The Chic-Chocs Observatory, located in the heart of Matane, is a meeting place with this splendid and renowned mountain range. A unique panoramic view allows you to observe a variety of mountains over more than 50 km. By ATV, snowmobile, motorcycle, or car, it is possible to visit in order to observe and learn more about the practices according to the season as well as about the wildlife and history of these places. The observatory is on a mountain facing the Chic-Chocs.

When summer arrives, the Chic-Chocs of La Matanie become an immense playground. The trails open up, the mountains call out, and everyone finds their own way to explore them. Some venture out side by side in side-by-side vehicles or on enduro motorcycles along forest paths. Others prefer the effort and fresh air: gravel biking amidst the climbs and descents, trial biking tackling obstacles. And for those who like to take their time, hiking unfolds on marked trails, including the Appalachian International Trail which crosses the entire range, from summit to summit. The same mountain, a thousand ways to experience it. Here, everyone discovers the territory and pursues their passion, beneath the trees and the vast summer sky.

When winter comes, the Chic-Chocs of La Matanie are covered with snow and become a huge playground. The peaks turn white, the silence sets in, and everyone finds their own way to explore them. Some ride snowmobiles, racing from one horizon to the other on well-maintained trails.

Others prefer the quiet and fresh air: off-piste skiing to rush down the slopes and slide between the trees, snowshoeing to explore the marked trails, at everyone's own pace. The same mountain, a thousand ways to experience it. Here, everyone discovers the territory and practices their passion, under the frosted cover of the trees and the vast winter sky.

In the hinterland, parishes emerged, then three villages disappeared: Saint-Paulin-Dalibaire, Saint-Thomas-de-Cherbourg, and Saint-Nil. A fourth, Saint-Jean-de-Cherbourg, was saved by the mobilization of its citizens during the first Dignity operation.

The peaks also tell stories. In 1844, geologist William Logan crossed the Chic-Chocs with his assistants and five Mi'gmaq guides in search of coal. He did not find any, but he gave his name to the highest summit in the region, Mount Logan. One by one, discover the thirty-two mountains of the range. From the sky, each one reveals its shape, name, and altitude. Then, from east to west, the panorama brings them all together: it's up to you to find them from Mount Vélo.

Further down, the forest becomes the refuge of large animals. The Chic-Chocs of La Matanie are among the best territories for moose in Quebec. Caribou can also be found there, a fragile presence in the summits, which feeds in winter on the same caribou moss you see here. From discreet mosses under your feet to the moose, an invisible thread unites all the fauna and flora of the mountain.