As park reservations open up, now is the perfect time to book your summer camping trip! I have greatly enjoyed camping at SEPAQ parks, Quebec’s National Park Network, because of the ease of booking, the facilities, the knowledgeable staff, and conservation efforts. When booking a SEPAQ campsite, you are able to check the availability at parks across Quebec based on criteria like type of camping (rustic or with services), equipment (tent, RV, or trailer), facilities (washroom or outhouse), dates, and number of guests. The parks have well maintained facilities and rentals making it easy to not only camp in comfort, but also try new activities like canoeing, kayaking, trail biking, paddle boarding, and even via ferrata. 

Beyond the campsite itself, the parks are run by very knowledgeable individuals who are always happy to tell you about ecosystems and wildlife found in the park. I have learned so much from the information tables and presentations at visitors centres and from park rangers. Having knowledge about the nature around you makes a camping experience so much more meaningful. These parks are protected conservation areas. The SEPAQ team cares for the land and encourages guests to respect the park, which allows for the preservation of incredible ecosystems in Quebec. 

While I have not been to all of the SEPAQ parks, I have been to quite a few over the years. Here are a few of my favorites and why I enjoy camping there! 

For swimming: Parc National du Bic

Distance from Montreal: 5hrs

Bic is my absolute favorite SEPAQ park. I have been to Bic three (soon to be four) summers in a row and it holds a special place in my heart. The park is along a rocky coast where the ocean meets the Saint Laurence river. There are many sand and rock beaches to explore, including an island called Ile aux Amours that you can walk to at low tide. The park has marine life like crabs, sea urchins, and starfish as well as seals. 

Beyond the waterfront, there are also beautiful meadows full of wild strawberries and a wide range of hiking trails. My favorite hike is Le Tour Cap-à-L’Orignal. This trail leads you along the coast and features rocky climbs, beautiful coves for swimming, and quiet beaches. Be sure to go at low tide, otherwise parts of the trail are not accessible. 

Most campsites have showers and dish washing stations nearby. If you are looking for a tent camping area away from RVs, check out Sector Guillemot in Camping Riviere-du-Sud-Ouest. This area has a bathroom with hot showers and a walking path that leads directly to the river. If you are looking for a rustic campsite (outhouse only) check out Sector La Coulée. 

On your way to Bic, stop in Trois-Pistoles to get fresh fish at one of the poisonneries to grill over your campfire. If you would like to do an activity outside the park, check out sunset kayaking tours by Aventures Archipel.  

For landscape: Parc National des Grands-Jardins

Distance from Montreal: 5hrs

Grand Jardins has some of the most beautiful landscapes I have ever seen. Throughout the park ground is covered with wild blueberries and lichen. My words and photos could never do the beauty of this park justice. Despite being in Southern Quebec, Grands-Jardins is home to arctic vegetation and even has guided tours of protected taiga, or boreal forest, areas. This tour is four hours and has limited spots, so be sure to plan ahead.

On the mountain hiking trails, after climbing through the lichen covered forest, you will get to rocky mountain tops with incredible views. I recommend the Mont du Lac-des-Cygnes Trail. If you are feeling brave, you can register for a guided via ferrata hike. This hiking form is a hybrid between rock climbing and hiking, where you are clipped in with a rock climbing harness to explore steeper rock faces.

The camp sites at Grands-Jardins are fairly quiet in my experience. There are not many camping spots available, so be sure to book in advance. 

For new campers: Parc National du Mont-Tremblant

Distance from Montreal: 2 hours

Mont Tremblant is a great space to ease into camping, especially being so close to Montreal. The park has a quintessential southern Quebec landscape, with rolling mountains, beautiful lakes, and waterways. Sector Diable is a great place for new campers because it has convenient access to trails, water activities, and multiple well equipped camp shops. If you forgot something you can certainly buy it. You are also able to rent canoes, kayaks, pedal boats, paddle boards, and bikes.

There is a wide range of hiking trails available in the park. In sector Diable, you can explore the Chutes du Diable which is a large waterfall with a flat 1.4km out and back trail. You can hike La Coulée to get a mountain top view of Lac Manroe. There are also backpacking circuits and via feratta guided hikes available. 

This sector has many campsites available and is a popular destination for families, which means it feels a bit busier than most SEPAQ. The main beaches and rental areas can be crowded on weekends, but we found camping a bit further from this area on Lac-Escalier meant we had a quieter stay while still being close to activities. If you want a more remote and quieter stay, definitely check out a different sector. There are four sectors to choose from!

For hiking: Parc National de la Gaspésie

Distance: 8hrs

I hesitated whether or not to add Gaspésie park to this guide, as I have only visited as a day hiker and it is far from Montreal. However, I wish I had camped in Gaspésie park because the hikes are beautiful and I wanted more time to explore the trails and not feel rushed. Gaspésie park is home to some of the largest mountains in Quebec. 

We hiked Mont Albert, which is the most famous hike in the park. Despite the difficulty of the trail, the change in terrain makes the experience fly by. The 20km loop included forest trails, a flat tundra mountain top, and orange rock cliffs and scrambles. Along the trail, you will likely see moose tracks. If you start your hike early in the morning, you could spot a moose or caribou.

There are 3 camping sectors, so you can plan your campsite around which hikes you are interested in doing. Camping de La Riviere is conveniently located right next to the Albert Nord trail (peak of Mont Albert). 

As you exit the park, you are able to take a swim in the ocean and even have a meal and watch a live concert at Sea Shack. 

If you are looking for a slightly closer park with great hiking, check out Parc National du Mont-Orford (1.5 hours) or Parc National du Fjord-du-Saguenay (6 hours).

For early summer: Parc National de la Jacques-Cartier

Distance: 3.5 hours

While Jacques-Cartier is a great park all summer, particularly if you like canoeing, the plants that grow in the early summer are breathtaking. There are incredible blooms across the forest floor including red and white trilliums, trout lilies, and dicentras. Be sure to stop by the visitors centre to learn more about these flowers, their properties, and their growing pattern. Not only are they beautiful, they are also quite functional for the forest, protecting from soil erosion as the snow melts and spring rain falls.

Jacques Cartier has a range of campsites including rustic, semi-serviced sites (with bathrooms), and sites that allow dogs. If it is cold in the early summer, you can easily warm up in the beautiful visitors centre, which has large windows overlooking the river. 

For astrology and science lovers: Parc National du Mont-Mégantic

Distance from Montreal: 4 hours

Mont-Mégantic is a beautiful park for hiking and a great place to see and learn about the stars. The park itself is a dark sky reserve, meaning that it has low light pollution allowing for undisturbed views of  the night sky. At the top of Mont Mégantic, there is an astronomy centre and observatory that you can visit during to see the telescopes and learn about astronomy research in Quebec. If you want to do a night tour of the observatory, which includes star gazing, be sure to book far in advance because the tours are quite popular. To learn more about the history of the stars and progression of astrology research, check out the Astrolab centre which is a museum located near the visitors centre.

Stay in the Grand-Ors sector rather than the Franceville sector if you are interested in astrology activities and comfortable with rustic camping. To get between the sectors, there is a 25 minute drive which includes leaving and returning to the park.

Did I miss your favourite SEPAQ to camp in? Let me know which one and why you love it!