Day trips
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.
A perfect summer day in La Petite-Nation starts on a Saturday morning with a reusable bag and ends with ice cream running down your fingers. In between, water. Lots of water.
We built this one around Lac Simon, the big lake of the region, with a market to fill the cooler in the morning and a lifeguarded beach for the afternoon. Nothing complicated. That's the point.
Drive times are calculated, then rounded. They're approximate, and on chemin du Tour-du-Lac you'll go slower than your phone says.
9 a.m. · Saturday market in Ripon
Time here: 1 hr
On Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., from Patriots' Day weekend to Thanksgiving, the Place du Marché in Ripon turns into the village market: seasonal vegetables, lots of organic, artisans, and brunch at the café-bistro. Grab a coffee, do a lap, and fill the bag with picnic material.
Market
Place du Marché Saturday Market
RiponSaturdays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Victoria Day weekend to ThanksgivingRipon's co-op farmers' market: seasonal vegetables, lots of organic, crafts, and brunch at the café-bistro. It's where the village runs…
Drive: ~20 min (14 km), Route 317, then Route 321 to Chénéville.
10:20 a.m. · Chénéville, the rest of the picnic
Time here: 30 min
On rue Principale in Chénéville: Boulangerie Nouvelle-France for bread and croissants, and Boucherie Les Produits David for pâtés and cold cuts. We're regulars at both, for the record. If you've got a cottage dinner to plan, grab a tourtière while you're there.
Drive: ~25 min (10 km), along chemin du Tour-du-Lac.
11:15 a.m. · Lac-Simon municipal beach
Time here: about 3 hrs 50 min
The Lac-Simon municipal beach at 760 chemin du Tour-du-Lac is our summer beach. Three lifeguards, every day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., except when it rains. Parking is free. There's a floating beach wheelchair and an access mat down to the water.
The bonus: self-serve kayaks and paddleboards from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. You book on padkay.com or with the QR code on site. An hour on the water, a picnic on the sand, a swim, a nap. Repeat.
Drive: ~10 min (5 km), still on Tour-du-Lac.
3:15 p.m. · Mini-golf and fries
Time here: 1 hr 15 min
Parc de l'Amitié, at 915 chemin du Tour-du-Lac, has an 18-hole mini-golf (paid), plus tennis, pickleball, pétanque and ping-pong. Perfect for kids who still have energy after the beach, which is always.
Casse-croûte du lac Simon is right next door: burgers, fries, hot dogs. Seasonal, as it should be.
Drive: ~20 min (8 km), on Tour-du-Lac.
4:50 p.m. · Belvédère Denis-Papin
Time here: 30 min
The Belvédère Denis-Papin, near 2000 chemin du Tour-du-Lac, looks over the whole of Lac Simon from above Baie Creuse. Free. After a day on the water, it's fun to see from up high where you've been.
Drive: ~1 hr (33 km), Tour-du-Lac, then south on Route 321.
6:20 p.m. · Soft serve on the 321
La Crèmerie 321, at 612 route 321 Sud in Saint-André-Avellin, is right on the way home. Soft serve, hard ice cream and slushes in a fully renovated house. Seasonal, from late March into the fall. Check closing time before you count on dessert.
From here, it's about 1 hr 10 min to Ottawa and about 2 hrs to Montréal.
IllustrationMarket
Coopérative Place du Marché
RiponRipon's farmers' market, Saturday mornings from May to October, with produce, local foods, crafts and brunch. Plus Friday 5-to-7s and game nights.
IllustrationBakery
Boulangerie Nouvelle-France
ChénévilleThe grey wooden house with the porch reopened on April 17, 2026 under new owners. Croissants, chocolatines, fougasse and all kinds of bread.
IllustrationButcher
Boucherie Les Produits David
ChénévilleMeat cut to order, tourtières, pâtés, cipaille and sugar pie. Cottagers stop here on their way up to the lake.
IllustrationBeach
Plage municipale de Lac-Simon
Lac-SimonThe village beach, with three lifeguards from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and free parking. The self-serve kayaks and boards are booked from your phone.
IllustrationPark
Parc de l'Amitié (mini-golf de Lac-Simon)
Lac-SimonAn 18-hole mini-putt and a handful of courts. Good for after the beach, when the kids still have energy to burn.
IllustrationRestaurant
Casse-Croûte du Lac Simon
Lac-SimonSeasonal snack bar steps from the lake, with burgers, fries and hot dogs after a swim.
IllustrationLookout
Belvédère Denis-Papin
Lac-SimonA lookout above Baie Creuse, named after a former mayor. The whole lake in one view, for free.
IllustrationCafé
La Crémerie 321
Saint-André-AvellinIce cream shop opened in 2021 in a fully renovated house: soft serve, hard scoop, slush, and a small lunch menu. Seasonal, from late March into the…
Keep the Chénéville tourtière in the cooler, not on the back seat. A July beach day is a long time for pastry.
Depending on the day
- Want a bigger beach? The Centre touristique du lac Simon in Duhamel is Sépaq's big sand beach, about two kilometres of it, with canoe, kayak and paddleboard rentals. Check access fees on Sépaq's site.
- Sunday: Dimanches en musique, free shows at 1 p.m. in front of the church in Montebello, mid-July to late August.
- Wednesday: Mercredis en musique, free at 7 p.m. in Parc Henri-Bourassa in Papineauville, July and August.
- Thursday: Jeudis relax in Chénéville, free music nights on the church grounds, late July and early August.
What to know
- Season: the beach is lifeguarded in summer only. The Ripon market runs from Patriots' Day weekend to Thanksgiving, but for swimming, aim for July and August.
- Distance: about 70 km from the market to the ice cream, much of it on slow chemin du Tour-du-Lac. Times are approximate.
- Kayaks: book on padkay.com or by QR code, 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Hours: snack bar, ice cream, bakery: call or check their page before you go, since hours change with the season.
- Gas: the Ultramar on rue Principale in Chénéville.
- More beaches: our guide to beaches and swimming.
RiponChénévilleLac-SimonSaint-André-AvellinDuhamelMontebelloPapineauville
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