La Mauricie National Park lies just north of Shawinigan, Quebec. It is one of only two national parks in the province, the other being Forillon National Park at the tip of the Gaspé Peninsula.

The park sits roughly 200 kilometres from both Montreal and Quebec City, making it an easy getaway from either urban centre.

La Mauricie National Park was established in 1981. It is over 500 square km of protected Laurentian forest.

There are 2 main entrances to the park:

• Saint-Jean-des-Piles
• Saint Mathieu

On the map, you will see the Saint-Gerard-des-Laurentides entrance. This is a trail entrance, not a road entrance.

Site Review:

There are 3 campground areas that can accommodate RV camping.

• Riviere-a-la-Peche (250 camping sites- 108 electric)
• Mistagance (115 camping sites- 26 electric)
• Wapizagonke (230 camping sites- none are electric)

The only RV service offered is electric hook-up. There are water taps throughout. Each campground has a dump station. The campground roads are paved.

Comfort Stations

The comfort stations located in each of the campground areas are the best I have ever seen.I don’t usually dwell on comfort stations. I generally only comment on the availability of flush toilets and showers. The comfort stations at La Mauricie National Park, however, are worthy of special mention. They are the bar by which all future comfort stations that I will ever encounter will henceforth be measured. They are the most beautiful well-maintained washrooms I have seen camping. EVER.The campsites are set in a forest setting and have good privacy between each site. All sites are equipped with a fire ring and a picnic table.

You should note that while the campsites appear spacious they really can’t accommodate equipment much over 30ft. They have a few sites that can handle the big 5th wheels and the Class As but not very many. You would be wise to book in advance if you require one of these sites.

There are 2 main problems with the sites:

1. The ground cover is dirt which is well…dirty.
2. All sites have these parking curbs set up in them which force you to park as indicated on the site.

Problems with the parking curbs:

1. The campsites are not particularly level, which can create challenges for RVs without automatic leveling systems. In our Class C motorhome, we usually assess a site before parking and position the RV on the flattest section available. The concrete curbs at these sites eliminate that flexibility by restricting where you can park.

   I might understand the need for designated parking areas if Parks Canada were protecting a grass-covered site from damage. However, most of the site surface consists of packed dirt, so the curbs seem unnecessary and make leveling more difficult than it needs to be.

2. The campsites sit within heavily forested areas, and the required parking position can make setup more challenging. Because campers can only park one way, they must often work around trees when positioning slide-outs, awnings, and other equipment.
   Fortunately we don’t have slides on our motorhome but the position of this tree would have made it challenging to accommodate them.
3. We normally place a patio mat under our awning, but the parking curbs limited our setup options and forced us to use our smaller mat. Consequently, dirt continually found its way into the motorhome.
4. I tripped over one of them in the dark. No serious injuries sustained but the placement of these things does require constant vigilance if you want to avoid a tumble or a broken toe!

Which of the 2 Serviced Campgrounds is Better?

Mistagance Campground:

• Close to the Saint Mathieu entrance.
• Located about 1 km from the Shawenegen Day Use area.
• There is a hiking trail within the campground that will take you to the Shawnegen Day Use area.
• It’s the smaller of the 2 campgrounds with only 26 of the sites being serviced with electricity and suitable for RVs.

Riviere-a-la-Peche:

• Enter the park at the Saint-Jean-des-Piles entrance.
• Over 100 sites with electric service.
• Close to the Riviere-la-Peche service centre and access to various hiking and biking trail options.
• Not far from the Lac Bouchard Day Use area.

 I would recommend the Riviere-a-la-Peche campground simply based on its closer proximity to activities.

Activities:

There is a 58 km road within the park that connects to each entrance. Along this road, you will find various recreation Day Use areas.

Swimming:

Beaches available for swimming at La Mauricie National park include:

• Lac Edourd
• Wapizagonka
• Shewenegan

There are no lifeguards at the beaches. Change rooms are provided at some of the Day Use areas.

Many of the other lakes can also accommodate swimming.

Canoeing/Kayaking/SUP:

There are water routes at La Mauricie to accommodate all levels of paddlers. Maps and suggestions are available at the Visitor Information centres located at the vehicle entrances to the park.

You can rent equipment to use within the park. Rentals are available at:

• Shewenegan Recreation Area
• Lac Edourd Recreation Area
  
• Wapizagonke Recreation Area

 La Mauricie is a Canadian National park so all information is available in both English and French.

* A VERY popular day trip within the park is a visit to Waber Falls. (referenced as Chutes Waber on the map)To accomplish this you would first canoe (or kayak) about 5 km from Wapizagonke Recreation Area. There is a 100 m portage between 2 sections of Lac Wapizagonke.

Once you reach the hiking trail you would then hike 4.5 km to the falls. The water is shallow enough that you can wade right up to the base of the falls and enjoy a refreshing dip, as many do.

You return the way you came. The trip guide estimates that you should plan 6-8 hours for the trip. Previous canoe skills would no doubt be beneficial.

When considering this trip you should remember that you are not the only one with this idea. Many people will be there with you also seeking a respite deep in the Laurentian forest. In fact, it is probably the most popular activity in the park.

Click here for more information.

