RV Parks Along Highway 17
Highway 17 is part of the Trans-Canada system running from Sudbury through North Bay, Mattawa, Deep River, Pembroke, Arnprior, and into Ottawa. It is one of the most scenic drives in Ontario -- the stretch from Mattawa to Deep River follows the Ottawa River valley through rolling hills with the landscape shifting from Canadian Shield rock cuts to broad river views. It is also one of the most logistically challenging corridors for RV travel. Distances between services are longer than on Highway 400, the terrain is rougher, fuel stops are sparser, and overnight options require planning.
This guide covers the RV-friendly stops from west to east with specific notes on fuel gaps, dump stations, rig size limits, and the honest assessment of each stop's quality.
North Bay Area
North Bay sits at the Highway 11/Highway 17 junction and is a full-service city: grocery stores, hardware shops, propane stations, and RV service facilities. This is your transition point from the Highway 400/11 corridor onto Highway 17 heading east. Top up everything here.
The municipal campground on Lake Nipissing has lakefront sites with electrical hookups, walking distance to the waterfront trail and city centre. It doubles as a provisioning stop even if you are not staying. Several private parks in the area offer full hookups and pull-throughs. The Walmart on Lakeshore Drive allows overnight RV parking as an emergency backup, but a proper campground is always the better call.
Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park (Mattawa)
Samuel de Champlain is one of the best RV stops on the entire Trans-Canada corridor through Ontario. The park sits on the historic Mattawa River just west of the town of Mattawa. The Babawasse Campground has sites with 15 and 30-amp electrical hookups, fire pits, and picnic tables. New washroom and shower facilities are excellent -- spotless, with Maytag washers and dryers. Rated 8.7/10 on RV LIFE.
The honest warning: the access road into the park is rough. One reviewer described needing 20 minutes to travel 1.5 km pulling a fifth wheel, with some sites on steep hillsides that have barely enough level ground for a small tent. Pick your site carefully -- not all are created equal for large rigs. The Etienne Trail has excellent river views, and fishing opportunities include both lake and river options with a boat launch on Moore Lake. The park is generally less crowded than big-name parks, with good mid-week availability even in July.
Mattawa itself has basic services: gas station, small grocery store, and a couple of restaurants. The town's Voyageur Days festival in July is worth timing a trip around if you can.
Critical Fuel Gap
The 60 km between North Bay and Mattawa has limited services. Fill up in North Bay. Diesel is available at most stations but propane is harder to find outside main towns. The stretch from Mattawa to Deep River (90 km) has even fewer options. Plan fuel stops carefully, especially on weekends when some smaller stations reduce hours.
Deep River
Deep River is a tidy town of about 4,000 on the Ottawa River, originally built for Chalk River nuclear research facility workers. The waterfront park has a sandy beach, marina, and picnic facilities that are surprisingly good for a town this size. The municipal campground at Lamure Beach has electrical sites right on the Ottawa River with decent spacing and excellent sunset views west over the water.
For RV travellers, Deep River is the logical fuel and grocery stop between Mattawa and Pembroke. The town has everything you need -- grocery store, gas station, restaurants -- and the municipal campground is a comfortable overnight stop at a reasonable price. Several private operators in the area offer full hookups for those wanting more amenities.
Driftwood Provincial Park
Driftwood is a day-use and camping park on the Ottawa River shoreline northwest of Deep River. The day-use area has picnic tables under trees, a long sandy beach, and the driftwood-strewn shoreline that gives the park its name. Two trail systems: Oak Highlands Trails (2.3 km Beaver Pond section and 1 km Riverview section) and Chevier Creek Trails. This is worth a stop even if you are not camping -- the beach alone justifies pulling off the highway for an hour.
Petawawa and Pembroke
Petawawa (home to CFB Petawawa) and Pembroke sit about 20 km apart and together form the main service centre for the upper Ottawa Valley. Pembroke is the larger town with full shopping, medical facilities, and multiple fuel stations. This is where you resupply if you have been running lean since North Bay.
Riverside Park in Pembroke has municipal camping right on the Ottawa River with electrical sites and a walkable location to the town centre. Basic but clean, with excellent river views. Private parks in the Petawawa area offer full hookups, pools, and organized activities. Prices along this stretch are noticeably cheaper than Muskoka or the Highway 400 corridor: $35-55 per night for full-service sites.
Arnprior to Ottawa
The final stretch passes through increasingly suburban territory. Arnprior (population 9,000) at the confluence of the Madawaska and Ottawa Rivers has a good municipal campground with electrical sites and river access.
Fitzroy Provincial Park sits on the Ottawa River between Arnprior and Ottawa with a mix of electrical and non-electrical sites in a pleasant wooded setting, a beach, and a boat launch. This is the last natural-setting campground before Ottawa. For RV travellers approaching the city from the west, Fitzroy works as a final overnight stop or a base for exploring Ottawa without navigating a large rig through urban traffic. The 45-minute drive to downtown Ottawa in the morning is easy.
Highway 17 Distance and Fuel Guide
| Segment | Distance | Drive Time | Fuel Available |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Bay to Mattawa | 60 km | 45 min | Mattawa |
| Mattawa to Deep River | 90 km | 1 hr 10 min | Deep River |
| Deep River to Pembroke | 50 km | 40 min | Petawawa, Pembroke |
| Pembroke to Arnprior | 70 km | 50 min | Renfrew, Arnprior |
| Arnprior to Ottawa | 65 km | 50 min | Kanata, Ottawa |
For RV parks along Highway 400, see our Highway 400 RV guide. For the full Ottawa Valley camping picture, visit our Ottawa Valley regional guide. For overnight stop strategy, check our best overnight stops guide.
Road Trip Planning
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