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Voykit pocket guide · Canada
Mattawa
Stop for 2–4 hours if you are driving Highway 17: the wooden statues, the museum and Explorer's Point. Sleep one night only if you are paddling or riding the trails.
Mattawa is a town of about 2,000 people where the Mattawa River meets the Ottawa River, 60 km east of North Bay and roughly 300 km west of Ottawa on the Trans-Canada Highway. It was a canoe route and fur-trade junction for two centuries, then a logging town, and it still works as a launch point for the Ottawa River, the Voyageur trail network and the north side of Algonquin Park. Sights are few and close together; the reason to stay is water, trails and the drive itself.
- Country
- Canada
- Best months
- Jun–Sep for water and trails; late Sep–early Oct for the Highway 17 drive
- Avoid
- Nov–Apr unless you are here for snowmobiling or skiing
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- CAD
- Money
- Currency is the Canadian dollar (CAD, $). Cards and tap-to-pay are accepted almost everywhere.
- Daily spend
- Budget C$90–140 excl. bed · Mid C$150–230 excl. bed · High C$250+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Rogers, Bell and Telus plus cheaper brands (Fido, Koodo, Public Mobile); prepaid SIMs in malls and stores. Canadian data is expensive — an eSIM is often cheaper.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911 · OPP non-emergency 1-888-310-1122
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Same as the US.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: 15–20% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: CAD 1–2 per drink.; Taxi: 10–15%.; Housekeeping: CAD 3–5 a night.; Guide: 10–20% of the tour price.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable; treat water from lakes and streams (giardia).
- Toilets
- Free in malls, Tim Hortons, stations and park visitor centres.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | C$2–4 |
| Diner lunch | C$15–25 |
| Motel double, summer | C$90–190 |
| Trail day pass | C$12 |
| Festival pass, Voyageur Days | C$40 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | C$20–40 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- YYB · North Bay Jack Garland
- Nearest airport, about 60 km west; check current carriers and schedulesNearest airport, about 37 mi west; check current carriers and schedules
- YOW · Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier
- About 300 km east; the bus from Ottawa takes about 4.5 hAbout 186 mi east; the bus from Ottawa takes about 4.5 h
Typical fares
- Ontario Northland, North Bay → Mattawa
- about 45 min
- Ontario Northland, Ottawa → Mattawa
- about 4.5 h
- Fuel, North Bay → Mattawa and back
- about 120 km round tripabout 75 mi round trip
Get around
No local transit. Walk the centre in 15–20 minutes; drive for the ski hill, the trails and the park. Ontario Northland coaches stop in town on the Ottawa–Sudbury run.
See and do
Known for
- Wooden statues of voyageurs and local figures
- Mattawa River and Ottawa River junction
- Mattawa Voyageur Days festival
- Canoe and snowmobile country
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park | Drive east on Highway 17, about 15 min | About 20 min |
| North Bay | Drive west on Highway 17, about 45 min; Ontario Northland coach also runs it | About 1 h |
| Algonquin Park (Kiosk or Brent access) | Drive via Highway 533 and back roads | 1.5–2 h |
| Ottawa | Drive Highway 17 east, or Ontario Northland coach | 4–4.5 h |
Sleep
- Highway 17 strip (east end)
- Motels and the adventure camp; you need a car for everything.
- Valois Drive
- Motel with a licensed restaurant on site; walkable to the river.
- Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park area
- Cabins at the ecology centre and campgrounds; book ahead in summer.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Merci |
| Hello | Bonjour |
| Excuse me | Excusez-moi |
| How much is it? | Combien ça coûte ? |
| Where is the toilet? | Où sont les toilettes ? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake; 'Bonjour' first in Québec; avoid: Assuming everyone speaks English
- Queues: Line up and wait your turn; avoid: Pushing in
- Apologising: 'Sorry' is politeness, not admission of fault; avoid: Loud confrontation
- Canada vs US: Treat Canada as its own country; avoid: Calling Canadians American
- Indigenous culture: Buy from Indigenous-owned businesses and ask before photos at ceremonies; avoid: Wearing headdresses as costume
Scams and watch-outs
- Distances between services are long: fuel up in North Bay or Pembroke.
- Cell coverage is patchy on Highway 533 and the back roads.
- Black bears and moose are real on the highways at dawn and dusk.
- Winter driving on Highway 17 is snow tires and daylight only.
Small-town Ontario, low street crime. The genuine risks are highway driving, cold water on the rivers and weather that turns fast outside town.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Mattawa yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Wooden statues of voyageurs and local figures
- Mattawa River and Ottawa River junction
- Mattawa Voyageur Days festival
- Canoe and snowmobile country
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Ontario Parks — Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park: www.ontarioparks.ca/park/samueldechamplain
- Ontario Northland: www.ontarionorthland.ca/
- Wikivoyage: Mattawa, revision 5242399 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5242399
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Mattawa
À cette adresse, s'il vous plaît
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
- OPP non-emergency1-888-310-1122
No consulates here. Nearest hospital and services: North Bay, about 60 km west.
About a third of residents speak French; English works everywhere.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/mattawa). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.