4 National Parks You Need To Visit
Le Mauricie National Park has O'Tentik accommodations open all year-round.
Le Mauricie National Park The park was moody when we arrived. The drive was shrouded in thick fog and mist. It felt like being in the mountains. This Le Mauricie national park is roughly an hour north of Trois Rivieres, Quebec. It is the perfect distance between Montreal and Quebec City. If you are travelling from Ottawa, it's an easy three hour journey. Escaping from the rain, we spent our one night in an O'Tentik. Le Mauricie places host to 12 O'Tentik accommodations, that you can reserve all-year-round. I will be honest. When you have a fire-heated place to dry out and sleep, it makes adventuring that much happier. If you have a toddler, it's a no-brainer. The park boasts segregated biking lanes and paths for three season use. There are kilometres of cross-country and snow-shoeing trails for the winter. Le Mauricie is a national park worth your four-season time.
Forillon National Park has red chairs in multiple, stunning locations.
Forillon National Park When you glance at a map while planning a trip out east, the Gaspe peninsula looks like a long way out of the way. You can do as most people and barrel along the Trans Canada. Let me suggest that you take a closer look at that map. The Gaspe is definitely worth a trip all on its own. There is Perce Rock. There are tens of gorgeous towns waiting for your adventurous spirit. It's beautiful. Then, there is Forillon National Park, out at the eastern tip of this peninsula. From our conversations with Parks Canada staff, you will want to visit Forillion in the off-season. It's one of the most popular places to visit for those from eastern New Brunswick and Quebec. For all the amazing parks accommodation options, you can find them here.
The Oasis pods are new accommodations right on the beach.
Kouchibouguac National Park I will forgive you if you have never heard of this place. I had never heard of it before carefully studying maps to plan our trip out east, in the fall of 2019. The first thing that jumped out at me was that it's a famous birding destination. Piping plovers are rare birds that call this place home. We observed at least 20-30 different species in the day-and-a-half spent at Kouchibouguac. It is the first national park in Canada to have installed Oasis pods. What are Oasis pods you may ask? You will be hard pressed to find as memorable places to sleep like these. They boast full-length windows to compliment that Kouchibouguac is a national dark-sky preserve. They have heating. We had our three-and-a-half month old with us, and were very grateful for the heating option in mid-September. It is worth noting that Oasis pods are not ideal for couples with children. The parks website states they accommodate two adults and two children. (In the future they will hopefully install an outdoor eating area. If they haven't yet, bring a tarp! You are not allowed any food or food storage inside the Oasis pods. When it rains, there is no cover for eating outside).
One of the many views of the coast at the end of the Skyline Trail on Cape Breton.
Cape Breton Highlands National Park This island needs no introduction. Go there already. The Cabot Trail is world famous. It's a drive that brings people from all over the globe. Cape Breton Highlands national park extends from coast to coast in the middle of Cape Breton island. The Cabot Trail cuts through the park on both the west and east sides.The views from the road along the world-famous Cabot Trail are breathtaking. The park also boasts some of the most well-known trail views of any national park in Canada. We spent the most time on the Skyline trail. It hosts a moose-free habitat regeneration area. The pathway is wheelchair and stroller friendly. Expect crowds - we visited on a weekday in late September and it was busy. And worth it.
