In-depth guide · CampingSpirit
About 1,700 kilometres on Route 132: from the St. Lawrence, which already smells of the sea here, through the Chic-Chocs and Forillon to Rocher Percé, and back through the Matapédia valley.
The spirit of the route
Beyond Québec the St. Lawrence widens until the far shore is just a blue line. On the south shore, villages with silver church spires line up, eel weirs stand on the tidal flats, and evenings end with the sun sinking behind the mountains of Charlevoix. From Sainte-Flavie, Route 132 hugs the coast: cliffs and slate scree on one side, salt water on the other, and fishing villages with red lighthouses in between. From your sliding door you can watch gannets plunge into the water in the morning and whales blow in the evening. Inland, the Chic-Chocs rise above 1,200 metres, with tundra on the summits and the last caribou south of the St. Lawrence. At the tip of the peninsula stand the limestone cliffs of Forillon and Rocher Percé in the sea; after that, the Baie des Chaleurs is milder, sandier, almost gentle. French is the everyday language, the pace is slow, and someone at the roadside is selling fresh shrimp from Matane.
Stage-by-stage plan
1Stage 1: Québec to Rivière-du-Loup (approx. 210 km)
- The drive
- Cross the Pierre-Laporte Bridge to the south shore and take Autoroute 20 as far as Montmagny, then Route 132 is worth taking as the “Route des Navigateurs”: two lanes, flat, through villages, meadows and salt marshes along the river. From Kamouraska there are repeated rocky humps in the tidal flats and wide views of the north shore. A good 2.5 hours of pure driving time; with stops, allow a day.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Kamouraska: old village with wooden houses, a wharf and eel weirs in the mud; go to the shore for sunset.
- Saint-Jean-Port-Joli: town of the woodcarvers, with studios along Route 132.
- Pointe de Rivière-du-Loup: viewing boardwalk above the river, one of the well-known sunset spots on the south shore.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
-
Official campsite or RV park: Camping municipal de la Pointe in Rivière-du-Loup: municipal campground right on the headland, pitches with and without hookups, a washroom building with showers, a dump station (vidange). If you spend the first night in Québec: Camping at the Centre de plein air de Beauport (Québec City) with pitches up to full hookups (water, 30 A, sewer) and a sani-dump, but open only from early June to Labour Day (Fête du Travail; 2026: 5 June to 7 September). After that, the remaining options are the RV parking lots at Bassin Louise in the Old Port (year-round, paid) or Baie de Beauport (mid-May to mid-October, gate closed at night).
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Overnighting on the street is not permitted within Québec City – the city refers you to the designated RV parking lots. Along the south shore, many municipalities ban camping on public land by règlement; rest areas (haltes routières) are for resting, not camping.
- Insider tip for campers
- Avoid Québec’s old town in a motorhome: narrow, steep lanes and hardly any parking. It is better to park at Bassin Louise or on the Plains of Abraham (daytime only) and walk. Shop and fill up in Québec or Lévis before you leave – supermarkets in the countryside are smaller, and on the A-20 there are filling stations at the exits.
2Stage 2: Rivière-du-Loup to Parc national du Bic (approx. 95 km)
- The drive
- Continue on Route 132 via Cacouna, L’Isle-Verte and Trois-Pistoles, or take Autoroute 20 for stretches where it has been completed, which is faster. The coast becomes rockier and forests close in on the river. A short stage of a good 1.5 hours, so that there is time left for the park.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Trois-Pistoles: large 19th-century church and a view of the Île aux Basques.
- Pic Champlain in the Parc national du Bic: viewpoint over bays, islands and headlands.
- Seals at Bic: seals lie on the rocks along the coast at low tide; from early July to October there are guided observation outings (mind the tides).
