La Mauricie National Park officially opened for visitor season

May 21, 2019                               Shawinigan, Quebec                         Parks Canada Agency

Whether you’re looking for adventure, fun science activities for the whole family, a chance to explore history, or a break from the everyday, Parks Canada has 450 000 km² of protected areas with countless unique experiences to suit your needs.

Starting on May 16, La Mauricie National Park officially opened for the 2019 visitor season. This year, the park will be offering new activities, including Aqua Trek, a self-guided interpretation activity for exploring the history of the southern portion of the impressive Wapizagonke Lake as well as its exceptionally varied flora and fauna, one paddle stroke at a time. Parks Canada is also excited about the reopening of the Park’s eastern sector, closed last year due to major construction. Visitors will once again be able to enjoy the Rivière-à-la-Pêche Campground and Hiking Area and Lac Edouard Picnic Area, among others. At La Mauricie National Park, there is something for everyone to do, from youngest to wisest!

Plan your visit

Both La Mauricie National Park’s entrances, Saint-Mathieu-du-Parc and Saint-Jean-des-Piles, are now once again open to welcome visitors. However, the public is asked to plan their visit and check which entrance to use to reach their destination as they will not be able to cross the park from one entrance to the other since construction is still underway on the Parkway.

·        The Saint-Mathieu-du-Parc entrance provides access to the Mistagance Campground, Les Cascades and Les Falaises trails, and Shewenegan and Esker picnic areas. Use this entrance as well to reach the Aqua Trek starting point.

·        The Saint-Jean-des-Piles entrance provides access to everything east of the Wapizagonke Campground, including Waber Falls, Le Passage Lookout, and the Lac Edouard Picnic Area. Visitors must also use this entrance to attend several activities offered by Parks Canada’s team of naturalists, including 150 feet from the beaver! and Cool, a nighttime outing!

Booking your stay
Staying the night? We’ve got you covered! Canadians, youth, and visitors to our country are able to book a variety of experiences at Parks Canada’s treasured places for the 2019-2020 operating season. Whether it is booking a fully-serviced campsite, a yurt, a teepee or an oTENTik or going on an interpretive guided hike, Parks Canada’s Reservation Service allows visitors to plan their trips to a wide variety of national parks and national historic sites across Canada with confidence, ease, and knowledge that they have a guaranteed spot at their favourite park or site.

La Mauricie National Park features 544 campsites across three campgrounds: Rivière-à-la-Pêche and Wapizagonke (both accessible via the Saint-Jean-des-Piles entrance) and Mistagance (accessible via the Saint-Mathieu-du-Parc entrance).   Twenty-five oTENTik tents are also available to visitors: 13 in Rivière-à-la-Pêche (available year-round) and 12 in Mistagance (available from Victoria Day in May until Thanksgiving in October). Please refer to Parks Canada’s Reservation Service website for more information when looking to book.

Parks Canada places belong to all Canadians. That is why the Government of Canada is pleased to continue to offer free admission to all Parks Canada’s places for youth aged 17 and under. By encouraging young people to discover nature and connect with history, we can help to inspire the next generation of stewards for these protected places.

In celebration of diversity, Parks Canada continues to offer free admission to new Canadian citizens for one year through the Institute for Canadian Citizenship’s Canoo mobile app. Visiting Parks Canada’s national heritage places is a great way for Canadians to experience the outdoors and learn more about our environment and heritage.

Parks Canada staff in Mauricie are excited to welcome new and returning guests to experience everything that La Mauricie National Park has to offer.