Length of stay: 4 days
Visited: August 2025
La Mauricie National Park is located in the Laurentian Mountains in Quebec. It protects a portion of the Canadian Shield and contains a series of interconnected lakes, forests and rolling hills. It is also home to an abundance of wildlife, including beavers, snowshoe hares, moose and black bears. The park is open year round and there are an array of activities depending on the season.
Day 1: Parc Omega
From Gatineau we drove to Shawinigan, the closest city to La Mauricie. It rained overnight and it was still overcast and lightly sprinkling the next morning. And it was much cooler. About an hour into the drive we stopped at Parc Omega. It’s a car safari along a 12-kilometre road that travels through the different habitats of the park to see several species of “wildlife” found in the northern hemisphere, including elk, deer, foxes, wolves, moose, bison and black bears. And you can even buy a bag of carrots to feed some of the animals. Entrance fees were a bit steep, nearly $50 per person, and it was pretty ridiculous that if you bought carrots, there was an additional fee for the bag itself. It was only 50 cents, but like, really??
After stopping at the visitor centre to buy our bag of carrots, we hopped back in the car to start the car trail portion of the safari. And immediately the animals came out. We put M in the front on my lap and she figured out pretty quickly how to dangle a carrot out of the window to lure the elk and deer. We easily could have blown through all our carrots, but thankfully K showed some restraint.
The next hour we leisurely made our way through the park, trying to perfect our carrot feeding technique. The thing is, you don’t want to roll your window down too far because some of the elk are very slobbery and will stick their whole heads completely in the car. And they are fast and quick to congregate once they sense carrots are nearby.
One of the rules is that you can’t get out of your car while driving on the car trail. But there are a few designated trails where you can stretch your legs. Since we’ve been sitting all morning and still had a few hours of driving to do, we decided to give one of the trails a whirl. We settled on the First Nations Trail (0.7km loop, easy). The path was wide, relatively flat and encircled the lake. Along the way there were a few sculptures and viewing platforms. It was still lightly sprinkling outside, which was fine as it meant there weren’t many people around.
We must have come at a good time. As we were leaving there was a traffic jam at the start of the car trail and a huge line of cars waiting to get into the park. From there it’s a three hour drive to Shawinigan, which took a bit longer than expected on account of heavy traffic along the highway. It was a Sunday afternoon after all. By the time we arrived at our hotel it was around 3:30pm. The rest of the trip we planned to spend with K’s parents who arrived at the hotel a few minutes before us. After checking into our room, we spent the rest of the afternoon catching up.
Day 2: Cascades and Cliffs
The summer heat had finally come to an end and the temperature plummeted to 10°C overnight. It was rather chilly the next morning, but the sun was shining and it was expected to warm up to 19°C this afternoon. From our hotel it’s about a 30 minute drive to La Mauricie. There are two main entrances to the national park and we headed to the one in Saint-Mathieu. We brought our park pass, which wasn’t necessary as the government was offering free admission to all the national parks and places operated by Parks Canada during the summer. After passing through the gate, we picked up a map of the trails then headed to Les Cascades (2.1km loop, rated easy).
We parked at the Shawinigan Picnic Area where there are restrooms and a large picnic area, including indoor and outdoor options. The trail head was easy enough to find, it was just after the suspension bridge over the river.
The path was paved and contained plenty of detours to check out the cascades and pools of water among the rocks. There’s also a short boardwalk section which is always my favourite.
After crossing the bridge there’s a turnoff for Les Falaises (4km loop, rated moderate). This required walking along a connector path, which was mostly uphill along a series of wooden staircases, to get to the top of the cliffs.
We hiked counterclockwise along the loop, saving the viewpoints for the end. The trail weaves through the forest and contains three viewpoints overlooking Lac Wapizagonke, two of which were a bit overgrown, but still scenic.
Once we circled back to Les Cascades there’s an option to complete the rest of the loop. We backtracked though in the hopes of trying to find M’s hat. It must have fallen off when we put her in the baby backpack carrier near the start of the boardwalk section. But we had no such luck finding it. The bears are probably wearing it.
