It’s the quintessential Canadian experience: packing up the car and heading out into the wild. But expectations can clash with reality when popular outdoor destinations are crowded, especially when other hikers and campers are noisy and there’s a lineup for the best views.

Just a few hours’ drive from Toronto or Ottawa, Abitibi-Témiscamingue is a completely different kind of getaway. With more than 65,000 square kilometres of territory and 22,000 lakes, there’s plenty of room to breathe in untouched landscapes where you can really connect with nature and disconnect from everything else…

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