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
-
Official campsite or RV park: Parc national du Bic (SÉPAQ): Camping Rivière-du-Sud-Ouest with pitches without hookups and with one or two services (electricity, water; renumbered in 2026) and Camping Tombolo with electric pitches; 2026 season roughly the end of April to early November for both. Book at sepaq.com – reserve early in summer, as the park is small and popular. In addition, a daily access fee (droit d’accès) is charged per person.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In the park, overnighting is allowed only on the campgrounds. Around Rimouski, parking lots on the waterfront promenade are not a legal place to sleep; supermarket parking lots (such as Walmart in Rimouski) only with the express permission of the store.
- Insider tip for campers
- Note: a “Parc national” in Québec is a SÉPAQ provincial park, not a federal national park – the Parks Canada pass is not valid here. Plan hikes at Bic by the tide table: some shore trails and crossings to islands can be walked only at low tide.
3Stage 3: Parc national du Bic to Parc national de la Gaspésie (Mont-Albert) (approx. 240 km)
- The drive
- Via Rimouski to Sainte-Flavie, where the actual Tour de la Gaspésie begins. From Matane, Route 132 becomes narrower and follows the coast beneath cliffs, with short climbs at every river valley. At Sainte-Anne-des-Monts, turn onto Route 299 heading south, 40 km into the mountains to the Gîte du Mont-Albert. About 3.5 hours of pure driving time.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Jardins de Métis (Reford Gardens) in Grand-Métis: historic garden with blue Himalayan poppies, open seasonally until early October – check opening hours.
- Sainte-Flavie: “Le Grand Rassemblement”, dozens of concrete figures by the artist Marcel Gagnon rising out of the tidal flats.
- Matane lighthouse on the promenade, and Matane shrimp in the fish shops at the harbour.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
-
Official campsite or RV park: Parc national de la Gaspésie (SÉPAQ): Camping Mont-Albert next to the Gîte, with pitches without hookups, with water and a few electric pitches, and a dump station on site; pitch lengths are partly tight (some pitches only for vehicles up to about 6 m). Camping de la Rivière right beside it with pitches with two services (water, electricity). Basic: Espace VR La Vallée, eight gravel pitches without hookups for motorhomes only; water and toilets at Camping de la Rivière about 500 m away, dump at Camping Mont-Albert (about 1.5 km). Check the season dates for the individual campgrounds when booking at sepaq.com.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): No free camping in the park. The towns on the coast (such as Matane and Sainte-Anne-des-Monts) allow camping only on registered campgrounds. On Crown land (terres du domaine de l’État) in the interior, short-term camping is generally possible, but each MRC sets the rules – ask there beforehand.
- Insider tip for campers
- Fill up and shop in Sainte-Anne-des-Monts: there is neither a filling station nor a supermarket in the park, and Route 299 heading south has no services over long stretches. There is hardly any mobile signal in the park. In the evening, drive slowly on Route 299 – moose stand on the road.
4Stage 4: Parc national de la Gaspésie to Forillon (Cap-des-Rosiers) (approx. 260 km)
- The drive
- After a day of hiking, go back to Sainte-Anne-des-Monts and east on the 132: the wildest section of the tour. The road swings between cliff and sea, climbs over headlands and drops steeply into bays such as Mont-Saint-Pierre, Rivière-la-Madeleine and Grande-Vallée. A good 4 hours of pure driving time; better to take two days with a stop in Mont-Saint-Pierre.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Mont Jacques-Cartier (1,268 m): caribou habitat; the summit trail is open only from 1 July to 30 September and only between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., accessible only by the paid shuttle from Camping Mont-Jacques-Cartier, and you must stay on the trails. Alternative: Tour du Mont-Albert (a good 17 km, open seasonally – check dates with SÉPAQ).
- Phare de La Martre: red, octagonal wooden lighthouse right on the 132.
