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Voykit pocket guide · Canada
Saint-Mathieu-du-Parc
Go for 2 nights if you want La Mauricie National Park's southwest gate; skip as a base if you have no car — there is no bus.
Saint-Mathieu-du-Parc is a village of about 1,400 people on Route 351, 25 km from Shawinigan and the last stop before the southwest entrance of La Mauricie National Park. It is a car-and-chalet place: 80 lakes, a covered bridge, an esker, sugar shacks in spring and the national park gate at the end of Chemin Saint-François. Two nights covers the park plus the village; one night works if you are only passing through to the park.
- Country
- Canada
- Best months
- Jun–Sep for the park and lakes; late Feb–Mar for snowmobile and sugar-shack season
- Avoid
- Nov (mud, closed trails, most lodgings shut); Apr (sugar shacks close, lakes still cold)
- Stay
- 2 nights
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
- 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$2.50–4.50 |
| Cassecroûte meal (snack bar) | C$12–20 |
| Grocery basket for two, one day | C$40–60 |
| Beer: draught in a village bar / can at the grocery | C$7–9 / C$2.50–4 |
| Gasoline, per litre | C$1.50–1.80 (check) |
| Sugar-shack meal, per person | C$25–40 (check) |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | C$20–40 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- YUL · Montréal-Trudeau
- About 2 h 10 min by car via Autoroute 40 and Route 351; no direct bus to the village.
- YQB · Québec City Jean Lesage
- About 2 h by car via Autoroute 40 and Route 359/153.
Typical fares
- YUL → Saint-Mathieu-du-Parc by car
- about 164 km, 2 h 10 min (check)about 102 mi, 2 h 10 min (check)
- YQB → Saint-Mathieu-du-Parc by car
- about 171 km, 2 h (check)about 106 mi, 2 h (check)
- Shawinigan → village by car
- about 25 km, 30 min (check)about 16 mi, 30 min (check)
Get around
A car is effectively required: there is no public transit in the municipality and no bus from Shawinigan or Trois-Rivières. Route 351 runs through the village; Chemin Saint-François leads to the La Mauricie National Park gate. A 240 V charging terminal sits at 1890 chemin Déziel. In winter, snowmobiles and ATVs use the same road network.
See and do
Known for
- La Mauricie National Park southwest gate
- Covered bridge over the Shawinigan River
- 80 lakes and the Saint-Mathieu esker
- Sugar shacks (cabane à sucre) in spring
- Mokotakan Indigenous culture site and wildlife museum
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| La Mauricie National Park | Car via Chemin Saint-François to the Saint-Mathieu entrance | About 15–20 min |
| Shawinigan | Car via Route 351 north | About 30 min |
| Saint-Élie-de-Caxton | Car via Route 351 east | About 20 min |
| Trois-Rivières | Car via Route 351 and Autoroute 55 | About 1 h |
Sleep
- Village centre (Chemin Principal)
- Gîtes, B&B, the Auberge Mandala hostel and the two restaurants; walkable, 5 min to the grocery store.
- Chemin Saint-François
- Closest to the national park gate and the Mokotakan site; you need a car for everything.
- Lake shores (Bellemare, Goulet, Jackson, McLaren)
- Chalets and campgrounds; quiet, often no cell signal, 10–20 min drive from the village.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Bonjourbon-ZHOOR |
| Thank you | Mercimair-SEE |
| How much is it? | Combien ça coûte ?kom-BYEN sa KOOT |
| A table for two, please | Une table pour deux, s'il vous plaîtewn TABL poor DUH seel voo PLEH |
| Where is the national park entrance? | Où est l'entrée du parc national ?oo eh lahn-TRAY dew PARK na-syo-NAL |
| 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 limited to the village core.
- Cell coverage is weak or absent at several lake chalets; download maps and park info before you arrive.
- La Mauricie National Park has day-use limits in summer: reserve entry and camping on the Parks Canada site.
- Many chalets and campgrounds close from October to May: confirm dates before booking.
- Wildlife (moose, deer, bears) on Route 351 and Chemin Saint-François, especially at dawn and dusk.
Low-crime rural municipality; the real risks are driving Route 351 at night (moose and deer), cold lake water, and no cell signal at some chalets. 911 works everywhere.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Saint-Mathieu-du-Parc yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- La Mauricie National Park southwest gate
- Covered bridge over the Shawinigan River
- 80 lakes and the Saint-Mathieu esker
- Sugar shacks (cabane à sucre) in spring
- Mokotakan Indigenous culture site and wildlife museum
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- La Mauricie National Park — Parks Canada: www.pc.gc.ca/fr/pn-np/qc/mauricie
- Wikivoyage: Saint-Mathieu-du-Parc, revision 5252698 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5252698
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Saint-Mathieu-du-Parc
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
No embassies in the village; the US consulate general is in Montréal and most embassies are in Ottawa.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/saint-mathieu-du-parc). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.