The trail was surprisingly much busier on the return journey and we were glad to be wrapping up. On the drive back to the hotel M fell asleep. But as soon as we stopped at a red light, she was up. We made an attempt to put her down when we returned to the hotel for lunch, but that didn’t work out for us. And so we headed out later in the afternoon to explore more of Shawinigan. We walked along the waterfront and enjoyed the nice weather.
We drove to the Shawinigan Falls. It was a bit unclear where the proper path was, but we got to where we needed to go for a nice view of the waterfall.
We picked up dinner on the way back to the hotel and spent the rest of the evening lounging around.
Day 3: Lac-Solitaire
We got an early start to the day to hit the trails at La Mauricie. This time we went to the other entrance at Saint-Jean-Des-Piles. Since we seemed to do okay with the trail yesterday, we settled on something of a similar distance with a bit more elevation. We parked at Rivière-à-la-Pêche service centre where there’s restrooms and picnic facilities. There are a few hiking options here, all sharing the same starting point.
We followed the numbered signs for Lac-Solitaire (6.1km loop, rated moderate). The trail overlaps with the Ruisseau-Bouchard and Lac-du-Pimbina Trails for a couple of kilometres. The path weaves through the forest and it’s a gradual climb that progressively gets steeper and more rugged. M managed to hike for the first few hundred meters until the path became more challenging to negotiate with all the rocks, boulders, roots and other trippy things. So into the backpack carrier she went.
We got our first glimpse of the lake from up above on a rocky outcrop. This marks the start of a few interpretive panels to describe a prescribed fire carried out in this area by the park in 2018. Certain sections of the forest near Lac-Solitaire were chosen for a prescribed burn to help regenerate the forest ecosystem and biodiversity. Some trees, such as white pine need fire to help their seeds sprout. The fire also helps eliminate competing species like balsam fir.
The interpretive panels end at another nice overlook of the lake where you could clearly see which side of the forest had undergone the prescribed burn. And the bad thing about hiking through that section meant there was no shade from the sun. We made our way down to the shoreline, passing over lots of rocks and through some steep sections.
We also passed a small cabin, which is actually an autonomous shelter with a solar-powered auxiliary heater that’s intended for winter visitors. Naturally we popped in to take a look since it was open. It’s a small space, just a couple of benches. But it seemed like a nice spot to take a break and enjoy the views in the event the weather isn’t the greatest.
The trail weaves back up along a ridge where there’s a pair of Red Chairs overlooking Lac-Solitaire and Lac aux Chevaux. At this point M was fading fast and was getting ready for a nap. So this provided motivation to pick up the pace. There’s a few more ups and downs, but also more overlooks of the lush landscape and rolling hills.
Overall it took us 3 hours to complete the trail. We piled back in the car and drove around through the national park so M could nap. We headed towards the other entrance point at Saint-Mathieu and then turned around and came back the way we came. Once M was up, we returned to the hotel for a late lunch, then made a grocery store run to replenish our car snacks and grab something for dinner (salad, cheese and crackers).
Day 4: Shorter Trails
After eating breakfast, we packed up, checked out and hit the road at 8:30am. Our game plan was to return to La Mauricie for another hike before driving to Quebec City. We opted for La Cache (3.1km loop, rated easy), something short and flat to give our legs a break, and more importantly, to let M do some hiking of her own.
The wide path meanders through the forest and features a nice view of Lac-du-Fou. M managed to hike about a kilometer on her own before we popped her into the backpack carrier. She was getting tired and slow. And once we stopped moving, the mosquitoes came out.
It didn’t take long to complete the trail so we decided to go for another hike nearby, Lac-Étienne (1.7km, rated easy). The trail signs were faded, which made navigation a bit challenging and we accidentally took a portage path down to the lake. It only added a few hundred meters though and we got a nice view of the lake, so it actually worked out well.
The trail continued onward and featured a short boardwalk section and viewing platform of the lake.
Once we looped back to the parking lot, we scoped out the beach. While the weather was perfect for hiking (20°C), it was a bit too cold for swimming. So we hit the road and headed to Quebec City.
