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Voykit pocket guide · Canada
Saint-Édouard-de-Maskinongé
Skip as a base unless you have a car and a reason: the zoo, the campground or the Maskinongé river. One night, or a half-day stop off route 348.
Saint-Édouard-de-Maskinongé is a small parish municipality in the Maskinongé MRC, about 1 h 25 min by car from Montréal and 2 h from Québec City. It is farmland and boreal forest with one real draw for families (Zoo Animalia), a large campground, a river with a waterfall, and a motocross school. There is no bus or train: without a car you cannot get here. Most travellers pass through on route 348 between Louiseville and Saint-Gabriel-de-Brandon, or sleep one night at the campground.
- Country
- Canada
- Best months
- Jun–Sep for the zoo and campground; Feb–Mar for snowmobile trails
- Avoid
- Nov–Apr for camping (Camping Saint-Édouard runs May–Sep); mud season in April
- 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$60–110 excl. bed · Mid C$110–200 excl. bed · High C$200+ 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 · Sûreté du Québec (non-emergency) 310-4141 · Info-Santé (24 h) 811
- 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 |
| Cassecroute meal (burger, fries, drink) | C$15–25 |
| Rotisserie chicken meal | C$18–30 |
| Ice cream at a dairy bar | C$4–8 |
| Campground night, serviced site | C$40–60 |
| Zoo Animalia entry | C$20–30 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | C$15–40 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- YUL · Montréal-Trudeau
- About 1 h 45 min by car via Highway 40 east and route 348; no public transport to the village
- YQB · Québec City Jean Lesage
- About 2 h 15 min by car via Highway 40 west; check rental car hours before a late arrival
Typical fares
- Montréal → Saint-Édouard-de-Maskinongé by car
- about 122 km, 1 h 25 min, fuel about C$15–20about 76 mi, 1 h 25 min, fuel about C$15–20
- Québec City → Saint-Édouard-de-Maskinongé by car
- about 182 km, 2 h, fuel about C$22–28about 113 mi, 2 h, fuel about C$22–28
- Louiseville → village by car
- about 15 km on route 348, 20 minabout 9.3 mi on route 348, 20 min
Get around
Car only. The village sits on route 348, with route 350 running east toward Saint-Boniface. There is no local bus and no taxi rank; distances between the village, the zoo, the campground and the waterfall are 2–6 km on country roads. Snowmobiles and ATVs are legal on marked trails in season. Fuel at the Harnois station on rue Notre-Dame.Car only. The village sits on route 348, with route 350 running east toward Saint-Boniface. There is no local bus and no taxi rank; distances between the village, the zoo, the campground and the waterfall are 1.2–3.7 mi on country roads. Snowmobiles and ATVs are legal on marked trails in season. Fuel at the Harnois station on rue Notre-Dame.
See and do
Known for
- Zoo Animalia et Refuge pour animaux
- Camping Saint-Édouard
- Chute du Poste on the Maskinongé river
- Maxbike motocross circuits
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Louiseville | Route 348 east to route 138, about 15 kmRoute 348 east to route 138, about 9.3 mi | About 20 min |
| Saint-Alexis-des-Monts | Route 348 east then north on route 349, about 30 kmRoute 348 east then north on route 349, about 19 mi | About 35 min |
| Saint-Mathieu-du-Parc | Route 348 west, then north via Saint-Élie-de-Caxton | About 1 h |
| Saint-Élie-de-Caxton | Route 348 west to Saint-Gabriel-de-Brandon, then north | About 45 min |
| Trois-Rivières | Route 348 east to route 138, then Highway 40 east | About 1 h |
Sleep
- Village core (rue Notre-Dame)
- Church, presbytery, dépanneur and the two restaurants; the only walkable cluster. Few beds.
- Camping Saint-Édouard (rang des Chutes)
- The main place to sleep: campsites, cabins, pools and a snack bar, May to September, next to Zoo Animalia.
- Route 350 / Lake Marianne side
- Chalets and gîtes in the forest north and west of the village; car required for everything.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Bonjourbon-ZHOOR |
| Thank you | Mercimair-SEE |
| How much is it? | Combien ça coûte ?kom-BYEN sa KOOT |
| I would like a coffee, please | Un café, s'il vous plaîtun ka-FAY seel voo PLEH |
| Where is the campground? | Où est le camping ?oo eh luh kam-PEENG |
| Can I pay by card? | Puis-je payer par carte ?pweezh pay-YAY par KART |
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
- No public transport: without a car you are stuck. Plan a rental from Montréal or Trois-Rivières.
- Wildlife on the roads at dawn and dusk, especially deer on route 348 and chemin du Lac Marianne.
- Cell coverage is patchy on the back roads toward Poste-de-Yale and Lake Marianne; download offline maps.
- Most businesses are seasonal and close early; the campground and zoo shut from October to April.
- Winter driving needs snow tires (mandatory in Québec in winter) and the back roads are not always cleared first.
Very low crime; the real risks are driving (wildlife, winter ice, unlit country roads) and isolation. Tell someone your route if you go to the waterfall or the back lakes.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Saint-Édouard-de-Maskinongé yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Zoo Animalia et Refuge pour animaux
- Camping Saint-Édouard
- Chute du Poste on the Maskinongé river
- Maxbike motocross circuits
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- MRC de Maskinongé — tourism and municipal information: www.mrc-maskinonge.qc.ca/
- Tourisme Mauricie: www.tourismemauricie.com/
- Zoo Animalia et Refuge pour animaux: zooanimalia.ca/
- Camping Saint-Édouard: www.campingstedouard.com/
- Wikivoyage: Saint-Édouard-de-Maskinongé, revision 5242510 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5242510
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Saint-Édouard-de-Maskinongé
À cette adresse, s'il vous plaît
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies here. The US consulate general is in Montréal; other countries keep embassies in Ottawa and consulates in Montréal.
Print this card: no phone signal on the back roads, and the village has no taxi.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/saint-edouard-de-maskinonge). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.