- Mont-Saint-Pierre: paragliders over the bay; Cap-des-Rosiers lighthouse, at around 34 m the tallest in Canada.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
-
Official campsite or RV park: Forillon National Park (Parks Canada), north sector: Camping Des-Rosiers with pitches without and with electricity, showers and a dump at the entrance. Book at reservation.pc.gc.ca; 2026 season from 29 May to 12 October – Des-Rosiers opens earlier than Petit-Gaspé. The small tent campground Cap-Bon-Ami is closed in 2026 (and is for tents only anyway). Stopover: Camping municipal Mont-Saint-Pierre on the beach of the bay, with pitches with and without hookups.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In Forillon National Park, overnighting is allowed only on the campgrounds (Canada National Parks Act). In Haute-Gaspésie, beaches and waterfront parking lots are off limits to campers in most municipalities; take “Camping interdit” signs at town limits seriously.
- Insider tip for campers
- The descents into Mont-Saint-Pierre and around Grande-Vallée are long and steep, often signed with the gradient and a note to use engine braking (frein moteur): select a low gear and do not overheat the brakes. Because of coastal erosion, roadworks on the 132 are ongoing; check roadworks and traffic-light phases in advance on quebec511.info. Fill up in Mont-Louis, Grande-Vallée or Rivière-au-Renard.
5Stage 5: Forillon to Percé (approx. 110 km)
- The drive
- Through the park into the south sector, then along the north shore of the Baie de Gaspé to Gaspé and on over the hills to Percé. The last rise before Percé opens up the view of the Rocher, and beyond it the road drops steeply into the town. Just under 2 hours of pure driving time.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Cap-Gaspé: Les Graves trail to the “end of the world” at the tip of the peninsula, often with whales and seals offshore.
- Anse-Blanchette and Grande-Grave: restored houses of the cod fishermen in the south sector of Forillon.
- Percé: Rocher Percé from the beach at low tide, crossing to Île Bonaventure with about 116,000 gannets (Parc national de l’Île-Bonaventure-et-du-Rocher-Percé, 31 May to 12 October in 2026).
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
-
Official campsite or RV park: In Forillon: Camping Petit-Gaspé in the south sector, in the forest on the slope, with pitches without hookups, with electricity and with water and electricity, showers, a laundry, a recreation centre and a dump (2026 season: 19 June to 12 October). There are no public campgrounds in Percé; overnighting is not permitted on Île Bonaventure. The private campgrounds in Percé are partly on slopes with a view of the Rocher – reserve in advance in summer.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The town of Gaspé has restricted camping on public sites by règlement; Percé also does not tolerate overnighting in parking lots or on the shore. The only legal alternative is registered campgrounds (CITQ registration).
- Insider tip for campers
- The boats to Île Bonaventure (private operators at the wharf in Percé) depart in the morning; the first trip is often the quietest. The crossing costs extra, plus the SÉPAQ access fee. From 17 August 2026, a shoreline protection structure will be built on the 132 in the Anse-au-Cousin sector (Gaspé) for about four months – expect delays. Stock up in Gaspé: supermarkets, propane and filling stations – the last big shopping town before the Baie des Chaleurs.
6Stage 6: Percé to Carleton-sur-Mer (approx. 200 km)
- The drive
- The 132 leaves the steep coast and runs along the Baie des Chaleurs through Chandler, Paspébiac and Bonaventure: flatter, sunnier, with sandy beaches, barachois (lagoons) and views across to New Brunswick. About 3 hours of pure driving time.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Plateforme de verre of the Géoparc de Percé on Mont Sainte-Anne: glass platform above the town (access by shuttle from the Géoparc).
- Site historique du Banc-de-Pêche-de-Paspébiac: buildings of the 18th- and 19th-century cod trading companies.
- Parc national de Miguasha (UNESCO World Heritage Site): Devonian fossil cliff, exhibition with Elpistostege, beach walk at low tide (1 June to 12 October in 2026).
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
-
Official campsite or RV park: Camping Carleton-sur-Mer (municipal campground) on the spit at the barachois, between lagoon and sea, with pitches with hookups and a washroom building. There is no campground in Miguasha itself. Rustic and close to nature: ZEC de la rivière Nouvelle in the interior (registration and fee, gravel tracks).
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Carleton-sur-Mer prohibits camping on public paths, squares and beaches, as well as driving and parking on beach and green areas; fines and fees together of over 100 dollars are possible. Camping is permitted only on registered campgrounds.
