Can you camp for free on public land in Quebec?

Yes. On Quebec public land (terres du domaine de l’État) you can camp without a permit, with temporary equipment not fixed to the ground, for a stay of up to 7 months. Leave the site clean. ZECs and wildlife reserves charge fees, and some MRCs require a camping permit.

Do I need to pay to camp in a ZEC?

Yes. ZECs (zones d’exploitation contrôlée) charge access and camping fees: register at the gate on arrival.

Can I have a campfire in Quebec today?

Unless an open-fire ban is in effect where you are. The public security ministry and SOPFEU set open-fire bans and, in extreme conditions, forest access bans. Cosmic’s Camp Map checks the spot you tap against the current bans.

Will I have cell signal camping in Quebec?

Cosmic’s Camp Map estimates signal per carrier (Bell and Telus, Rogers, Vidéotron) from licensed cell sites and terrain line of sight, so you can pick a spot with coverage before you leave.

Cosmic’s Camp Map Français

Quebec

Free camping on Quebec public land, mapped

Quebec says 92% of its territory is public land, and you can camp on it without a permit. This map shows where the public land is, which ZECs and wildlife reserves charge fees, today’s fire bans, and whether your phone will have signal when you arrive.

Open the Quebec map The camping rules

750,000 km²of public land mapped from the province’s land-use plans

86ZECs, with the gate-registration rule

1,118remote spots with signal, checked by the scouting model

Liveopen-fire and forest-access bans

What it shows

🌲Where the public land is

Quebec’s public-land plans, with national parks, ecological reserves, First Nations reserves, Cree and Inuit Category I lands and private land marked. Tap anywhere for the answer and the rules.

🎣ZECs, wildlife reserves and outfitters

Which areas need you to register and pay at the gate (ZECs), camp only at designated sites (SEPAQ wildlife reserves), or ask an outfitter first.

🔥Fire bans, live

Open-fire bans and forest access bans from the public security ministry and SOPFEU, in every tap card.

📶Will my phone work?

Signal per carrier (Bell and Telus, Rogers, Vidéotron) from 9,700 licensed cell sites and the terrain, plus speed tests from other campers.

⛺Spots worth a look

Campsites, road ends and public-land pull-offs scored for signal, flat ground, water and quiet, with the reasons for each.

📴Offline with the Camp Map Pass

Save any of 11 regions to your phone, from the Outaouais to the Côte-Nord, and the map works with no service.

Camping on public land: the rules

On Quebec public land (terres du domaine de l’État) you can camp without a permit, with temporary equipment, for a stay of up to 7 months.

Temporary only: nothing fixed to the ground. Building anything permanent needs a lease.
Clean up: restore the site when you leave and use the waste sites provided.
ZECs charge access and camping fees: register at the gate. SEPAQ wildlife reserves and national parks allow camping at designated sites only.
Some regional municipalities (MRCs) that manage public land require a camping permit. Check locally.
Fire and access bans win. In high fire danger the province can ban open fires and close the forest.

Summary of the Quebec government’s guidance on sharing public land. Check it, and posted signs, before you go.

Campfires: today’s fire bans

Open-fire banForest access banNo ban in effect

The public security ministry and SOPFEU set open-fire bans (no fires in or near the forest) and, in extreme conditions, forest access bans. The map checks the spot you tap against the current bans and keeps the last answer for when you’re out of signal. Official source: fire prevention measures.

Hunting in Quebec

The hunting view adds cut blocks by age from the province’s harvest records, trail-camera signal per carrier and the nearest place to call from. Quebec’s hunting zones are not published as open data, so check the Quebec hunting regulations. More about the hunting view.

Pick a region

Price

The map is free to use online. The Camp Map Pass (CA$55 a year, or CA$7 a month) saves regions for offline use and adds the full scouting list and the hunting view. No subscription is needed to see where you can camp.

Open the Quebec map