The best camping in La Mauricie National Park, QC

Just off the highway between Montreal and Quebec City, La Mauricie is where city-based adventurers go to experience the recuperative powers of nature. You can hike to lookouts, haul in wild trout after canoeing on glassy lakes, and row to waterfalls—Waber Falls being the area’s star attraction. Some of the park’s 500 or so campsites are accessible right off the parkway, but for solitude-seekers, the lakes and streams are the route to the hushed backcountry: simply paddle and portage your way deep into the interior of the 536-square-kilometre park. In winter, snow turns everything in the Laurentians white, meaning you can strap on cross-country skis or snowshoes to explore.

• Best for families: Rivière à la Pêche has 200-plus sites and all of the amenities families need, from a convenience store and washrooms to regular activities.

• Best for big groups: La Clairière group campground can accommodate between 10 and 100 tent campers with access to a number of hiking trails.

• Best for fishing: Lac des Cinq is accessible by canoe with some difficult portages—but it’s worth the journey.

1. Mistagance, Rivière à la Pêche, and Wapizagonke campgrounds are popular for their shared showers and potable water, so you’ll want to get these reservations locked in early.
2. La Mauricie canoe-camping is a more off-the-grid experience with stunning lake-edge views. Spots can be reserved in advance, but because this option requires a bit more legwork, you’re more likely to get a last-minute booking.
3. For winter camping, you can stay toasty in the oTENTik cabin-tent hybrids at Rivière à la Pêche or in the dormitories at the Domaine Wabenaki-Andrew heritage lodges. If you’re unfazed by subzero temps, brave it in a four-season tent at the Rivière à la Pêche campground.

You can expect snow from mid-December through March and spectacular maple and birch leaves in fall, but summer is peak season. Busy dates include Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day (June 24) weekend, Canada Day (July 1) weekend, and Quebec’s annual two-week construction holiday (late July to early August). Visit at these times and you can expect canoe jams and crowds on high-traffic routes like Les Cascades or Waber Falls. For the quietest experiences, choose a canoe route with a long or difficult portage. A rule of thumb: the harder the portage, the fewer the people.

• The Rivière à la Pêche and Mistagance campgrounds include wheelchair-accessible campsites. The park’s Lac Étienne and Les Cascades trails are also wheelchair-accessible. 

• Find seasonal food service spots (open mid-May through mid-October) at Shewenegan and Lac Édouard picnic areas, and a convenience store (open mid-May through mid-October) at Wapizagonke picnic area. 
• Canoes and kayaks can be rented at Shewenegan, Lac Édouard, and Wapizagonke, while row-and-go canoes can be found on Lac à la Pêche and Lac du Caribou.
• The park reception centers at Saint-Jean-des-Piles and Saint-Mathieu close for winter.