Camping on the Sentier Nepisiguit Mi’gmaq Trail
In an effort to protect the natural splendour of the Trail, overnight hikers are encouraged to stay at designated campsites. There are three types. Platform Sites (1) have three or four slightly elevated wooden decks on which a tent can be placed and kept clear of the ground. Primitive Sites (2) are the most basic and consist only of clearings on or beside the trail to pitch tents. Shelter Sites (3) offer a small refuge with a roof, three walls and wooden floor. Some sites have both a shelter and platforms.
Sites cannot be reserved and operate under a “first come, first serve basis”.
The first campsite after leaving the eastern trailhead at Daly Point Nature Reserve is at the Eagle (Gitpu) Campsite a distance of 25 km. Thereafter, campsites can be found every 5 to 15 km until the trail’s termination in Mt. Carleton Park (western trailhead). All campsites are within sight of the Nepisiguit River and a readily accessible water supply (with the exception of the Popple Depot site which will require a 300-meter walk to the Popple Depot Bridge). Campsite locations can be seen the Interactive Map. It is highly recommended to purchase and bring with you on your hikes the much more detailed SNMT guidebook and SNMT topographic map.
A few sites have teepees. These are not fixed structures and are periodically removed for maintenance and repairs. Hikers are invited to visit them but dirt floors and a tendency to leak in wet weather make them unsuitable for overnight accommodations. Their main purpose is to remind visitors of the Mi’gmaq peoples who lived in the Nepisiguit watershed for millennium. In such natural settings, the teepees also offer striking photo opportunities.
1. Platform Sites.
There are six platform camping sites along the trail. All of them are within the Trail’s Delta Zone (ie. between Access Points A and L). With the exception of the Salmon (Plamu) site they are equipped with a composting toilet. Each site has three or four platforms.
Descriptions of the six platform sites:
Gitpu (Eagle) Teepee and four platforms.
Gitpu is located roughly 2 km upriver from Pabineau Falls on Section C-D. The site is dominated by a large pink granite "shelf" jutting into the river. A perfect spot to prepare a meal or relax after a day on the trail. Facing the river, if you look to the right, you will see Gitpu menigu (eagle Island) where a large bald eagle nest can be seen in a giant white pine at the head of the island.
Plamu (Salmon) Three platforms.
Plamu is located less than a 100 meters south of Access E on highway 360. This is a small three platform campsite with no composting toilet. We ask that hikers go far from the campsite and bury their feces.
Gopit (Beaver) Teepee and three platforms.
N47°21’33.60” W65°50’42.36” (platforms)
N47°21’30.30” W65°50’43.00” (teepee)
Gobit is located on the top of the famous Nepisiguit Narrows near Access H. A number of observaton points offer spectacular views of the Narrows' steep canyon walls and the rushing river below.
Muin (Bear) Teepee and three platforms.
Muin is located at the Chain of Rocks near Access F. It is popular among day hikers who walk in 8 km from an SNMT parking lot at Access E (highway 360) to see the Chain of Rocks rapids. There is a composting toilet on this site.
Tiam (Moose) Teepee and three platforms.
Tiam is well named as it is located in an area frequently visited by moose. Its wide open vistas give unobstructed views of the river or night skies. Perfect for savouring a steaming cup of coffee!
Geonig (Otter) Teepee and three platforms.
Geonig is on an enchanting hillside of old pines and mixed hardwoods through which Coles Brook cascades over moss covered rocks.
2. Primitive Camping
Finding naturally flat and reasonably drained areas to pitch a tent along the Trail can be surprising difficult. However, twelve so-called primitive campsites have been developed. They have no amenities but offer the most natural of settings for those seeking a complete escape from civilization.
The Hemlocks
Heath Steele Bridge Up to four tents on this site.
The Bend campsite
Gravel Bar Up to three tents on this site.
Indian Falls (Gapskw) Two tents only on this site.
Camp Gigtun Up to three tents on this site.
Blue Ledge Lake road Up to three tents on this site.
Popple Depot Pit Up to four tents on this site.
Corkers Gulch Up to four tents on this site.
Charnisay Up to three tents on this site
Sixty-Nine Mile Brook Up to three tents on this site.
Little South Branch Up to four tents on this site.
3. Shelter Sites
The SNMT has 6 sites, each with one shelter. Two more sites will have a shelter constructed during the summer of 2023. The shelters have a pitched roof, a wooden floor and three walls of cedar logs (one side open) and can accommodate as many as 6 hikers. Leaving the eastern trailhead at Daly Point Nature Reserve, the first shelter is located at Gitpu camp site, a distance of 25 km. Once past Gitpu and when all the shelters are in place, the gaps between them will vary from 10 to 18 kilometers. (Updated January 16, 2023)
Shelter Km 84
(Formerly known as Shelter #1)Papog’jigj (Bah Bohk jeej) “Little playful waters.” – 40-mile brook.
Shelter Km 95
(Formerly known as Shelter #2)Wantaqpegitg (wan·tahk·pe·gitk) “flowing calmly” – Grants Brook.
Shelter Km 110
(Formerly known as Shelter #3)Gelo’tg (ge·loodk) “The guards, -watchers of the river.” Below Devil’s elbow.
Shelter Km 139
(Formerly known as Shelter #4)Pagoegonaq (ba-go-egg-go-nawk) “Where the water gets shallow.” Little south Branch.
