The La Petite-Nation campground guide

La Petite-Nation is camping country. Some families have gone back to the same campground for generations, and others won't sleep anywhere with an electrical hookup. Both are right.

We've sorted the campgrounds in our directory by the kind of trip you're after. One thing first: most campgrounds close somewhere between early September and mid-October. Dates are on each listing, but confirm with them.

Big family campgrounds

Pools, beaches, activities, neighbours. For families who want the kids to make friends in ten minutes.

Centre touristique du Lac-Simon, Duhamel. Sépaq, with more than 370 sites behind a sand beach about 2 km long. Family loop trails, a rental centre, pets allowed. Our first pick if the beach matters more than the pool.

Maple in full autumn colour over a picnic table in Quebec City

Illustration

Park

Centre touristique du Lac-Simon (Sépaq)

Duhamel

Sépaq's centre at the top of Lac Simon. In winter it runs a ready-to-go ice-fishing package on Lac de la Ferme: you show up and the holes are…

Camping Royal Papineau, Notre-Dame-de-la-Salette. 326 sites on Lac de l'Argile, plus ready-to-camp units, cottages, cabins, domes and rooms. Sand beach, pool, marina, tennis and an 18-hole course next door. May to mid-October, about 50 km from Ottawa-Gatineau.

Camping au Petit Lac-Simon, Saint-André-Avellin. 291 sites on Route 321, with a beach, pool, hot tub, wading pool, tennis and play areas. Packed in July. That's kind of the point.

Camping Val-des-Bois. 250+ sites, May to September, with a beach, splash pad, giant trampoline, fishing and boat rentals.

Camping Saint-André-Avellin. 195 sites, 90% for overnighters, right in the village on the river. Pool, splash pad, mini-golf, ready-to-camp units and small cabins. The canoe and kayak rental is open to everyone.

Camping Lac-des-Plages. 191 sites, 70 for overnighters, with a private beach, pool, games room and a food truck with a pizza oven. On Saturday mornings, bread from Boulangerie Nouvelle-France shows up at the camp store. Mid-May to mid-October.

Waterfront, mid-sized

Parc national de Plaisance. 150 sites, 3 yurts and 27 ready-to-camp units in the bays of the Ottawa River. Flat bike rides first thing in the morning, geese in spring. Late April to mid-October.

Camping La Pinède, Lac-Simon. Tall pines, a fine sand beach, a boat launch, beach volleyball and disco nights. A lively one, mid-May to late September.

Camping Haut-des-Côtes, Chénéville. 127 sites on 98 acres with its own 36-acre lake. ATV trails leave right from the campground. Mid-May to mid-October.

Camping au Lac Schryer, Montpellier. Sites overlooking the old log-drivers' lake, with a beach, fishing and a pool. Golf and groceries are under 10 minutes away.

Camping Montpellier. 107 acres with a river, a hill, a waterfall and little beaches. 11 km of bike trails and 5 km of hiking. Two cabins, Le Rustique and Le Zen, rent year-round (bring your own bedding).

Camping Domaine Canard Blanc, Lac-Simon. 45 lakeside sites, May to September, dogs welcome.

Duhamel Camping et Chalets. About fifty sites plus summer cabins near Lac Gagnon. The bike path runs right through the campground.

Montebello marina and campground. 30 campsites right by the marina on the Ottawa. Walk to rue Notre-Dame for supper.

Pleasure boats at the Montebello marina in front of trees in fall colours Photo: Stanisom, CC BY-SA 4.0

Along the Lièvre and Route 307

Camping Paris, Val-des-Bois: on the Lièvre River, full hookups, May to September.
Camping Montagnard, Val-des-Bois: big trees, a heated pool, free showers and a trail up the hill behind.
Camping Thom, Bowman: beach and boat launch, mid-May to mid-September.
Camping Idéal, Bowman: mostly seasonal, with four sites for overnighters.

Rustic and quiet

For people who want to hear the woods, not the neighbours.

LaLièvre Nature, Mulgrave-et-Derry: 22 no-hookup sites in private forest, with access to Lac La Blanche for canoeing and fishing. For self-sufficient campers.
Domaine du Grand Calme, Saint-André-Avellin: five sites, a prospector tent and two rustic cabins on the Petite Nation River.
Domaine Lockbøw, Lac-Simon: 60+ acres with the Lockbøw falls on the property. Rustic camping and cabins in the woods.
Origine Aventure, Ripon: mini-cabins in the forest and rustic camping.
Camp Ozanam, Saint-Émile-de-Suffolk: a charitable camp with simple cabins, a beach and trails. Your stay helps families.
Aquaventure Petite-Nation, Saint-André-Avellin: camping and a dome by reservation, on the river.

For cyclists and adventurers

The Lochaber rest stop on the Route verte: bike racks and a tent platform for cycle tourists.
The Papineau-Labelle wildlife reserve: lake-to-lake canoe camping across 760+ lakes.

What about dogs?

Good news: most campgrounds in our directory accept pets. Two catches. At Camping Saint-André-Avellin they're not allowed in rental units. At Haut-des-Côtes it's with restrictions. Always ask when you book.