L
The first cute scene that made me smile is M feeding the elk, but when I see her with you in the backpack carrier, my smile turned to giggle. She is just so cute. I love how trails there is all safe to walk and trek with stairs and bridges. It’s a lovely park. I’ve read in the book: I’ve only seen the half truth or half experience of this because I’m just seeing them on screen. The real trek surely was amazing. M is the sunshine of your blogs. Stunning images, Linda.
Aww thanks Hazel! I love how you phrased it as M being the sunshine of my blogs (and about my life in general). I couldn’t agree more. And it warms my heart to see how much she enjoys being outside. The trails at this national park were very well maintained and easy to navigate.
I can imagine how M’s excitement ramble was overflowing throughout the trek. She’s a joy indeed, even reaches in the Philippines.🤩😍 My pleasure, Linda, always.🤍
You’re very sweet. Her smile, excitement and happiness is definitely contagious.
Parc Omega is so fun, perfect for kids! The national park is so beautiful and looks so peaceful. That photo of you and M is just priceless!!
Thanks Lyssy! Parc Omega was fun for everyone, even us adults. We’re actually planning to return to La Mauricie this summer. The hiking was fabulous and we got really lucky with the weather as it was sunny and wasn’t unbearably hot outside.
Oh, this looks so nice. I can’t believe you did a Quebec trip shortly after getting back from NZ. You three just don’t stop! I shared this with the hubby as an idea for a detour en route to New Brunswick this summer. The deer and wildlife feeding would be so fun for T, even with the steep entrance fee.
I had to laugh at the short nap. I use to frantically drive home with a toddler T, so he could nap at home. Once he fell asleep in the drive home, he would not nap again at home. I hated those moments I got cheated out of an afternoon break!
PS. I got your email. 🙂 Look forward to finally meeting up soon!
I can’t believe how quickly the summer flew by. I’m glad we managed to get away for a week at the end of August for one last big adventure before our little M started day care. Parc Omega is a lot of fun and I can picture T having a blast feeding the elk and deer. They will stick their whole head in the car window though! And those elk are VERY slobbery! Highly recommend if you’re driving through the area. It’s not too far from the highway.
I was always jealous of the parents who were able to just transfer their sleeping baby from the car to crib. No matter how quiet and careful we were, we could never make that transfer successful. And yes, short naps (or no naps) are the worst! No one ends up having a good afternoon!
Looking forward to meeting up! And looking forward to the long weekend!
And summer is slowly creeping up on us again. I just can’t wait!
Look forward to meeting up. I’ll respond to your email by end of the long weekend when I’m a bit more caffeinated. 🤣
Same! I’m so ready for winter to be over and all this snow to melt away! Hope you’re enjoying the long weekend. We just got back yesterday evening from spending the last couple of days in Presqu’ile.
Ooh, I’d be curious to hear about Presquile in winter!
We got stuck in a snowbank!! Thankfully a park ranger just happened to pass by a few minutes after the fact and was able to help us out. There were lots of other people who also offered to help, which was just amazing. It really restored my faith in humanity!
Oh thank goodness! Makes a wild story now though.
Totally! And I’m so glad it was mild that weekend, especially considering the weekend before it was like -30C outside!! It also reinforces the importance of always having car snacks!
Obviously, the safari drive has figured out that if an attraction is popular, you can charge whatever you want. $50 plus carrots, plus bag is really extreme, but it gave toddler M a chance to see animals up close. The trails in this park look fantastic, with so many cloud mirror lakes and ponds. How were the bugs at that time of year. Amazing how nap time changes for the little ones as they get older. Happy Thursday Linda. Allan
No kidding!! The price was pretty steep, but I must say, it was a lot of fun to see our little M feeding the deer and elk. The weather wasn’t the greatest otherwise we would have explored the other trails in the park. But the one we did manage to hike was really nice. It wasn’t a very buggy summer. Likely because it was super hot and dry. Not great for my garden, but it made being out on the trail much more enjoyable! Have a wonderful weekend. Linda
That’s such a wonderful photo of you two, dear Linda! La Mauricie National Park looks like a perfect place for nature lovers and for those looking for a quiet, natural escape in Quebec. I love all those beautiful, serene lakes and dense forest landscapes; it must be particularly stunning in autumn when the leaves change colour. Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx
Thanks Aiva! You’re right, I bet the landscape looks even more beautiful in the fall when the leaves are changing colour. Maybe we should return and report back. The fall is actually my favourite time to travel and go hiking. Have a wonderful weekend. Linda
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I love your photos, commentary and sense of humour. You mentioned the possibility of the deer putting their whole head in the window for food. Some of my family experienced something similar, however the adult giraffe did get its whole, rather large head in the window and across the passengers. Funny but not. It is always a pleasure to learn of your adventures. 💕
What a beautiful hike! Your photos are wonderful. 😉
Thanks so much for reading and leaving a comment. This was our first time visiting this national park and we fell in love with the scenery. We’ll be heading back this summer to explore more of the trails.
