Camping near Montreal is easy for those looking to skip town on weekend getaways. Scroll down this list and pick a campsite to enjoy the rugged adventure or laid back RVs!
Camping near Montreal is especially easy with this list of spots that are maximum of 4 hours away (if driving).
Exploring nature during the pandemic might be the perfect way to unwind with the backwoods, mountains, rivers and lakes of Québec and the Northeast. You can enjoy canoeing, enjoy the best beaches, fishing, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing or have a relaxed camping experience with an easy-going full-service RV experience.
These 9 spots offer plenty of campsites but you might have to call and ask them beforehand to place you 6 to 10 feet away from other guests due to the pandemic. Then you’ll truly be able to enjoy your weekend adventure and brag about your getaways within Montreal’s orbit!
Camping Near Montreal: 9 Places To Head To!
1. Parc national d’Oka:
Enjoy canoeing, kayaking, pedal boats, sailing and cycling.
Just west of Montreal is the perfect site for beach camping without having to exit the Montreal metropolitan area. This provincial park in Oka has camping activities including a more rugged experience, an RV site or a ready-to-camp fully furnished tent rental, some of which are dog-friendly.
FUN FACT: Head to the Calvaire d’Oka pilgrimage site which dates back to 1740.
2. Parc national de la Yamaska:
Enjoy 147 sites, including ready-to-camp tent rental with water and electricity or rustic sites for canoe and bicycle camping.
The Parc national de la Yamaska is a 1.5 hour drive from Montreal. It surrounds the Choinière reservoir, an artificial lake perfect for boating activities built on the North Yamaska River near Granby in the Eastern Townships. The campground here has a winter time special to rent one of five nature cabins or a rustic shelter located near snowshoeing and cross-country ski trails.
3. Parc National du Mont-Tremblant:
Great for family-friendly trips with some skis, canoeing, biking or more intimate backcountry expeditions on old forest roads and waterways.
Mont-Tremblant isn’t just a ski resort. While the skiing here is the selling spot, the largest and oldest provincial park also offers around 900 campsites here, from well-serviced sites near the park entrance to rustic canoe-camping sites deep in the backwoods only accessible on foot.
With unique access to the Laurentian mountains, a range containing over 400 rivers, lakes and streams, this park has it all. Hikers should check out the Via Ferrata Du Diable, a path winding along the Vache Noire rock face.
4. Parc national des Îles-de-Boucherville:
The closest provincial park to Downtown Montreal.
Skip the long drive as the Îles-de-Boucherville offers facilities located on Grosbois Island, the northernmost of the park’s five islands in the Saint-Lawrence River.
Access to the park is possible by ferry or by public bus from Montreal, Longueuil or Boucherville from June to September. If you feel up to it, you can reach with your bicycle and ride along the park’s 21km-long network of trails.
Enjoy canoeing, kayaking, beach volleyball, pedal boats and fishing here.
5. Mont-Orford:
Offers some of the best hiking in the Montreal area, with over 80km of beautiful views of the Eastern Townships.
This park has 275 campsites here, as well as nature cabins, huts and an architecturally inspiring EXP cabin—located in a sugar bush for maple syrup production—for all-season accommodations. Two beaches make for great lake swimming and there are also facilities for boating, rock climbing and winter sports. Mont-Orford is a natural habitat for the Great Blue Heron, the white-tailed deer and many other species, so wildlife-watchers in particular will have their hands full of binoculars here.
6. La Vérendrye Wildlife Reserve:
Invites fishermen, licensed hunters and snowmobile enthusiasts.
La Vérendrye may be a 4 hour drive from Montreal but it is the largest nature reserve, offering a more rustic experience than the provincial park for those who want to dive into the wilderness.
Over 1250 campsites are spread over this immense territory, including 40 rustic campsites and 39 cabins for up to 8 people. Some campsites and cabins to rent a boat or park your own. Other activities here include hiking and berry-picking.
7. Sommet Morin Heights:
Well-equipped camping facilities near Montreal, with tent camping, log cabins and RV sites.
Near the Sommet Morin Heights ski resort in the Laurentians gives you convenient access to ski slopes in the winter, as well as a children’s amusement park, mini-golf, a water park and a treetop zipline in the summer.
8. Camping Laurentien:
Perfect if you’re looking for a less wild experience with more creature comforts.
Camping near Montreal is also amazing with another great Laurentian site fully-equipped for tent and RV camping with access to a casse-croûte, public washrooms, laundry facilities, firewood, washrooms and showers.
Along with WiFi, they have an area reserved for seniors and retirees looking for a quieter experience. All of this is within a stone’s throw of great mountain hiking and canoeing on the Rivière du Nord.
9. oTENTik:
No need to drive.
Some say we left the best for last as in oTENTik, you don’t even have to leave town.
Parks Canada offers ready-to-camp tents in the heart of the city at their oTENTik site on the Lachine Canal from June to September. Each of the seven tents offers cooking equipment that can be used at the kitchen shelter on site, and plus points, you don’t have to put on bug spray or head into the backwoods to go camping.