Free camping near Quebec
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Free camping near Quebec
I'm going to be touring E. Canada. Was wondering how easy it is to find free camping northeast of Quebec on the south side of the St. Lawrence (Rt. 132) for the first couple of nights? If anyone has done this, please let me know. If anyone would like to offer me a free place to stay, definately please let me know!
Last edited by travelinhobo; 06-03-07 at 01:57 PM.
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It would be hard to find something near Québec City.
My memory is a bit faint, but along highway 138, you might find a couple of free fields between Donnacona and Neuville or just East of Neuville, which is about 20 km of the bridge and 30 km of downtown (i.e. Château Frontenac or Lévis ferry).
Then, along highway 138 North-East of Québec City, there are very few opportunities until you reach Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré. In Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, there is an official free campground right across the road from Sainte-Anne's basilica. It's basically a gravel parking lot without services and you will hear highway traffic. Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré is about 50 km East of downtown Québec City; highway 138 is a very busy 4-lane highway, but with paved shoulders and totally flat and you will usually have the wind in your back if you are eastbound. An alternate route is highway 360 which is a narrow 2-lane local road (or street?) with a few ondulations here and there, so it's nicer but takes more time.
Further East, you are leaving the St. Lawrence valley and hitting mountains. On highway 138, a mere 3 or 4 km East of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, you'll find lots and lots of opportunities for guerilla camping. The only catch is that you start climbing in Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré: 10-13 % for the first 5 km, then 5-10% for another 5 to 10 km.
If you prefer a more scenic and less busy road, when you reach Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, follow directions for highway 360 East and mont Sainte-Anne (here). The road starts with a 3 or 4-lane 5-km climb to the ski resort (not much traffic in summer), then it becomes a nice winding and hilly local road until you reach Saint-Ferréol-les-Neiges and Saint-Tite-des-Caps. I wasn't looking for camping around there, but I think you should find lots of suitable places.
My memory is a bit faint, but along highway 138, you might find a couple of free fields between Donnacona and Neuville or just East of Neuville, which is about 20 km of the bridge and 30 km of downtown (i.e. Château Frontenac or Lévis ferry).
Then, along highway 138 North-East of Québec City, there are very few opportunities until you reach Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré. In Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, there is an official free campground right across the road from Sainte-Anne's basilica. It's basically a gravel parking lot without services and you will hear highway traffic. Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré is about 50 km East of downtown Québec City; highway 138 is a very busy 4-lane highway, but with paved shoulders and totally flat and you will usually have the wind in your back if you are eastbound. An alternate route is highway 360 which is a narrow 2-lane local road (or street?) with a few ondulations here and there, so it's nicer but takes more time.
Further East, you are leaving the St. Lawrence valley and hitting mountains. On highway 138, a mere 3 or 4 km East of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, you'll find lots and lots of opportunities for guerilla camping. The only catch is that you start climbing in Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré: 10-13 % for the first 5 km, then 5-10% for another 5 to 10 km.
If you prefer a more scenic and less busy road, when you reach Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, follow directions for highway 360 East and mont Sainte-Anne (here). The road starts with a 3 or 4-lane 5-km climb to the ski resort (not much traffic in summer), then it becomes a nice winding and hilly local road until you reach Saint-Ferréol-les-Neiges and Saint-Tite-des-Caps. I wasn't looking for camping around there, but I think you should find lots of suitable places.