The best places to start your camping season
The weather is becoming milder and the snow is melting at last! Spring is gently lifting the curtain on a brand-new camping season, to the delight of those who love to snooze under the stars. Even if the nights are cooler at the beginning of the season, there’s nothing to stop real fans like you who want to enjoy the fresh air more than anything else in the world.
Hurry up and get your gear out of the garage or shed and be among the first campers to flock to our destinations. We’ve selected the best places to start your camping season in full force.
Parc national du Mont-Tremblant
Parc national du Mont-Tremblant
Attention all thrill seekers! Why not combine your first camping trip of the season with an adventure on the water? The rivers of Parc national du Mont-Tremblant are where it’s at if you want to take full advantage of the spring flood waters and get to your campsite. You’ll need a wetsuit for this beginning of the season, especially given the temperature of the water. If you only want to watch the show, several camping loops also open in mid-May.
Parc national de la Yamaska
Goodbye winter! Nothing beats Parc national de la Yamaska if you’re looking to enjoy the first days of spring and summer. While some campsites are available in early May, this destination really begins to vibrate to the rhythm of campers in mid-May. By canoe or kayak, you can be among the first to navigate its waters. Several discovery activities highlighting the park's flora and fauna are also featured. How about meeting up there?
Parc national du Mont-Orford
Freshly renovated during recent seasons, the Lac-Stukely area of Parc national du Mont-Orford is also a wonderful destination to pitch your tent for the first time this season. Ready-to-camp tents are also available from the start of the season for campers looking for maximum comfort. Once there, you’ll be all set to conquer the park’s hiking trails, which will open gradually, at the rhythm of the melting snow. A great way to get some fresh air and access to many of the most spectacular views in the Eastern Townships.
Parc national d’Oka
If you’re among those who have spent a warm winter with our neighbours to the south, here’s just the destination to choose if you don’t want to feel too dislocated: Parc national d’Oka. This destination offers a number of serviced campsites that are ready to accommodate your recreational vehicle. Even if the water is slightly colder (!) than it is in the south, you can still walk on the beach and enjoy a vast array of outdoor activities so as to recover that great summer vibe.
Centre touristique du Lac-Simon
Centre touristique du Lac-Simon and its huge playground opens its doors as of mid-May. For the beginning of the season, there’s no mistake about it: you won’t need to include your swimsuit in your luggage. However, you’ll want to take the time to round up the outdoor shoes of the entire family, so you can all walk, pedal, and play in the wooded portion of this destination. Then in the evening, you can gather around the campfire on one of the many ready-to-camp tents or campsites.
Fishing-camping
And what if you were to combine the pleasures of camping with those of fishing? You’ll be happy to know that at the beginning of the season, our waterways are very popular with anglers because the quality of fishing is simply extraordinary at this time of the year. Réserve faunique de Papineau-Labelle is one of the first destinations to offer fishing-camping stays to its visitors. In the following weeks, Grands-Jardins and Monts-Valin national parks, as well as the La Vérendrye, Ashuapmushuan, Mastigouche, and Laurentides wildlife reserves, will gradually open for campers looking to snag some big beautiful fish.
If you’re an angler in search of comfort, you should know that a fishing-camping package with ready-to-camp tents is offered at Parc national des Grands-Jardins and Réserve faunique des Laurentides (Lac-Brûlé sector).
