Arpin Canoe Restigouche

I went to Arpin this weekend to rent a canoe for a 3 day journey on the mighty Restigouche River, home of the Atlantic salmon. They have a fantastic setup just outside of Kedgwick NB with over 80 canoes available in varying styles and lengths. We took the 17 foot Old Town model and were provided with safety gear, maps and some garbage bags to keep the river camp sites clean. The girl working was extremely friendly and was very much bilingual, not to mention easy on the eyes. She got us set up in a matter of minutes and we were able to back our vehicle right down to the river to unload our gear straight into the canoe.The river was glorious with signage marking the different gulches and camps for most of the trip that matched up with the map we were given. This was amazing, you always knew exactly where you were and what the next landmark was going to be. On our first day in the river we got a late start so we paddled for about 3 hours to the first campsite marked on the map. I was expecting a field where we could pitch our tent but the site called Hafford was equipped with fire pits and a covered area with a big stone fireplace in case of rain, picnic tables and an outhouse to poop in. I've camped in campgrounds that were much less well maintained. In the 3 hours on the river we saw a couple of eagles soaring overhead and a hawk eating his lunch.Day two was going to be a long one, we wanted to be sure we made the last camp site so our last day would be short because they were calling for rain on day 3. On day two we spent about seven hours on the river minus an hour or so where we stopped to cook some steaks for lunch. We passed a otter playing in the river and a bald eagle cruised about 20 feet over our boat. The thing I learned as a novice canoeist on this long sunny day in the river was that you can’t have too much sunscreen on your knees. I came out burnt red as a tomato at the end of the day, euphoric from a day on the river. There were a number of fishermen on the river on this day as we were out in prime fishing time, but it was a breeze to navigate around their lines and canoes and every one of the waved hello as we cruised on by. That night at the camp site, Jardine Brook, one of the fisherman parked his canoe right in front of us and we spent hours mesmerised by the skill in his cast as he flung the fly gracefully into the river in search of the elusive monster sized salmon. The site was smaller and we had to cut some wood from the plentiful dead wood lying around but just as well equipped. It had the most glorious outhouse of all times with no roof and next to a babbling brook. It was described to me as the most glorious poop anyone has ever taken.Day 3 was a short jaunt out thankfully. Neither of us are in very good shape anymore so we were sore, not to mention sunburnt, from the day before so we left plenty early and essentially just let the river pull us to the pick-up spot at the rafting grounds. The view was changing and becoming flatter and spatters of civilization were starting to form on the banks. We could smell the salt in the air from the bay ahead. We were picked up promptly and driven back to our vehicle and left already making plans to come back again.5 stars Arpin.. Not just for the river but also for the service.

Great family camping place. Canoeing fishing hunting hiking . Chalets for rent. Restaurant

Great place

Great shuttle service at a reasonable price. Friendly and knowledgeable.

We had been pestering Arpin for a few days before our planned trip on the Upsalquitch; asking about roads, water levels, etc. Our group of 17 didn’t plan on using any of their services at this time and they were still very helpful! In the end we ended up running the Kedgwick and we used their shuttle service. They asked us about when we planned to return and essentially kept track of us through boaters as well. After the trip I wanted to support them since they were so helpful to us and they really didn’t benefit from our crew at all since we brought all our own boats, so I bought a shirt. I turned my back for a bit and they had given my 3 boys free t-shirts and stickers as well as juice boxes! Very kind bunch, super accommodating, knowledgeable, and we all left there with a very good impression. It is a really nice spot in a great location. The boats they are renting are top knotch Esquif boats as well!

Great service, threw in extra dry bags when we were short.

The gear was good and the guides where great. Had food and great knowledge of the rivers. Would go again for sure.

They are very helpful and have great equipment

Me and a friend decided to go on a canoeing adventure a few years ago, and chose Arpin as the company. Customer service was top notch, canoes were easy to navigate and the scenery was simply and absolutely breath taking. There are numerous areas along the river where you can stop for a break, or to camp. We decided to do the 2 day journey, although the water was a little low at places, it was still an extremely pleasant journey. The camp sites were well maintained and clean. We had a few wildlife encounters such as moose and dear. For nearly the duration of the trip, there was a number of magestic bald eagles roaming the skies above us. One even landed on top of the gazebo at one of the resting locations which allowed us to closely glance at this marvelous bird. My only complaint at the time was that there was hundreds of acres being clear-cut which took away from the beauty, but that is far beyond Arpin's control. I fondly look back at this trip and dream of returning as soon as possible.