Located about 70 km north of Quebec, Lac-des-Neiges has an ancient forest spread over three sites: on the west shore of Lac des Neiges (facing the mouth of the lake), on the north shore of the dam of head of the
rivière des Neiges and on the west bank of the Rivière des Neiges below Lac English. Covering , this ancient forest is found in the bioclimatic subdomain of the eastern white birch fir forest. The last great ice age, which would have ended about 10,000 years ago, left significant glacial deposits in this area; these deposition layers generally have a thickness of . The main feature of this ancient forest is the black spruce fir tree, some trees of which are 200 years old. Among the various species of trees populating this ancient forest, the fir is dominant there because of the cool and very humid climate. In addition, the mountainous and rocky relief generates a low density of the dominant cover; tree trunks generally have a low height. So far, severe natural disturbances (forest fires, insect epidemics, high winds and lightning strikes) have not affected this exceptional forest ecosystem; this state of natural preservation is rather rare for such an old coniferous forest. In addition, human activities have had little impact on this natural territory, particularly because of its relief and its difficulty of access. Generally, the forests north of Quebec City, in the high foothills of the Laurentians, are unlikely to evolve to very advanced stages; this anticipation stems from the fact that these forests have been exploited by silviculture since the middle of the 19th century and the non-harvested woody material is often decimated by epidemics of the
spruce budworm. However, these epidemics help to rejuvenate forest stands. This protected forest area of Lac-des-Neiges is home to Leptoporus mollis, a fungus, and Anastrophyllum hellerianum, a liverwort. Studies on the ancient forests of Europe often refer to these two species which are associated with the large, little degraded woody debris of the
Laurentides; Once dominant in this area, these species have become rare. Consequently, the researchers recommended to government authorities that this typical Lac-des-Neiges forest be preserved by granting it the status of old growth forest. This forest area also includes black spruce and white birch, which are widely distributed in the territory but in low density. These tree species are found to be denser only in the few sites that have been affected by larger windfall. Fir trees are generally favored by plant regeneration; and occasionally black spruce and white birch. The herbaceous vegetation is generally dense; it mainly includes Rubus pubescens and Gymnocarpium disjuncta. The moss bed is dominated in places by Pleurozium schreberi and Hylocomium splendens. == Toponymy ==