Québec is not a province that is advertised as having many waterfalls. I decided to take my husband to Québec City for his birthday, and one of the perks is that there are many more waterfalls that one might expect, even in and around the city. If you head outside of the city, mostly northeast of Québec City, but a few south, you’ll find even more waterfalls.

To get to the falls, you will either have to drive to Québec or get a rental car. There are probably a lot more options for rental cars near Montréal, but there aren’t really any major waterfalls in or near that city, so you’d have to drive an hour or so north to even find some falls. The Québec airport is smaller and there are fewer options, but you’ll be closer to the falls. Driving in from the northeast US is also another option.

The first falls we stopped at is simply called Les Cascades. I don’t seem to find any more interesting name attached to them. They’re found near Parc Armand-Grenier or along Parc de la Rivière-Beauport. From Parc Armand-Grenier, it is a very short hike down some stairs to see the falls, so that is the option/park I refer to in the directions.

Les Cascades are the smallest of the five falls I visited in the Québec City region over two days. They’re still impressive and not at all difficult to find.

Directions:

1. It’s easier to explain if you’re heading east along Autoroute 40 E. If you’re headed east, take exit 319.
2. After taking exit 319, turn left onto Rue Cambronne.
3. After 350 meters, turn right onto Avenue des Cascades and turn into Parc Armand-Grenier.
4. There is no cost to visit. After parking, head toward the river and there will be a trail and some stairs leading down to the falls.
5. If you’re headed west along Autoroute 40 W, you’ll have to take exit 320 and then do a number of right turns: first right onto Rue Clemenceau, then right onto Rue Seigneuriale, and then right onto Rue Cambronne. You’ll then go 1.3 km to Avenue des Cascades.

Accessibility: 9/10 (easy, some stairs)
Height: 33′
Distance of Hike: 0.1 miles round trip

Where in the World is Les Cascades?