- Insider tip for campers
- From the campground, go on foot or by bike to the waterfront promenade; the road up to the Oratoire Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Saint-Joseph above Carleton is steep and unsuitable for large motorhomes – better on foot or by car. Miguasha beach only at low tide; fossils must not be taken.
7Stage 7: Carleton-sur-Mer to Parc national du Bic (approx. 300 km)
- The drive
- To Matapédia on the border with New Brunswick, where Route 132 then turns north into the Vallée de la Matapédia: salmon river, forests, farms, covered bridges and the long Lac Matapédia. Beyond Mont-Joli the road meets the river again at Sainte-Flavie – the loop closes. About 4 hours of pure driving time.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Matapédia: confluence of the Matapédia and Restigouche, two well-known salmon rivers.
- Causapscal: Site historique Matamajaw, a former salmon fishing club with salmon pools in the river.
- Lac Matapédia at Amqui and Sayabec, with rest areas on the shore.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
-
Official campsite or RV park: Back in the Parc national du Bic: Camping Tombolo (electricity) or Rivière-du-Sud-Ouest, both open until early November in 2026, same booking at sepaq.com. If you want to split the stage, the Vallée de la Matapédia has smaller municipal and private campgrounds, for example in Causapscal or Amqui – check season and hookups in advance.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In the Matapédia too, the rule is: camping only on registered campgrounds, on Crown land in the interior under the MRC’s rules. Supermarket parking lots in Amqui or Mont-Joli only with permission.
- Insider tip for campers
- Mind the distances between fuel stops: there are hardly any filling stations between Matapédia and Amqui, so fill up in Carleton or Matapédia. In autumn the maple forests in the valley glow from the end of September. On Autoroute 20 near Rimouski there are repeated one-day closures in 2026 for maintenance work, with a detour via the 132 – check Québec 511.
8Stage 8: Parc national du Bic to Québec (approx. 310 km)
- The drive
- Quickly back to Québec on Autoroute 20, or in sections on the 132 again through the villages you missed on the way out. On the A-20, a good 3.5 hours of pure driving time.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Île Verte or Trois-Pistoles as a last stop on the river, with a view of the north shore and the mountains of Charlevoix.
- Parc de la Chute-Montmorency near Québec: waterfall, higher than Niagara Falls, with a suspension bridge.
- Lévis: terrace above the river with a view of the Château Frontenac, ferry to the old town without your vehicle.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
-
Official campsite or RV park: For the last night: Camping at the Centre de plein air de Beauport (until Labour Day) or the RV parking lots at Bassin Louise and Baie de Beauport (mid-May to mid-October). There are also overnight options for motorhomes on the Île d’Orléans.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In Québec and Lévis there is no free camping on public land; Walmart or DIY-store parking lots only with the express permission of the store manager, which many stores no longer grant.
- Insider tip for campers
- Empty your tanks before returning the vehicle: dump stations at the Centre de plein air de Beauport, at campgrounds and at some filling stations; overview at stationvidangevr.com and sanidumps.com. Fill up with diesel in Lévis or on the A-20, rather than looking for a station in the old town.
Camping practice & local rules
Wild camping & overnight parking
- There is no general right to free camping in Québec. Many municipalities along Route 132 ban camping on streets, squares, beaches and parking lots by règlement municipal, for example Carleton-sur-Mer (fines and fees together of over 100 dollars) and Gaspé. Signs saying “Camping interdit” or “Stationnement de nuit interdit” also apply to motorhomes.
- In the SÉPAQ parks (Bic, Gaspésie, Île-Bonaventure, Miguasha) and in Forillon National Park (Parks Canada), overnighting is allowed only on the designated campgrounds; wardens carry out checks.
- Rest areas (haltes routières, aires de services) are for a break against fatigue, not for camping – no chairs, no awning, drive on in the morning.
