La Mauricie National Park

La Mauricie National Park protects a stretch of the Laurentian highlands in central Quebec, between Montreal and Quebec City, characterized by forested hills, dozens of lakes, and rivers connected by canoe routes once used by fur traders and log drivers. It's one of the more accessible national parks in the region for a day trip or short getaway from either major city, popular for canoeing, hiking, and fall colour viewing, and it retains a network of old-growth-adjacent mixed forest typical of the Laurentians' transition zone between deciduous and boreal forest.

The park is reached by road, with the main entrance (Saint-Jean-des-Piles) near Shawinigan and a second entrance near Saint-Mathieu-du-Parc, both accessible via Highway 55 and local roads. It's roughly 1.5-2 hours from Montreal and a similar distance from Quebec City by car. There is no rail or scheduled bus service directly into the park; a car is the practical way to visit.

A network of park roads connects the two main entrances and the interior day-use areas, campgrounds, and trailheads. Within the park, travel is by car between trailheads/put-ins, then on foot for hiking or by canoe/kayak on the lake and river system; there is no public transit inside the park.

• Lac Wapizagonke, one of the park's signature lakes, ringed by cliffs and a popular paddling and hiking destination.

• The rolling Laurentian forest landscape, especially vivid during fall foliage season.

• Historic remnants of the fur-trade and log-driving era that once used these waterways.

• Wildlife typical of the region, including moose, black bear, and beaver, often visible from trails and canoe routes.

• Canoe or kayak the park's interconnected lake system, including multi-day backcountry canoe-camping routes that follow historic fur-trade routes.

• Hike the park's network of day and multi-day trails, ranging from short interpretive walks to longer backcountry routes.

• Cross-country ski and snowshoe in winter, when the park maintains groomed trails.

• Cycle the park's paved and unpaved roads and trails in summer.

• Camp at one of the park's front-country or backcountry campgrounds.

The park operates front-country campgrounds near both main entrances as well as backcountry canoe-camping and hike-in sites reached by trail or paddle; there is no hotel-style lodging inside the park itself. Nearby towns such as Shawinigan and Saint-Mathieu-du-Parc offer motels and inns for visitors who prefer not to camp.

Buy, Eat, and Drink options are minimal within the park itself, generally limited to a small visitor-centre concession; most visitors bring their own supplies or stock up in Shawinigan or Trois-Rivières before entering.

Shawinigan, a former industrial town with a science/technology museum focus, sits just outside the park's Saint-Jean-des-Piles entrance. Trois-Rivières, on the St. Lawrence River, is a short drive further and a natural stop en route between Montreal and Quebec City.