Stays

To explore the Adirondacks without packing up every morning, the Lake Placid / Whiteface Mtn. KOA Holiday makes an ideal base camp. Located on Route 86 in Wilmington, at the foot of Whiteface Mountain, it’s about 20 minutes from Lake Placid and just a few minutes from High Falls Gorge and the Cobble Lookout trail. We spent two nights there in October 2026, sleeping in our Tesla.

The campground is split into two sections. The Mountainside section, home to the office and the camp store, offers quiet wooded sites. The Riverside section, across the road, runs along the Ausable River: it’s more open, with picnic areas by the water and kayak, canoe and paddleboard rentals. There’s plenty of choice: RV sites up to 45 feet, tent sites, cabins, Deluxe cabins and motel rooms.

The big plus for electric vehicle travelers: sites with hookups offer up to 50 amps. With a NEMA 14-50 adapter, the Tesla charges quietly overnight. On site, you’ll also find Wi-Fi, a laundry room, a game room, a dog park and a community fire pit, and firewood is available for purchase.

Late in the season, check opening dates before booking. The office is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; if you’re arriving late, call 518-946-7878.

At 45, avenue du Bassin Nord in Montmagny, Camping Pointe-aux-Oies is one of those campgrounds that fully deserve their reputation. Rated five stars by Camping Québec, it has more than 300 sites set right on the shore of the St. Lawrence River — and it is precisely that location that makes all the difference.

The facilities are complete, and well above average: a water park with slides and splash features, a heated pool, mini-golf, a snack bar, play areas and a natural beach a few steps away. Full-service sites are plentiful, and several are designed to fit large rigs.

For those travelling without gear, the campground offers three yurts and — a rare find in Quebec — two Goutte d'Ô units. This is a chrysalis-shaped ready-to-camp cabin where six square metres are enough to sleep two adults, or a family of four with a bed below and a hammock mezzanine above. It is the kind of unusual lodging you will find almost nowhere else.

The big draw, once again, is the river. It is right there, and the sunsets over the water are worth the stay on their own. Right next to the grounds, a trail of about 2 km lined with wooden boardwalks runs along the shore and leads to a 30-foot observation tower built at the tip of the point. From up there, the view opens onto the Isle-aux-Grues archipelago and its twenty-one islands, with Grosse-Île in the distance. Access is free.

The site is also a renowned observation spot for the Greater Snow Goose, which stops over in Montmagny in spring and fall. In September, you already see them passing by the thousands.

Two practical details to know before you book: bring $2 coins for the showers, and if you are travelling in a big recreational vehicle, be aware that some bends on the grounds are tight despite the suitable sites.

A perfect base camp for exploring Montmagny, taking the boat to Grosse-Île or simply watching the river go by.

After three and a half hours on the road from Quebec City, we treated ourselves to something a little different: a suite at the Hôtel Matha, at 2650, route Louis-Cyr in Saint-Jean-de-Matha. This isn't camping in the strict sense — and we fully own the gap, same as with our dome in Baddeck!

The place isn't a simple hotel either. Expérience Matha is a four-season complex that brings together on one site a mountain golf course, water activities on lac Rond, the Super Glissades — among the best known in Quebec for more than 40 years — a thermal area and the Bistro Matha. As the house puts it nicely: here you don't choose between the golf and the lake, between the adrenaline and the unwinding. You take it all.

The lodging counts 36 units in three formats: 22 spacious rooms with two queen beds, designed for families and groups of friends, 8 suites built for two, and 4 condos. Our suite came with a king bed, a whirlpool tub, a fireplace, a full bathroom, a coffee maker and a fridge. After a day on the road, let's just say the whirlpool tub was warmly received.

The detail that changes everything: access to the thermal area is included with every stay, whatever the room or package you choose. You'll find two outdoor hot pools with complementary moods — one for unwinding quietly while taking in the view, the other for stretching out the relaxation after activities — a dry sauna and an outdoor fire area surrounded by nature. No supplement, no complicated booking.

For dinner, the Bistro Matha seats you indoors or on the covered terrace. And for golfers, the mountain course is open from May to the end of October; it has been there since 1972 and a number of players find it has the quality of a private club.

A real favourite for a getaway as a couple, and a fine way to start a weekend in the Matawinie on the right foot.

At 4149, chemin de la Montagne in Val-Racine, at the foot of the mont Saint-Joseph, the Camping et Chalets dans les Arbres Mont-Mégantic sits in the middle of a hundred-year-old forest, only 6 km from the ASTROLab and Mont-Mégantic National Park. Which is to say, the perfect base for a stay built around summits and the sky.

The campground has more than 50 sites, about ten of them with 2 services. You can set up a tent, a camper or a small trailer, and a washroom building is available to campers. It's a resolutely rustic campground — you don't come here for the pool and the splash pad, but for the forest, the silence and the mature trees that close in around the sites.