Incredibly beautiful, wow!!! M is so cute!! Excellent photos, I love the look of Canadian Shield rock, so ancient.
Thanks John! We really lucked out with the weather. It was sunny but it wasn’t super hot or humid. I’m a bit fan of the landscape around the Canadian Shield too. Love all the rocky outcrops and exposed granite.
You’re welcome! Have a great weekend. ❤️🇨🇦
You as well! We’re finally getting some “warmer” weather and have been spending some time outside. Finally!
Wonderful! 😎
Oh I know. It feels like to get some fresh air and exercise!
Such a gorgeous park and it looks like baby M is enjoying herself. Such a big smile!
You bet! She’s a huge lover of the outdoors too. We’re actually planning to return to La Mauricie this summer on our way to the Gaspe Peninsula.
Gaspe is one of my favourites!
Amazing to hear! That means it’ll probably become one of my favourites too!
I haven’t been to La Mauricie in many, many years. Your post (and pictures) have reminded me of how beautiful it is, Linda. The carrot costs are definitely steep! And then another price for the bag! Yikes. That’s definitely a fine example of gouging. The pictures of you and little M are gorgeous. A very enjoyable post. Cheers.
This was our first time visiting La Mauricie. It’s a lovely park and the hiking was fantastic. It made us want to explore more of the Quebec park system so we’re planning to return this summer for a road trip around the Gaspe Peninsula. I think we’re going to pass on returning to Parc Omega though. It was really fun to watch our little one feed carrots to the deer and elk, but I think we’ll pick a different detour along the drive.
I love the Gaspé. It’s gorgeous. I haven’t visited for a while now but we’re thinking of a return trip.
Wonderful! A new place that we can visit if we get the chance to visit Gatineau again!
100% recommend. La Mauricie is a lovely park. There’s a nice variety of trails and scenic viewpoints. We’re planning to return this summer.
Wow! Each day of this is fantastic! I loved your car with carrot drive, but I’m curious: do bears ever come near? (Just sayin’ b/c they have been on my front porch and hummingbird feeders last year…)
How cool to see the elk that close!
I love a landscape with woods and water, and your pics are all beautiful.
Thanks for sharing this! Kudos to M, who must be the most excellent kid traveler!
-Julie
The park is enclosed, which helps explain why there were so many deer and elk congregated in that one area. There are bears too, but they are kept in a separate section. We’ve seen a few bears in the wild, thankfully mostly from when we’re driving and not on the trail! Wild to hear that they would come to your front porch!
Our little M is such a trooper. I think she enjoys exploring new places. And she definitely loves being outside in nature!
Thanks for reading and leaving a comment. Have a wonderful weekend. Linda
Wishing you a good week, as well!
Thanks! I’m looking forward to the weekend!
It has been too long since I have seen the beauty of Canada.
Sounds like a return trip is in order! There’s no shortage of places and parks to enjoy nature.
The park safari looks so much fun especially for your little girl. After such an extortionate park entrance fee you might expect them to include the bag of carrots! The photo of you both is absolutely gorgeous. Hopefully after visiting Montreal last year we’ll get back at some point to explore more of Quebec.
Thanks Marion! The entrance fee was pretty outrageous, but our little M had a blast feeding the deer and elk, so it was all worth it in the end. We’re planning to explore more of Quebec this summer. I can’t wait!
