Nature, sports and outdoor activities

Kayak Camping: The story of an expedition in the Parc National de Frontenac

Jessie’s Outdoor Quests

Updated on Jul 31, 2019

All around the Grand lac Saint-François, the Parc National Frontenac offers visitors the opportunity to experience special moments in the heart of nature. Always searching for great open spaces, my Lover and I decided to explore the area during a kayak camping weekend expedition.

Before Starting Out on our Adventure…

When we arrived, we had to register at the park’s Welcome Centre. Those who don’t have a boat can rent all the necessary nautical equipment and a bag of wood is included in the price of your night out, but you have to carry the wood to your campsite. Don’t neglect this information! We hadn’t considered this extra bag (big and heavy) in our supplies so we had to review our strategy.

Taking on the Lake

Once our kayaks were loaded, we headed out! A 7.5 km excursion awaited us to reach our campsite. For our trip, we chose the site furthest away from the Welcome Centre, the Pygargue; Mind you, you can find sites with much shorter paddling distances. In all, there are seven canoe/kayak camp sites throughout the park with, in all, 29 platforms.

Baie Sauvage, where we were headed to, had strong winds and choppy waters that day, but after an hour and a half of paddling, our efforts were rewarded: we arrived at our destination. As soon as we set foot on the site, the wild scent of pines welcomed us. There’s no doubt that nature is the dominant force here.

Quiet in the Evening, Quiet in the Day, Quiet, Always Quiet!

After having set up our base camp for the night, the only thing left for us to do, was to simply relax and take advantage of this moment. Even though we were sharing the site with three other campers, the area was so peaceful we could hear the sound of a nearby waterfall.

In the evening, we offered ourselves an outing on the water to observe the sun setting over the forest. After all the afternoon agitation, all was now peaceful on the lake. We were all alone. We felt true bliss.

The scenario repeated itself the following morning as we woke up. There’s nothing better than contemplating nature in the morning stillness while savouring a hot cup of coffee. We took advantage of this quiet time to read a bit under the sun’s warm rays. If you’re a fishing enthusiast, you can cast your line, just like our camping neighbours, with the hope of catching a northern pike, a common species in this sector.

Returning to Civilization

As we were packing up, it took a lot of willpower to leave the site. Accessible, only by boat, the canoe/kayak campsites allow you to discover areas magnificently isolated, and the sites offered at the Parc National de Frontenac are no exception… An excursion we’ll surely repeat!

Some free Tips to Plan your Excursion

Here are some basic items you’ll need if you’d like to go on a canoe/kayak getaway:

  • A stable boat;
  • Waterproof bags (especially if you hope to sleep in a dry sleeping bag!);
  • Warm clothing because even in the middle of summer, nights can be quite cool;
  • Food containing protein and nonperishable as much as possible (the distance to get some ice can be farther than you think!);
  • A lot of water and/or a water filter to hydrate properly;
  • Bug repellent;
  • And some elbow grease to paddle.

Jessie Jolin

I’m the content manager for Eastern Townships Tourism and an avid outdoors and sports enthusiast. Always on the lookout for new places and experiences, along with my Lover, we travel throughout the province and especially in the Eastern Townships, hoping to find the best places for playing outside. Follow me on my outdoor adventures!
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You should read

Canoe & Kayak: Where to Go in the Eastern Townships
Across Sherbrooke in a kayak!
Hidden Treasures: Adventure Worthy Campsites

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