The place also has a fine story. It used to be called the Camping Cédrière de la Montagne, and in 2009 the owner, Roger Pépin, had the slightly crazy idea one January evening of building cabins perched up in the trees. A few months later three of them had appeared along the chemin de la Montagne — the property has four today, one of them rustic. The campground eventually took its name from that good idea.

What makes the site really special is, of course, the sky. You're right in the middle of the Mont-Mégantic International Dark Sky Reserve, the first in the world to earn that status. Lighting across the whole region was rethought accordingly, and the Milky Way unfurls above the sites the way you rarely get to see it. That's the whole meaning of the house motto: "Set your course for the stars… and come breathe the earth!"

One practical advantage worth knowing: the campground offers a partner discount with the ASTROLab, which is far from negligible if you're planning an evening of astronomy. And 6 km from the park's welcome centre, you're front row for heading up to the summits early in the morning, before the crowds.

For the last night of the trip, it is hard to imagine better than the campground at Parc national du Bic. On Route 132 west of Rimouski, this Sépaq park is one of the most photogenic in Quebec: steep headlands, deep bays, coves, islands, marshes and tidal flats that reveal themselves to the rhythm of the tides. After two weeks on the road between the Côte-Nord, Labrador, Newfoundland and the Maritimes, it is a conclusion worthy of the journey.

The campground offers close to 135 sites with no services, with one service or with two services, spread across four quite distinct sectors: the brand-new Tombolo campground, ideal for families; the Rivière-du-Sud-Ouest campground, the largest and the best equipped; the Rioux campground, right in the heart of the park, more wooded and quieter; and the La Coulée campground, a peaceful spot directly along the river. For those travelling light, nine ready-to-camp sites are also offered in the Cormoran and Grand-Héron loops.

The park is a paradise for wildlife watching. Harbour seals and grey seals bask there by the dozen on the rocks — Île aux Amours and Baie du Ha! Ha! are sure bets at low tide. You also come across porcupines, red foxes, white-tailed deer and a multitude of seabirds. On the trail side there is something for everyone, from a short family stroll to the climb up Pic Champlain and its panorama over the river and the Charlevoix mountains.

But if there is one thing not to miss, it is the sunset. Le Bic is known for its blazing ends of day over the St. Lawrence. A word of advice: sites book up very early in summer — the ones with electricity sometimes go within hours of reservations opening in January. And several trails depend on the tides, so check the schedule before setting out to walk!

In Beresford, in the Chaleur region, Camping Malybel took us in for the night after our run up the Acadian coast. The grounds sit alongside the Beresford lagoon — a favoured habitat for several of the region's threatened species, which you can watch from a platform built on the site.

The campground mixes wooded sectors and open spaces, and it is frankly family-oriented: pool, waterslide, mini-golf, playgrounds, community hall and a canteen whose poutine has a good reputation with the regulars. You find sites with or without services, chalets to rent, free Wi-Fi and bilingual service.

The location is its best asset: the Baie des Chaleurs has some of the warmest waters and sandiest beaches in Canada, and the Beresford and Youghall beaches are only minutes away. Bathurst and its amenities are close by, as are the Pabineau Falls and the Daly Point nature reserve.

One honest reservation: it is a very lively campground, with plenty of seasonal campers and sometimes music in the evening. Perfect if you are after a festive atmosphere and activities for the children; worth knowing if you were rather counting on absolute quiet after a long day on the road.

A dozen kilometres east of Shediac, on the line between Cap-Pelé and Grand-Barachois, Camping Plage Gagnon is a big family campground set right on the Northumberland Strait. The business has been run by the same family since the beginning, and a number of campers have been coming back every summer for more than forty years — which says a lot about the atmosphere there.

The campground has some 270 sites, mostly seasonal, with full hookups, well-kept washroom blocks, a laundry, a heated pool, playgrounds and a basketball court. It's a lively, family-oriented campground where the children have plenty to do from morning to night.

But the real selling point is the direct beach access: kilometres of clean, open sand, a five-minute walk from the sites, with that surprisingly mild water of the Acadian coast. The Northumberland Strait does in fact have the warmest salt water north of the Carolinas — 20 to 22 °C in July, sometimes more.

And above all — above all — the sunset. You settle onto the sand at the end of the day, the horizon catches fire above the strait, and you understand why the regulars talk about it with such affection. It's the kind of end of day that justifies the detour all by itself, and probably our finest memory of the Acadian coast.

In the heart of the beautiful Annapolis Valley, in Wilmot, between Middleton and Kingston, Jeff's Hideaway Campground & Cottages is a family campground full of personality. On the legendary Evangeline Trail (Highway 1), it once went by the name Vidito Family Campground before being renamed in honour of Jeffrey Senkerik. A dedicated team carries on a fine family tradition there today.

The setting is superb: tucked along the banks of the Annapolis River, surrounded by lush forest, with the Bay of Fundy a short drive away. It's a dream spot for wildlife watching — bald eagles, turtles and a fine variety of birds — in a peaceful, restorative environment.

