Harrington, Quebec: History, Things to Do and Travel Guide
Harrington is a township municipality in Quebec’s Laurentides region, in Argenteuil RCM between Lachute, Mont-Tremblant and Saint-Jérôme. A first visit should focus on the Harrington Valley, Lakeview, Lost River, Lac-Keatley, local parks, lake roads and the careful access checks that matter in a spread-out township.
How Harrington Started
Harrington’s history is township history: scattered settlement, farming, forest work, hamlets, rural roads and water-powered local services. The municipal history describes Harrington Valley as a broad agricultural and natural territory and identifies Harrington, Lakeview and Lac-Keatley among the communities that make up the township.
The pattern is different from a compact village. Families settled around valleys, lakes, mills, post-office points and road junctions, so Harrington developed as a group of lived-in places with no single centre. That is why a visitor still reads the township through names like Lakeview, Lost River, Lac Fawn and Lac Éléphant.
What Harrington Is Like Today
Harrington had 967 residents in the 2021 census. It remains rural, wooded and lake-oriented, with municipal services, cottages, farms, forest roads, waterfalls and small public parks spread across a large landscape.
The township feels quiet, but it is not empty. Seasonal residents, lake associations, local recreation spaces and road maintenance shape daily life. For visitors, the main lesson is to plan around a specific public stop instead of assuming every lake or waterfall has easy access.
That planning-first approach is especially important because Harrington’s best scenery often sits beside private cottages, gravel roads or water crossings. A good route keeps the township’s rural character intact while still making room for a park, a waterfall view and a valley drive.
Things to Do and Places Nearby
Parc Madeleine-Marquis and Parc de Lakeview are the simplest municipal anchors. Use them for a short stop, picnic or local orientation before driving farther into the township.
Chutes de Lakeview give Harrington a more distinctive landscape feature, but access conditions and safety matter. Check municipal information and respect barriers, private land and water levels.
The lakes are the second layer. Lac Éléphant, Lac Fawn and Lac-Keatley help explain the township’s cottage and recreation identity. They are best approached through signed roads and public points only. For a short trip, combine one municipal park, the Lakeview area and a slow road loop through the valley.
If time is limited, choose Lakeview first. It gives the most direct sense of Harrington’s lake, road and hamlet pattern.
Quick Facts
- Province: Quebec
- Region: Laurentides
- Municipality type: Township municipality
- 2021 census population: 967
- Official website: Municipality of the Township of Harrington
- Main travel areas: Harrington Valley, Lakeview, Parc Madeleine-Marquis, Parc de Lakeview, Chutes de Lakeview, Lac Éléphant, Lac Fawn and Lac-Keatley
- Key routes: Chemin de Harrington, Lakeview roads, Lost River roads and local Argenteuil connections
Travel Notes
Harrington is easiest by car. Mobile service, winter road conditions and private-lane confusion can affect travel, so download maps and check municipal notices before leaving larger centres. Around waterfalls, lakes and cottages, use only signed public access and keep noise low.