Sometimes disconcerting reviews of national parks

There are too many bloodthirsty mosquitoes, too many cheeky raccoons, too many stones in the trails. The reviews that national park visitors leave on sites like Tripadvisor are sometimes surprising.

Some visitors’ expectations seem a little unrealistic, and they are disconcerted when reality does not match their idealized vision of nature.

It should be noted that the vast majority of comments found on these sites are very positive. Visitors appreciate the national parks, they are won over by the landscapes, they like the activities offered to them and they praise the kindness of the employees.

When they leave negative reviews, they are essentially legitimate reviews. For example, several visitors deplore the fact that dogs are not accepted on certain hiking trails. Others report poorly maintained sanitation facilities. Many visitors who spend a night at the Rivière-du-Sud-Ouest campsite in Bic National Park complain about the noise from Route 132, just a stone’s throw away.

Many visitors to national parks also deplore the costs of different services which end up adding up and constituting a large bill.

Stones, mosquitoes and poison ivy

Alongside these very understandable criticisms, we find some gems from visitors who forget that nature is nature. Like complaints about the condition of the hiking trails.

“Far too many rocks, enough to break your ankles and knees during the descent,” laments a couple about a trail in the Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie national park.

When it’s not the stones, it’s the vegetation that worries some visitors. “The land is literally surrounded by poison ivy,” notes a family from Montreal after a visit to Oka National Park. There are millions of them, I think. With a young child, it’s not easy. »

Visitors are unpleasantly surprised by the presence of mosquitoes and other blood-sucking insects.

“When I arrived at my campsite, I got out of the car and I started to be surrounded by mosquitoes and insects,” says a visitor to Mont-Tremblant National Park. It was insane, it crossed the limits, it drove you crazy. In one hour I ended up with 30 bites. I used the best sprays and creams they sold at the park, but nothing stopped them. »

At Oka National Park, raccoons also leave bad memories.

“From our first evening, raccoons in search of food invited themselves onto our land. They are very hard to scare away since they are very familiar with human presence. It was especially unpleasant to always have to monitor our surroundings during meals and not to be able to leave any food unattended. They are really fast and cheeky, they even dare to fly in front of us. »

Other visitors rather deplore the absence of wildlife.

“We didn’t find what we were looking for: calm and wild animals,” says a French tourist after a visit to the Mauricie national park. Despite two short hikes, the largest animal encountered was a squirrel. »

Another French tourist is disappointed by the monotony of the landscape in the same park.

“I thought I was on the highway where you see a bit of the same thing: fir trees, lakes, fir trees, lakes. I naively imagined seeing animals, it is better to go to the zoo. »

French tourists miss their own forests. “We were supposed to see animals and beautiful landscapes, we saw nothing,” complains a tourist from Avignon after a visit to the Gaspésie national park. This park is neither more nor less a forest with hiking trails like so many in France: no originality. »

Another French family had a very disappointing kayaking trip to Bic National Park.

“We had to put on wet wetsuits. We left in the rain. The guide had little to say and the wind picked up. Finally, we need to put away and wash all the equipment. Given the price and the conditions of the day, it was a boon. »

However, the French do not have a monopoly on criticism. A visitor from Quebec multiplies her complaints after a visit to the Gorge-de-Coaticook park: campsites not very intimate, pool water too cold.

“And the home store that doesn’t sell hot dogs.” It seems to me that this is the least you can do at a campsite. »