On the lodging side, there's something for every taste: 56 sites with or without full hookups (water, electricity, sewer, Wi-Fi), cottages, cabins, as well as sites for RVs and for tents. On site you'll find a pool, a playground, a small camp store and a laundry. The owners are known for their warm welcome and friendly atmosphere — several visitors compare the experience to finding a second family.

Another pleasure of the place: the summer theme events held regularly, from the famous "Christmas in July" to bingo, by way of children's activities and lively campfires. A real hideaway that invites you to unplug — and ideally placed for visiting Grand-Pré, Wolfville and its vineyards, and for ranging out to the Bay of Fundy.

After a full day between Peggy's Cove, the Citadel and the Halifax Waterfront, Laurie Provincial Park gave us a fine break in nature only 25 km north of the city. Set on the shores of magnificent Grand Lake, this little gem of the Nova Scotia provincial park system lets you get away from the urban bustle without having to drive very long.

The campground has 71 wooded sites in a peaceful, well-preserved setting. It is rustic camping with no services — no water or electricity at the sites — but you find everything you need: a washroom building with hot showers, a dishwashing station, a dump station for RVs, recycling areas and free Wi-Fi. Each site comes with a fire pit and a picnic table. Some walk-in sites even offer a magnificent view over the lake, perfect for tents.

Beyond the camping, the park has a developed beach (unsupervised swimming), a day-use area much prized by Halifax residents, hiking trails and fine paved roads ideal for cycling, strollers or skateboards. Kayaking, canoeing, paddleboarding and fishing are all on the menu on the lake.

The campground runs on self-serve with an access code, which is handy when you arrive late. One word of advice, though: the park gates close at 10:30 p.m., so plan your comings and goings accordingly!

After a night on the ferry between Port aux Basques and North Sydney and a first day on the Cabot Trail, we treated ourselves to something a little different: a night in a geodesic dome at Baddeck Domes. This isn't camping in the strict sense — it's glamping, and we fully own the small detour!

The property sits right at the water's edge, in Baddeck, less than a kilometre from Bras d'Or Lake and about six minutes from the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site. The village is within walking distance, which makes the location especially handy for dinner or picking up a few things.

Each dome is warmly furnished, with a big panoramic window that frames the view over the water. Waking up, you catch sunrises in soft blue and green tones — pure happiness. On the amenities side, we're a long way from rustic camping: hot tub, air conditioning, laundry, Wi-Fi and parking on site. The property also has outdoor fire pits, common areas and quiet gardens that invite you to slow down.

As one guest comment sums it up nicely: "I thought camping wasn't for me until I went glamping here — the serenity combined with modern comfort changed my perspective." That's exactly it. A favourite address, perfect for a romantic getaway or a well-earned pause in the middle of a long road trip.

For a base in the heart of Gros Morne National Park, it's hard to do better than the Gros Morne / Norris Point KOA Holiday — the first and only KOA in Newfoundland and Labrador! Tucked into a wooded valley beside a beautiful mountain lake, a few minutes from Norris Point and Rocky Harbour, this campground is a little haven of calm, ideally placed for ranging out through the park.

The range of accommodation is surprisingly varied: 101 sites, many with full services and a KOA patio, 8 camping cabins, 2 Deluxe cabins with a full bathroom and — a real favourite — 4 geodesic glamping domes with a private hot tub. Rates run from roughly $29 to $200 depending on the option. The campground is open from May 1 to October 31.

On site you'll find the Moose Path trail running along the lake, a playground, a dog park, kayak and canoe rentals, and interpretive activities: kayak outings in the glacier-carved fjords, guided hikes for children. The Wi-Fi is excellent, the showers spotless, and the evenings end around the campfire, sometimes in song.

The location is really its best argument: the Lobster Cove Head lighthouse, the climb up Gros Morne mountain, the Western Brook Pond boat tour, Woody Point and the Tablelands are all within driving range. In short, everything you need to explore one of Canada's finest parks without ever having to pack up camp.

After the crossing from Blanc-Sablon and the drive up the Viking Trail, Viking RV Park took us in at Saint Lunaire-Griquet, at the northern tip of the Great Northern Peninsula. It is quite simply the closest campground to L'Anse aux Meadows — a five-minute drive from the Viking site — which makes it the obvious base for anyone coming to explore the only authenticated Norse settlement in North America.

The campground is a small family-run property full of charm, set on the edge of a pond, on Route 436. There are about thirty sites, several of them pull-through, with water and electricity. There are no sewer hookups at the sites, but a dump station is available on the property. Figure about $25 a night without services and $38 with. The washroom building is spotless and heated — a detail you appreciate a great deal at this latitude! Wi-Fi, washer and dryer, a children's playground and big fire pits round out the offering.

But the real strength of Viking RV Park is the human warmth. Grace, the owner, bakes homemade muffins and fresh bread every morning, and serves the famous mooseburger — a moose burger that is a genuine Newfoundland experience in itself. The kind of welcome that turns a simple overnight stay into a memory.

At the end of the day, you settle in by the pond for the sunset, with a very real chance of spotting a moose along the edge of the property. The ideal place to stretch out the Viking magic a little longer.