La Mauricie National Park is wonderful with it’s gorgeous nature 🌷🙏👍🏻 The animals, blue lake and its flora and fauna,the trucking way, so nice small cabin and all photos breathtaking view 😍👌Also dear you and your cute daughter fascinating, so cute 🥰🥰 now she happily likes to travel with her parents 🤗💞 Thank you for sharing such an inspiration explanations, 4 days video we also enjoyed with you my Sweet Friend and All The Best wishes to you and your loving family 🌷🖖❤️Happy weekend wishes 👌💐👏
Thanks so much for your kind words. We had a wonderful time exploring the trails at this park and enjoying the scenery. Our little one just loves being outside in nature. It was very sweet to watch her hike a bit on her own. Hope you have a wonderful weekend as well.
Most welcome 🙏 dear your adventure trips all so amazing with your cute child and now she getting the nature’s love 💕 ☘️🌿 God Bless 🌷🥰💐
Aww thanks! I’m a firm believer that spending time outside is good for our health. It’s finally starting to warm a bit here which means we’ll be exploring the trails again in no time! Enjoy the rest of the week.
All The Best Wishes to you dear and your loving family 🌷🙏🥰💕🌷
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Great photos!
Thanks! We really lucked out and had beautiful weather during our stay, which was perfect for hiking.
The bears are probably wearing it…LOL. Hopefully you ran into no bears for them to pick it up! What a beautiful area. I had to go to a map to look it up. So cool that M does some of her own hiking now. I am not sure I am a fan of the $50 safari to feed the animals — isn’t that what we are usually encouraged not to do?? I find it weird that this is something they make a profit from.
While we didn’t see any bears on the trail, we’re convinced they were out there and swiped M’s hat. We’re actually planning to return this summer and will keep a look out for it (and the bears too of course). I think we’ll pass on returning to Parc Omega though. The entrance fee was pretty steep, even if we did have a lot of fun. Judging by how popular this place was, they most be pretty profitable!
This is a nice adventure. From your photos the park looks amazing for hikers and nature lovers. Maybe one day I will have the opportunity to visit Canada.
Thanks! The park is very family friendly and offers a nice range of hiking trails and other activities. We’re actually planning to return this summer. I hope you’re able to visit Canada someday. It’s a great place to enjoy nature.
What a beautifully, scenic place to visit and hike; although really expensive; wow! Feeding the animals must have been a great experience for your super cute little one. Lovely post and photos!
Thanks! The national park was free to visit, which helped balance out the pricy admission for Parc Omega. But it was well worth it to see the excitement on our little M’s face as she fed the deer and elk.
Fun! I remember doing some research on this park many years back when we visited Gatineau, but unfortunately we didn’t have time to add it to our trip, so it was nice to get this virtual tour. That must have been so fun for (not so little) M to feed the animals! Also, what a great place for this red chairs! That photo made me want to get up right now and go hike to them.
Even though Quebec is right beside us, we haven’t been to any of their national or provincial parks before. We really enjoyed the trails and scenery at La Mauricie. We are actually planning to return this summer as part of a longer road trip across Quebec. Looking forward to finding more of the Red Chairs!
So much beautiful scenery in this post! I’m just aching for the days of winter to be over, so I can see some green parks again. I couldn’t help but laugh when you mentioned the bears wearing M’s hat. 😄
Me too! It’s been such a cold and snowy winter. I’m looking forward to the spring and seeing some colour. It’ll be nice to do some hiking again too.
Oh it’s just beautiful, and how cute with little M and the deer 🙂 And as always, I love the red chairs – what a perfect view point to put them!
It was really cute to see how excited she got when the deer came up to the car. She became a pro at feeding them! Parks Canada does such an amazing job at placing those Red Chairs. They’re often at a scenic overlook where you’d want to pause anyway to soak in the views.
It’s always nice to virtually explore the many national parks in Canada through your blog posts. The rock formations on the riverbed look quite interesting actually. And it’s great that you had nice weather during those hikes.
Thanks for your lovely comment Bama. It’s always a lot of fun to explore a new national park as you never quite know what to expect. The scenery here was beautiful. We had such a hot and humid summer. I’m so glad it cooled down considerably as it made hiking much more enjoyable. We’re actually planning to return this summer!
Nothing beats a good ol’ scenic hike. Thank you for sharing.
