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Oka
Provincial Park
Car Camping in Quebec
©
Outdoor Adventure Canada
Oka
Provincial Park is situated in the lower Laurentian region of
Quebec, that is, about 60 km North West of Montreal. The park's
proximity to the city and its dual mission of protecting the environment
while promoting outdoor recreation make it a wonderful place to
get away.
Historically,
the land belonged to the Seigneurie du Lac des Deux Montages (Lake
of Two Mountains) and managed by Sulpiscian Monks since 1717.
The influence of the religious order is still visible in a monastery
that you pass along the way to the Park and a school that you
can see from the North Gate. In 1881 the Trappist Monks also developed
a model farm for the education of the colonists and natives in
the area and made the world famous OKA cheese.
 The
most impressive and lasting of the Monks' achievements is certainly
the Calvary. Four oratories and three chapels were built on the
mountainside amidst the trees and natural décor. It is
only a few minutes walk from the campsites and is a beautiful
place to get away, reflect, enjoy the scenery and admire the recently
restored craftsmanship of the Monks. Although the fall colours
are particularly stunning, the walk along the wide and very well
tended gravel dust trail is beautiful in all seasons. You can
even rent snowshoes to do the trail in the winter time, although,
because it's on a hill, neophytes may find it difficult.
The Park is
open all year round with camping from May to October. There are
a total of 580 sites for tents (semi-serviced - water and toilets
nearby) on four campgrounds and 301 sites for trailers and RV
(water, electricity and sewer connection). At central locations,
there are toilets, showers, garbage stations and hot ash disposal.
The sites are situated in the woods and are far enough apart to
afford relative privacy. All sites have access to the beach, trails,
observation activities and Interpretation center.
One of the
wonderful features of this Park is what they call their "turnkey"
package, especially useful if you are vacationing from afar or
if you don't have camping equipment of your own. It consists of
a six-person tent, a rechargeable lantern/ flashlight, groundsheets/sleeping
pads, a propane camp stove and enough fuel for the duration of
your stay. You can even rent sleeping bags if required.
The beach
is certainly the main attraction of the park in the summer. It
is a sandy expanse of more than 1.5 km and is supervised by lifeguards
until dusk. You can bask in the sun, or set up in one of the many
shaded picnic areas. There is also the opportunity to rent paddleboats,
sailboards and various nautical craft. The new Littoral Visitors'
Centre is open year round, has a restaurant with a patio facing
the lake, lockers, and a first aid post. Challenge your campsite
neighbours to participate in the sand castle contest!
Tired of the
beach? The children are getting restless? There are dozens of
kilometers of walking trails in many diverse natural environments
- wetlands, forests, hills - and most of these have been set up
with information panels to let each one discover at their own
pace. Even better, you can arrange for a guided tour with a qualified
naturalist who will explain the natural surroundings in more depth.
The Interpretation and Visitors' Centre has a permanent photograph
exhibit, a projection room and is the departure point for two
of the hiking trails. Over 200 species of birds have been identified
within the park. Grab your camera and find out how many species
you can spot!
If you brought
your bicycles, you won't be disappointed. Ten kilometers of the
La Vagabonde cycle path's 40 are within the park. The path is
either paved or has a gravel dust surface. There is also a difficult
mountain biking trail, for those adrenalin junkies.
There's so
much to do and see in Oka that you'll be booking extra days just
to rest up!
Parc national
d'Oka
Address:
2020 Chemin d'Oka
Oka (Québec) J0N 1E0
Telephone:
(450) 479-8365
Fax: (450) 479-6250
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