Our perfect summer day in La Petite-Nation, from market to beach
Ripon's Saturday market, a Chénéville picnic, a lifeguarded beach on Lac Simon, mini-golf, the lookout at golden hour and soft serve to finish the day.
Magazine
The trails we hike every fall, the butchers where people stock up on the way to the cottage. We write about what we know, village by village.
25 things to do in La Petite-Nation this fall
A Notre-Dame de Paris organist in Montebello, a square dance in Saint-Sixte, punk in Ripon and a hundred watercolours on Thanksgiving. Our list for October and November.
Where to stay in La Petite-Nation, from inns to teepees
A log château, an 1898 Victorian full of artists, an old post office, teepees next to the wolves. Our rundown of the ways to spend the night out here.
Winter in La Petite-Nation, from cross-country skis to snowmobiles
Free ski trails behind the high school, 40 km groomed by volunteers for $15, hundreds of kilometres of snowmobile and ATV trail. Your winter guide, club by club.
A day in La Petite-Nation with kids, never more than 20 minutes in the car
Parc Oméga's elk, build-your-own ice cream, a giant sundial, a waterfall that's free for kids and sculptures that move. Never more than 20 minutes in the car between stops.
Lake associations, the volunteers keeping our water clear
Kayak sentinels on Lac Gagnon, water samples on Lac des Plages, an old guard on Viceroy since 1973. Who watches over our lakes, and how cottagers can pitch in.
An easy 86 km three-wheeler loop through La Petite-Nation
Routes 323, 315, 321 and 148, nothing else. An 86 km loop for Spyders and trikes, with stops right on the route, gelato, lunch on a terrace and the 75th meridian.
Our road-bike day in La Petite-Nation, 82 km from Thurso to Saint-André-Avellin
Route 148 along the Ottawa River to Montebello, a detour up Route 321 for lunch in Saint-André-Avellin, and ice cream back in Thurso. 82 km, or 52 if your legs say no.
Bakeries and pastry shops of La Petite-Nation, village by village
Croissants in a grey wooden house, bread baked to order next to a stone-ground mill, pies until the end of October. Our tour of the region's ovens.
The best motorcycle loop in La Petite-Nation, 155 km from Montebello to Duhamel
Route 321 up to Duhamel, then the 315, the 317 and the 148 back. A loop of about 155 km with four places to fill up, maple-smoked barbecue and ice cream to finish.
Christmas markets and holiday events in La Petite-Nation
A parade of lit-up tractors, a pine forest full of lights in Ripon, Montebello's European-style market and turkey bingo. Our guide to November and December.
The 12 best hikes in La Petite-Nation
A lookout tower on Mont Grand-Pic, 400-year-old trees, a cable raft across the Preston River. Our 12 favourite trails, from easy family loops to the Sentier national.
A day in La Petite-Nation from Mont-Tremblant
An hour south on Route 323, coffee in Namur, a picnic under the Montagnes Noires shelter, Montpellier's pies and Lac Simon from above. No lineups.
La Petite-Nation from Montréal, in one big day or with a night
Two hours of highway, Parc Oméga's bison, gelato made on site, a Chénéville tourtière and Lac Simon from above. The plan for one long day, and the version with a night.
The best day trip to La Petite-Nation from Ottawa
An hour of highway, a 35-metre waterfall, folk art, a sundial on the 75th meridian and Papineau's manor. Our hour-by-hour plan for a day out from Ottawa.
Ice fishing in La Petite-Nation, where you can and where you can't
No, you can't drill Lac Simon in January. The four lakes where trout stays open all winter, Duhamel's turnkey package and the rules to know before you pack the auger.
Winter carnivals and festivals in La Petite-Nation
Pancakes served by the town council, a glowing igloo, a torchlit walk to a bonfire and 160 km of cross-country skiing. In La Petite-Nation, winter gets celebrated outside.
What to do in Montebello in a day
Papineau's four-towered manor, the log Château, 25 heritage markers around the village and artists' studios on rue Notre-Dame. How to spend a really good day in Montebello.
La Petite-Nation restaurants worth the drive, town by town
A seasonal menu in Chénéville, maple-smoked brisket in Duhamel, a poutine with a secret sauce in Fassett. Our restaurants, from the Ottawa River up to the Lièvre.
FADOQ, Fermières and golden age clubs, the real social life of La Petite-Nation
Military whist on Tuesdays, weaving on Monday mornings, bingo at $1.25 a card. The seniors' clubs, Fermières circles and social groups starting up again this fall, village by village.
Where to see fall colours in La Petite-Nation
A lookout tower above the maples, a free viewpoint over Lac Simon, Route 321 heading north in red and gold. Our favourite lookouts, drives and trails for fall.
Butchers, charcuterie and game processing in La Petite-Nation
Tourtière in Chénéville, woolly pigs in Montebello, the hunters' butcher in Lochaber. Where to buy your meat and get your deer processed this fall.
Spring in La Petite-Nation, from sugar shacks to Canada geese
An all-you-can-eat sugar shack meal, thousands of geese in Plaisance, an Easter egg hunt in the woods and the manor reopening. What happens when La Petite-Nation thaws.
Volunteering in La Petite-Nation, the groups that need a hand
Food banks, meals on wheels, friendly visits, lake sentinels, Christmas markets. Where to give two hours a week in La Petite-Nation, and who to call.
Our tips for visiting Parc Oméga
Twelve kilometres by car among elk, bison and wolves, plus walking trails, a heritage farm and tube sliding in winter. How to get the most out of Parc Oméga.