100% agreed – especially when the weather is beautiful! We didn’t do much hiking last summer and it felt so nice to be out on the trails again.
What an amazing trip. The lakes, forests, waterfalls… everything looks so peaceful and alive. La Mauricie is truly beautiful.
The picture of you and Baby M is wonderful, but even more so is precious M feeding the deer and elk. That is such a sweet and brave little moment. You can feel the joy.
May the Lord Continue to watch over you all and Bless you on every step of your journeys…
Thanks Willie. It’s always a real treat to spend time in nature, especially when the scenery is beautiful and weather is nice. Our little M seems to enjoy the outdoors as much (if not more) than us. It was really cute to see the wonder and excitement in her eyes as she was feeding carrots to the deer and elk. It’s such a blessing to be a parent. Hope you had a lovely weekend.
I haven’t been to this part of Quebec. All I know about Shawinigan is that Chretien is from there. The views from the hikes are gorgeous, but the animal park fees are ridiculous! Maggie
The price of admission into Parc Omega was pretty steep, but at least our little M got in for free. I still think it’s ridiculous that they charged us 50 cents for a bag on top of the carrots we purchased. Seriously!? La Mauricie was very lovely and it was free to visit! We’re planning to return this summer to explore a few more of the trails.
Gorgeous trip. Lakes, forests, cabins, waterfalls – it’s all so scenic and tranquil. Glad you managed to beat the crowds at the safari park. I have to say that charging an extra 50 cents for a bag of carrots, in addition to such a steep entrance fee, is ridiculous. The photo of M feeding a deer is adorable. Lac Solitaire is stunning.
Glad I’m not the only one that thought it was pretty chintzy for them to charge extra for the actual bag that holds the carrots. Especially considering we already paid $50 (each!) for admission. Whatever. We all had a fun time feeding the animals. I’m so glad we went early in the morning as I don’t think it would have been as good of an experience if it was busy and there were traffic jams around the animals.
What a glorious park to follow along with you to. Beautiful views and even some wildlife. That must have been a real treat for Baby M to get to feed those deer. That memory will be a real treasure 🙂
This was our first time visiting this national park. The trails were exceptionally maintained and the views were outstanding. I bet it’s even more beautiful in the fall when the leaves are changing colour. M had a real blast feeding the deer. It was cute (and worth every penny) to watch the excitement on her face.
It’s a lovely piece of nature, especially when the weather is nice. Contact with animals is so educational for children, especially those growing up in cities.
I totally agree about how interacting with animals is so important for children. Our little M had a blast feeding all those deer and elk. It was very sweet to watch.
I think Baby M must have enjoyed feeding carrots to the wildlife (in the picture, she looks so comfortable with the feeding). The Les Cascades and Les Falaises trails are beautiful – love the views. Haha, I would love to see the bear wearing Baby M’s hat 😁. The lake has such a beautiful blue colour – it definitely looks like summer! Oh yes, and it’s great to read that Baby M is already venturing onto the hiking trails by herself – even if it’s just 1km – I think she’s going to become a tough little hiker!
Little M had a blast feeding the wildlife. She’s obsessed with animals! I bet she would enjoy seeing a bear wearing her hat too. Or maybe not, she’s actually very possessive of her toys and things. We’re actually planning to return to La Mauricie this summer. Here’s hoping M is able to do even more hiking! I imagine pretty soon she’ll outpace us and it’ll be us trying to keep up with her!!
It looks like a stunning place to visits and wonderful photography.. thanks for sharing.
Thanks so much for reading and leaving a comment. It’s always fun to explore some new trails, especially when the weather is beautiful.
This looks like the ultimate hiking place, and sweet wildlife too!
It’s always fun to visit a new park. The scenery was beautiful and the trails were very well signed and maintained. It was a wonderful place to hike and enjoy the outdoors.
It looks like the perfect family break for a few days xx
Absolutely! It’s always nice to hit the trails and spend time in nature. Even better if we’re with family.
Aw little M feeding the animals the carrots is so cute awww . I really like that one photo you took where the water reflects fhd blue sky and clouds. It reflects them so well. Absolutely gorgeous picture !