierville et ses Îles (SCIRBI) randomly one day while looking for green spots in google maps.
The SCIRBI has been around since 1985 on the islands de la commune and du milieu. The Island de la Commune is actually a commune. Farmers from Berthierville bring their horses, cows and sheep to live there during the summer season, until mid-october. The right to use this commune is passed down from father to son (very old fashioned).
Wildlife
When we arrived, we got to see some of the animals roaming in hoards in the fields.
There is also an amazing amount of wildlife along the trails :
- Frogs..way too many frogs
- Small Birds : There is a poster at the start to help you identify them
- Crows : Common on the north shore
- Predator Birds : We saw a Bald Eagle!!!!!! Oh and a couple of Falcons… but a BALD EAGLE!!!
- Wildflowers… I said wild right 😉
Animals roaming in the commune
The Trails
At the head of the trail, there is a box filled with pamphlets of the park with a map. Get yourself one before starting.
We started our trail on the main Trail (Pink) which is like in any town park. There are three wooden observatories you can climb in, which don’t offer any impressive view but their main feature is for bird watching.
One of the bird watching towers. Way more solid than it looks
The trails were well identified and maintained. Thank you!
We took the first intersection leading us into the swamp. These trails go through many landscapes including swamps, leafy forests and agricultural.
The agricultural landscapes are important in this park. They are inspired by the Ironquois who used to cultivate Corn, Courges and green beans on the island. You can walk through these fields but the courge ones are probably only accessible in the fall.
You also can take a trail to walk along the river and admire the factory on the other side…
The Swamp – This water was completely carpeted green!
A lot of the trail go through the corn fields
The trails are well maintained and easily identified. Ironically, the trail Chemin du barrage doesn’t offer any view of a dam but of rapids.
We took our time in the trails to avoid squishing frogs which were very adventurous. This is a beautiful, original, relaxing hike. I look forward to coming here in the winter to go snowshoeing.
Happy Hiking!
Annexe
Trail List
| Trail name | Distance |
|---|---|
| Marécages loop | 4.5km |
| Trois Tours Trail | 2,2km |
| Barrage Trail | 3km |
| Agriculteurs Trail | N/A |
| Winter Trail (Ski) | 9km |
| Winter Trail (Ski) | 7.5km |