Where to see live music and shows in La Petite-Nation
A pub with a real stage, a 357-seat hall where comedians test new material, punk in Ripon, a square dance and a singer every Friday. Our go-to spots for a night out.
Breweries, wineries and cideries in La Petite-Nation
Natural wine from a south-facing slope in Ripon, wild-apple cider in Chénéville, a brewery in an old bank in Montebello. What to drink around here.
Moving to La Petite-Nation, the guide we wish we'd had
No hospital in the MRC, no buses, cell service that drops in the woods. But a CLSC with an ER, a welcome passport and 25 town halls that actually pick up the phone.
20 things to do with kids in La Petite-Nation
Bison outside the car window, a pirate ship, splash pads, trout in Lac Vert and sled dogs. Twenty ideas to keep the kids busy in La Petite-Nation, summer and winter.
Churches, presbyteries and old villages, La Petite-Nation's heritage
A replica Irish shrine in Mayo, Scottish churches in Lochaber, a century-old Casavant organ in Montebello and presbyteries turned into cafés. La Petite-Nation, steeple by steeple.
Hunting in La Petite-Nation in 2026, the dates and rules to keep in your pocket
Zone 10 East or West, bow or rifle, where to register your animal and who'll cut it. The 2026 rundown for moose, deer, bear and turkey in La Petite-Nation.
The five golf courses of La Petite-Nation
A 1929 Stanley Thompson cut through old forest, an 18-hole course built without blasting a single rock, a 9-hole club running since 1963. The five golf courses of La Petite-Nation.
Manoir-Papineau and Louis-Joseph Papineau's legacy in La Petite-Nation
A four-towered manor, a chapel where eleven family members rest, a mill village in Plaisance and a grandson who became Papineauville's first mayor. Following the Papineaus.
Farmers' markets in La Petite-Nation, from summer to Christmas
Saturday morning in Ripon, the little market huts in Bowman, Fridays in La Salette, then the fall and Christmas markets. Where to do your market run in La Petite-Nation.
Staying active as an adult in La Petite-Nation, from curling to pickleball
Drop-in pickleball at the Dôme, curling in Thurso, badminton in Chénéville, Tuesday walks in Ripon. The clubs and schedules for adults who want to get moving this fall.
The La Petite-Nation campground guide
Over 370 sites behind a 2 km beach, 22 no-hookup sites in the woods, yurts on the Ottawa River. Every campground in La Petite-Nation, sorted by the kind of trip you want.
Rainy day in La Petite-Nation? Here's what to do indoors
Moving folk-art sculptures in Plaisance, 1,000 pioneer artifacts, a hundred board games, open studios and a pub with a real stage. Rain is no reason to sit in the cottage.
Farms, farm stands and pick-your-own in La Petite-Nation
Blueberries by the bucket, saffron grown in Saint-André-Avellin, a self-serve stand on the back road, Swiss goat cheese in Papineauville. Where to buy straight from the farm.
Outfitters and the Papineau-Labelle reserve, a practical guide
Over 760 lakes in the reserve, 26 at Chevreuil Blanc, 65-plus at Kenauk. Who offers what, how you get in, and the rules that change the moment you pass the gate.
Where to canoe and kayak in La Petite-Nation
Plaisance's marshes between the water lilies, an ochre-painted rock on Lac Simon, the Lièvre between two dams. Where to paddle in La Petite-Nation, and where to rent a boat.
Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day in La Petite-Nation's villages
A potluck in Boileau, a country night in Bowman, a Guy Lafleur tribute in Thurso. Thirteen village parties for Québec's Fête nationale, each one its own thing. Here's where to go.
La Petite-Nation's summer festival calendar
An eleven-day rodeo, 120 wool and fibre vendors, an 11.5 km swim across Lac Simon and free outdoor shows nearly every night. Summer in La Petite-Nation, week by week.
Boat launches and marinas in La Petite-Nation, ramp by ramp
Lac Simon for $10 with a mandatory wash, the Ottawa River for free in Papineauville, the Lièvre from Val-des-Bois. Where to back in, what it costs and what to know first.
Where to eat breakfast in La Petite-Nation
Eggs Benedict in Saint-André-Avellin, diner booths in Papineauville, the market brunch in Ripon. Where to eat breakfast in La Petite-Nation.
Plaisance National Park, the complete guide
Flat bike paths, canoeing through tall grass, turtles sunning on the bank and a waterfall over 35 metres high. Everything to know before you go to Parc national de Plaisance.
The perfect weekend in La Petite-Nation, Friday night to Sunday
Friday supper and a show at Ripon's market, waterfalls and folk art in Plaisance on Saturday, Montebello and Route 321 on Sunday. A full 48 hours, no rushing.
Where to fish in La Petite-Nation, lake by lake
55 cm lake trout, walleye until March, lakes that close all winter. What to know before you cast in fishing zone 10, plus the lakes and ramps worth your gas.
Sugar shacks and maple farms in La Petite-Nation
All-you-can-eat sugar-shack meals and taffy on snow on Côte Saint-Charles, farm syrup in Lochaber, maple popcorn in Notre-Dame-de-la-Paix. Sugar season, La Petite-Nation style.
Where to swim in La Petite-Nation
Two kilometres of sand on Lac Simon, a village beach with lifeguards, gently sloping lake beaches for little ones. Our map of where to swim in La Petite-Nation.