Hiking:

There are many trails that vary in length and degree of difficulty. Click here for a list.

Dog Rules:

Dogs are not permitted on any of the trails.

In my opinion, this a Quebec thing. Until very recently dogs were not allowed at any of the Quebec provincial parks. In May 2019  in some parks and on some sites (with various restrictions) they started to allow you to camp with your pet on a trial basis.

La Mauricie, however, is a Canadian National Park. Of the 6 other Canadian National Parks that I have personally stayed at, none of them have this rule. Dogs are allowed at all the other ones. They have the typical rules that you would expect like:  clean up after your pet, keep your dog on a leash, no excessive barking etc. but they are allowed on the trails.

Not at La Mauricie. Dogs are allowed in the campgrounds and in the picnic areas and that is it –and only if you are travelling with a single pet. Camping with multiple pets is not tolerated.

Biking:

The main road through the park is paved with a marked lane suitable for biking.

There are numerous long ascents and descents. This is not family biking. It is challenging and suitable for experienced road cyclists.

At the Riviere-a-la-Peche Service Centre, you will find a well-appointed rest area. There are numerous trails suitable for all levels of ability that can be accessed from here.

Fishing:

Fishing here is confusing. You are allowed to fish on certain lakes at certain times. In order to fish, you are required to have a permit that may or may not be granted.

• Fishing is only permitted on Mondays, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
• A limited number of permits are issued per day.  A draw is held in order to ensure that permits are distributed fairly and equitably.
• The daily draw for permits is held at the Visitor Centres typically at 7am. You have to check the website to see which of the Visitor Centres the draw will be held at. 
• Every angler must obtain a fishing permit. In other words, you could be fishing with friends or family and everyone over 18 needs a permit and there is no guarantee that all the members of your group will receive one (Youths under the age of 16 may fish on the same permit as an adult on the condition that they are accompanied by that adult).

And the list of rules goes on and on… Click here to see them all.

Visitor Centre/ Amphitheatre:

The Visitor Centre at the Saint Jean-Des-Piles entrance has a few interactive displays. The Visitor Centre at the Saint Mathieu entrance does not.

There is an amphitheatre in each of the campground areas.

You can participate in naturalist-led programs and activities. The park offers its organized activities in French only, a policy that I found somewhat unusual for a national park. Everything else accommodates both English and French.

Things to Know:

1. The Visitor Centres and the Riviere-a-la-Peche Service Centre are the only places within La Mauricie National Park with cell service. You may get some intermittent signal here and there but I wouldn’t count on it.
2. At various locations within each of the campgrounds, you can purchase wood and ice.
3. You will require a credit card and identification to rent equipment.
4. The Shawenegen and Lac Edourd Day Use areas have snack bars to purchase refreshments and souvenir items. There is no stocked store to purchase groceries or forgotten items. You would have to go into the city of Shawinigan located about 25 km from the park entrances.
5. There are no laundry facilities in the park.
6. Roads inside the park are good and easy to manage even if you are towing large equipment.

IMO:

Instead of this being the “In My Opinion” section I should just call this the “My Rant” section. There were things I loved about this park and there were things that I did not.

Love:

• Some breathtaking scenery
• Fantastic facilities i.e the comfort stations, the amphitheatres and the recreation areas. In fact, some of the best facilities I have seen anywhere.
• Good privacy between sites.
• Well maintained

Did Not Love:

• The set up of the sites using the parking curbs
• The price of a semi-serviced site is $29.40 + another $7.80 per person per day for everyone over 18 years old– making the cost of the site $45 CAD a night.

• One rule that I struggle to understand is the ban on dogs on the park’s hiking trails. I admit that I may be biased because I own a dog, although at 11 years old, he no longer joins us on long hikes. Even so, many campers bring their dogs along and consider sharing outdoor adventures with them an important part of the camping experience.

  In Ontario, where we live, hikers regularly take their dogs on trails, paddlers bring them along in canoes, and some dogs even carry their own small packs on portage routes. Throughout our travels, I have rarely seen trails littered with dog waste, nor have I observed wildlife suffering obvious stress from encounters with responsible, leashed dogs.

  Certainly, some dogs bark excessively or create disturbances, but the trail ban does not address that issue because the park still allows dogs in the campground. In my opinion, the restriction unnecessarily limits how visitors enjoy the park and prevents many campers from sharing the experience with a valued member of their family.

• While the campgrounds are attractive and well maintained, they offer little to do on-site. Campers who want to swim, paddle, hike, or watch the sunset must drive to a day-use area.

  I found this surprising given the abundance of lakes and waterways throughout La Mauricie National Park. With so much water in the park, I expected at least some campgrounds to offer direct waterfront access.

  To me, the park seems to cater more to day visitors than overnight campers.

Reccommend?

Now the question is would I recommend La Mauricie National Park as an RV Place to Go? Yes. I still would recommend it but not for a long stay. It is a Canadian national park and I would like to visit as many of them as possible. It is certainly picturesque and the facilities are top-notch but I’m also glad that I didn’t make this the primary destination for our trip.

This area of the country is beautiful but there are many other places that offer exactly what you can enjoy at La Mauricie. I guess I just expected it to be something different. I won’t be back.