Mkwesaqtuk/Cap-Rouge Campground

Cape Breton Highlands National Park

47 sites; 47 reservable

  • oTENTik: 5 sites (1 accessible)
  • Unserviced with fireplace: 42 sites (4 accessible)

Operating season: June 14 to October 27, 2024

Welcome to Cape Breton Highlands National Park’s newest campground! This cliff-side retreat is the perfect spot to launch your adventure, where the mountains meet the sea. When you arrive, you will grab a Parks Canada cart to transport your gear to your walk-in spot. Listen for the sounds of crashing waves as you wind your way to your traditional campsite or cozy oTENTik.

This is the first Mi’kmaw-French facility name in the park. Mkwesaqtuk is a Mi’kmaq word that describes a place or feature that distinctly changes to red. This Mi’kmaq expression would have been used to describe the coastal area that Acadians later called Cap-Rouge, on the western side of Cape Breton Highlands National Park. The buildings are designed to reflect the distinct Acadian heritage of the area. You’ll feel connected to local culture as you hike coastal trails, explore the cobblestone beach, and watch spectacular sunsets over the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

As the newest facility in the park, this campground offers a range of special features including:

  • Solar-powered lighting
  • Propane heat
  • Natural mitigation of coastal erosion through the planting of 1100 rose bushes
  • Accessible washrooms, activity building, kitchen shelters, and campsites including one oTENTik

Services and facilities

Camping Camping
Accessible Campsites Wheelchair accessible
oTENTik oTENTik
Washroom Flush toilets
Shower Shower facilities
Kitchen Shelter Picnic shelter
Kitchen Shelter Kitchen shelter
Campfire / Woodstove Fire pits
Interpretive Programs Interpretive programs
Hiking Hiking
Kiosk Kiosk
Swimming Swimming (ocean)

Campground map

Mkwesaqtuk/Cap-Rouge campground map

Campground location

18283 Cabot Trail,
Chéticamp, Nova Scotia

GPS Coordinates:
Latitude: 46.7146726
Longitude: -60.9331773

Additional information

  • About Mkwesaqtuk/Cap-Rouge Campground
    Operating season (nights):
    • June 14 to October 27, 2024
    Reservable period (nights):
    • June 14 to October 27, 2024
    Check in time:
    • Any time after 2 pm for campsites
    • Any time after 3 pm for oTENTiks
    • Visitors who would like to arrive at the campground earlier may enjoy the rest of the park while waiting for their campsite to become vacant.
    Check out time:
    • Before 11 am
    Quiet hours:
    • 11 pm to 7 am
    Maximum length of stay:
    • Unlimited
    Maximum persons per site:
    • Six people (exceptions possible for two adults with their dependent children up to a maximum of seven people).
    • Sizes of sites vary, please refer to the Parks Canada Reservation Service for site selection.
    Maximum vehicles per site:
    • No parking at the campsite. Parking is available at the campground parking lot. Campers will have to walk to their site with their gear. Carts are available for visitor use.
    • For accessible tent campsites, one vehicle per accessible site.
    Maximum camping units per site:
    • One camping unit (two small tents by exception only — site must be able to accommodate)
    Cooking / food preparation:
    • Cooking is not permitted inside of the oTENTik units.
    • 2 covered kitchen facilities are available.
    • 1 covered picnic area is available
    Amerpage of electrical service:
    • No electricity in the oTENTik units or at any campsite.
    • Mobile phone charging stations will be available around the campground.
    Fire policy:
    • Campfires are only permitted in provided fireplaces
    • Do not leave fires unattended
    • Firewood is for sale at campground kiosks and visitor centres
    • Do not move firewood from one region to another. Buy and burn local firewood only to help control the spread of invasive species (i.e. brown spruce longhorn beetle).
    Alcohol/cannabis policy:
    • Alcoholic beverages and non-medical cannabis must remain on registered campsite.
    Pet policy:
    • Pets must be kept on a leash. Please pick up their droppings.
    • Pets are not allowed in oTENTik units.
    Internet/WiFi access:
    • WiFi is not available at this campground.
    • Mobile phone charging stations will be available around the campground.
    Important notices:
    • 15% discount on seven nights or more
    • 48% off seasonal entry pass until June 30 – call the park directly
  • Fees

    For information regarding camping fees for Cape Breton Highlands National Park please see our Fees page.