- On Crown land (terres du domaine de l’État), short-term camping is usually allowed; the details (duration, closed zones, permit above a certain length of stay) are set by the MRC concerned. In ZECs and Réserves fauniques, only on their campgrounds, with registration and a fee.
- Walmart, Canadian Tire or DIY-store parking lots only with the express permission of the store – ask in the store beforehand.
- Apps and sites: iOverlander, Park4Night, Campendium; campgrounds via Camping Québec (campingquebec.com), SÉPAQ reservations at sepaq.com, Forillon at reservation.pc.gc.ca, road conditions at quebec511.info.
Waste disposal & supplies
- Dump stations are called “station de vidange”: at Bic and Parc de la Gaspésie (Camping Mont-Albert), in Forillon (Petit-Gaspé, Des-Rosiers), at municipal campgrounds and at some filling stations; overview at stationvidangevr.com and sanidumps.com.
- Drinking water only from taps marked “eau potable”; at some SÉPAQ campgrounds (such as Camping Mont-Jacques-Cartier) the water is expressly not drinkable (“eau non potable”) – fill your tank beforehand or boil the water.
- Never discharge grey water onto the ground or into streams; empty chemical toilets only at dump stations.
- Propane from propane dealers and some filling stations in Québec, Rimouski, Matane, Gaspé and Carleton; North American fittings, and European bottles are mostly not refilled.
- Fuel distances: on Route 299 through the Parc de la Gaspésie there is no filling station, and in Haute-Gaspésie and in the Vallée de la Matapédia the stations are further apart. Never enter these sections with less than half a tank.
Vehicle size & traffic rules
- Speed limits in km/h: autoroutes mostly 100, routes such as the 132 mostly 90, in towns 50, in front of schools often 30. There are no separate limits for motorhomes; there are fixed and mobile speed cameras (photo radar).
- Signage is almost entirely in French: “Arrêt” (stop), “Cédez” (yield), “Sortie” (exit), “Travaux” (roadworks), “Chaussée glissante” (slippery road). A flashing green arrow or flashing green light means a protected left turn.
- Turning right on red is permitted in Québec after a full stop, except on the Island of Montréal and where a sign prohibits it.
- Winter tyres are mandatory in Québec from 1 December to 15 March for vehicles registered in Québec, including rental cars; exempt are, among others, motorhomes (vehicles permanently fitted out as a dwelling) and vehicles registered outside Québec – on autumn trips, still ask the rental company about the tyres. In October and November, early snow is possible on Route 299 and in Haute-Gaspésie.
- SÉPAQ parks charge a daily access fee per person (or an annual pass), Forillon the Parks Canada pass; in 2026, admission to Parks Canada sites was free under the “Canada Strong Pass” from 19 June to 7 September, with camping fees there reduced by 25 percent – this did not apply to the SÉPAQ parks. Check current amounts at sepaq.com and with Parks Canada.
- No tolls and no low-emission zones on the route. Dimensions: Québec’s old town is unsuitable for large vehicles; check pitch lengths at SÉPAQ and Parks Canada campgrounds when booking.
CampingSpirit packing & preparation checklist
- Tide table as an app or printout (marees.gc.ca or tides.gc.ca): shore trails at Bic, the beach below Rocher Percé and the fossil cliff at Miguasha can be walked only at low tide.
- Binoculars for gannets, seals and whales off Forillon and along the 132 – and for caribou on Mont Jacques-Cartier, which may be observed only from the trail.
- Windproof rain jacket, hat and warm layers: it is constantly windy by the sea, and on the summits of the Chic-Chocs it can be around freezing even in summer.
- Insect repellent and a head net against blackflies (mouches noires) and mosquitoes, especially in June and July in the Parc de la Gaspésie.
- Fresh-water canister (20 l) for campgrounds with “eau non potable” or without hookups such as Espace VR La Vallée.
- French phrasebook or offline translator: in Haute-Gaspésie and in the Matapédia, almost only French is spoken in daily life, and mobile signal is often missing.
As of 2026-09. Closures, fees and booking rules change: check official sources before you go.
