Campgrounds and RV parks near Ferland-et-Boilleau, QC

The area is built around hiking, paddling, and wildlife viewing. Inside Parc national des Grands-Jardins, the signature hike is Mont du Lac des Cygnes, with boreal forest, taiga, and tundra-like vegetation uncommon this far south. The park trail network exceeds 30 km and crosses several distinct landscapes. At Haute Gorges de la Riviere Malbaie, the Acropole-des-Draveurs trail climbs steeply for panoramic gorge views, and the Riverain and Des Rapides trails follow the river at gentler grades. Canoe, kayak, and stand-up paddleboard rentals are available near the Draveur Visitors Centre, and boat cruises run on the Malbaie River during the summer season. Closer to town, Camping Plage Margot and Camping Au Jardin De Mon Pere offer swimming, fishing, and easy lake access for lower-key days between bigger park outings.

The camping season is short and concentrated. Most private campgrounds around Ferland-et-Boilleau open in mid- to late May and close in early to mid-September. SEPAQ campgrounds follow a similar pattern: Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Riviere-Malbaie camping operates from mid-May to mid-October, accessible via the village of Saint-Aime-des-Lacs, and Grands-Jardins campgrounds run on a comparable schedule. Early and late season trips have trade-offs. In the Arthabaska sector, campsites are offered as rustic camping at the start and end of the season, with no sanitary services or water points and only dry toilets, so campers must bring their own water. The Pied-des-Monts sector is also rustic at the very start of the season. Acropole-des-Draveurs, the marquee hike at Hautes-Gorges, is normally accessible only between the second Friday of June and the Monday of Thanksgiving weekend. July and August bring the warmest weather and the busiest sites; September delivers fall colour with cooler nights. Winters are deep and cold, and most RV-suitable campgrounds are closed.

Expect a mix of serviced and rustic camping, not big-box RV resorts. SEPAQ sites lean rustic by North American standards. Pied-des-Monts has 27 semi-serviced campsites and 9 sites with electricity, while Arthabaska provides 30 semi-serviced campsites, so full hookups are limited and dump-station planning matters. At Hautes-Gorges, Le Cran offers 75 semi-serviced sites and 19 sites with electricity that accept all equipment types. Cell coverage is patchy once Route 381 climbs into the highlands. Black bears, moose, grey wolves, red foxes, porcupines, and lynx are present in the parks, and food-storage rules are enforced. Bring layers even in July, as nights stay cool at elevation. RVs longer than about 30 feet should confirm site length, especially in rustic sectors where turning room and tree cover can be tight.