    • Require even more information?

    Reservation service:

    General park information:

    • Telephone: 1-888-773-8888
      9 am to 9 pm Atlantic Time, April to September
      11 am to 7 pm Atlantic Time, October to March
    • Email: infocb@pc.gc.ca

    For information on backcountry or group camping:

    • 902-224-2306
  • Terms and definitions
    Site-specific
    Guests select the specific campsite or accommodation when they make their reservation. All front-country camping reservations made through the Parks Canada Reservation Service (PCRS) are site-specific reservations.
    Operating Season (Nights)
    The "Operating Season" is the nights that the campground is open. Sometimes the campgrounds are open for longer than the period for which they accept reservations. Any dates of the "Operating Season" outside of the "Reservable Period" are dates that the campground operates on a first come, first served basis only.
    Reservable Period (Nights)
    The "Reservable Period" is the nights for which you can make a camping or accommodation reservation. Note that many campgrounds may be open longer than this period, and operate outside of these dates on a first-come, first-served basis.
    Kiosk
    The administration/entrance booth of a particular campground, this is where you "check-in" and register your arrival.
    Vehicle
    Car, truck, motorcycle, truck-camper, motorhome, or recreational vehicle. A motor home pulling another vehicle may count as two vehicles.
    Camping Unit
    Tent, tent-trailer, truck-camper, trailer, 5th wheel, motorhome or recreational vehicle.
    Serviced Site

    Refers to a campsite offering either electrical, water, and/or sewer hook-ups or any combination of these services directly on the campsite. Fully-serviced sites offer electrical, potable water, and sewer hook-ups. "Unserviced" sites do not offer any of these hook-ups.

    The terms "serviced" and "unserviced" refer to the individual campsites; they do not refer to the washroom facilities or other amenities available at the campground.

    Drive-through Site
    Campsite where the driver does not have to reverse their vehicle to exit (there is a separate entrance and exit to the individual campsite). Ideal for larger vehicles and trailers.
    Walk-in Site
    Campsite which requires some degree of walking to access the site, and therefore requires a tent. Vehicle will be parked a short distance away.
    Overflow Site
    Overflow campsites vary from park to park, and may range from a paved area to park a camping unit (not generally suitable for tents) to a more traditional, grassy site. They are unserviced and are not reservable.
    Accessible Site
    A campsite which is accessible to guests with limited mobility.
    Firepit

    A designated structure for campfires located on a campsite. Check availability, as not all campsites offer a fire pit. In some parks, a fire permit is required to have a fire.

    In some parks, only communal firepits are available, and access is shared with other guests.

    Fire permit
    In some campgrounds, guests will require a valid fire permit to have a campfire. A fire permit may include firewood. Please refer to the ‘Fire policy’ section of the QRT for individual campground policies.
    Firewood
    In some campgrounds firewood is sold by the bundle, whereas in others a fire permit may give the holder access to the campground wood pile. Please refer to the ‘Fire policy’ section of the QRT for individual campground policies.
    First-come, First-served Site
    Campsites that are available on a first come, first served basis only. These sites are only available to guests who are physically located at the campground. These sites cannot be registered over the telephone or on-line. These campsites may be available for only 1 night or for multiple nights depending on availability.
    Shoulder Season
    Shoulder season refers to the season before and after the peak season. While many campgrounds remain open outside of their peak season, the services offered during this period may be limited (please check with the park for more details).
    Entrance Pass
    A valid National Park Entrance Pass is required for all visitors to National Parks that have entry fees.
    Daily Entrance Pass
    A daily entrance pass permits visitor’s unlimited entry to the specified park on a per day basis for the period of time indicated.
    Annual/Seasonal Entrance Pass
    An annual or seasonal entrance pass permits visitor’s unlimited entry to the specified park for the period of time indicated.
    Parks Canada Discovery Pass
    The Parks Canada Discovery Pass permits visitors unlimited entry to the participating Parks Canada national parks and national historic sites across Canada, for a period of 12 months.

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