Top 8 things to do in La Mauricie National Park

La Mauricie National Park lies in the Laurentian hills of Quebec, between Montreal and Quebec City, on the old, worn rock of the Canadian Shield. Its rolling hills of maple, birch and spruce hold about 150 lakes, many linked by rivers and portages, and it is one of the best places in eastern Canada to paddle a canoe, camp on a lakeshore and listen to loons at night. In late September and early October the hills blaze with colour. These are the eight outings we would put first. The order starts with what the park is known for, then goes by what an outing gives back for the time and effort it takes. Distances are approximate; times are our estimates and do not include stops.

The lakes are long and the wind can raise steep waves on them quickly: wear a life jacket, stay near shore and keep off the big lakes when it blows. The water is cold in spring and fall. Black bears live throughout the park, so store food properly when you camp. Blackflies and mosquitoes are fierce in late spring and early summer, and the rocks along the shore are slippery when wet.

1. Drive the Parkway and stop at Le Passage

The park’s scenic road winds through the hills between its two entrances, past lakes, picnic areas, trailheads and a string of lookouts. The best is Le Passage, high above Lac Wapizagonke, with a view along the long, narrow lake between wooded ridges. The drive is at its finest in the fall colours, when the maples turn red and the birches gold, and it is the easiest way to see the whole park in a day.

• Distance: about 39 miles (63 km) between the Saint-Jean-des-Piles and Saint-Mathieu entrances
• Allow: half a day with stops
• Start: either entrance
• When: spring to fall; late September to early October for colour
• Suits: everyone

2. Paddle Lac Wapizagonke

Lac Wapizagonke is a long, narrow lake in a deep valley between wooded ridges, with sandy beaches, rocky points and steep wooded shores. You can rent a canoe or kayak on the lake and paddle for an hour or a day, past small islands and into quiet bays where loons and herons fish and beavers swim at dusk. It is the heart of the park and its finest paddle.

• Allow: 2 hours to a day
• Start: the rental centre on Lac Wapizagonke, near the Saint-Mathieu entrance
• When: June to September
• Suits: everyone who can paddle; beginners on calm days

3. Paddle and hike to Waber Falls

Waber Falls, about 89 feet (27 m) high, tumbles down a rocky slope deep in the forest at the far end of Lac Wapizagonke. The classic way to reach it is to paddle up the lake, then walk the trail from the shore through the forest to the falls, a full day out that shows the best of the park, on the water and on foot.

• Distance: about 2.9 miles (4.6 km) of paddling each way, plus about 1.9 miles (3 km) each way on foot
• Allow: a full day
• Start: Lac Wapizagonke, near the Saint-Mathieu entrance
• When: June to September
• Suits: fit paddlers and walkers

4. See Île-aux-Pins from its lookout

A short walk from the road leads to a lookout over Lac Wapizagonke and Île-aux-Pins, a tiny island crowned with pines in the middle of the lake. It is one of the most photographed views in the park, especially in the fall, when the slopes around the lake turn red and gold.

• Allow: 20 minutes
• Start: Île-aux-Pins lookout, on the Parkway
• When: spring to fall; late September for colour
• Suits: everyone

5. Spend a day at Lac Édouard

In the east of the park, Lac Édouard is a large, clear lake with a sandy beach, a picnic area and canoe and kayak rentals. It is the best place in the park for a family day of swimming and paddling, with the hills reflected in the water on a calm morning.

• Allow: half a day
• Start: Lac Édouard day-use area, on the Parkway
• When: July and August for swimming
• Suits: everyone

6. Picnic by the cascades

Near the Saint-Jean-des-Piles entrance, a river slides over broad, smooth slabs of granite in a series of cascades and pools at the Les Cascades picnic area. In summer, families come to sit on the warm rock, cool their feet in the water and watch the river pour down the slabs. Take care on the rock, which is slippery where it is wet.

• Allow: 1 to 2 hours
• Start: Les Cascades picnic area, near the Saint-Jean-des-Piles entrance
• When: June to September
• Suits: everyone

7. Go canoe camping

For a few days away, La Mauricie has canoe-in campsites on its lakes, linked by portages, where you can paddle from lake to lake, camp on a quiet shore and fall asleep to the calls of loons. Routes range from an easy night out on Lac Wapizagonke to several days on the more remote lakes, and they are among the most accessible wilderness canoe trips in eastern Canada.

• Allow: 2 to 5 days
• Start: the canoe launches on the park’s lakes; book campsites ahead
• When: June to September
• Suits: paddlers with some camping experience

8. Ski in winter

In winter, the park’s trails near the Rivière à la Pêche area are groomed for cross-country skiing through snowy forest and along frozen lakes, with heated shelters along the way, and there are trails for snowshoeing too. The park is quiet and white, and you may see the tracks of moose, wolves and foxes in fresh snow.

• Allow: half a day to a day
• Start: Rivière à la Pêche Service Centre, near the Saint-Jean-des-Piles entrance
• When: about December to March, with snow
• Suits: skiers and snowshoers dressed for cold

Before you go

This list covers what stays the same from year to year. Closures, entrance dates, trail conditions and rental hours change, and Parks Canada posts them on its own site. The link is on our La Mauricie National Park guide, with the map and how to get there.