From what we’ve read in this year’s Farmers’ Almanac, autumn is going to be cool, wet and windy, with days of warm sunshine and long, cold nights.
Conditions will be perfect for the leaves to turn red on the trees fairly early (late September), and the best way to see them is to go walking in the forests and mountains of the region.
Close to Montreal, we’ve got 8 autumn hikes to take you through the colorful leaves…
1 Mont-Sourire, Saint-Donat
how long from Montreal? 2h15 by car
how? trailhead: Chemin de la Cascade, 8 km from Saint-Donat village (near civic number 767, chemin Ouareau Nord)
hiking distance? viewpoint 2km round trip / hut 4.4km (elevation gain 490m)
and also? dogs welcome, easy trail, free access
2.l’Étang aux Cerises, Mont-Orford
how long from Montreal? 1h30 by car
how? trails start at Étang-aux-Cerises, in Parc National du Mont-Orford (a Sepaq park)
hiking distance?
- Boucle des Trois-Étangs; 5.5km loop (2h walk), easy, vertical drop 50m
- Le Pékan; 9.4km round trip (3h15), intermediate, 95m vertical drop <- our favorite trail!
and also? dogs allowed on these two trails! daily access $10.10 for adults and free for children, online purchase recommended here!
3 Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area
how long is it from Montreal? 3? hours by car
How do I get there? From Quebec City, take Route 138 towards Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré. In Beaupré, follow the signs to the reserve.
hiking distance?
- Le Pierrier; 4km (2h), intermediate
- L’Allée d’Ormes; 3.1km (1h30), easy
and also? it’s a nature reserve that’s home to over 200 species of birds and mammals and 700 species of plants – to be respected, admired and preserved absolutely. There are 20km of hiking trails in all!
Admission $6 for adults, $5 for students, free for children under 12.
For all the info, click here!4 Massif du Sud Regional Park
how long from Montreal? 3h25 by car
how? 1989 Rte du Massif-du-Sud, Saint-Philémon
hiking distance?
- Parcours de la Vieille Forêt; 4.8km (1h30), elevation gain 221m
- Mont Chocolat trail; 8.1km (2h30-3h), elevation gain 280m
- Crête des Grives trail; 11.1km (4h), ascent 550m
- Parcours des Ravages; 9.1km (3h3o), elevation gain 468m
- Parcours des Abris-sous-roche; 4.3km (1h30), elevation gain 235m
and also? to reserve your access, click here! daily access adult $7.83, child $3.91, student $6.09 and 65+ $6.09
5 Marais du Nord
how long from Montreal? 3 hours by car
how? 1100 Chem. de la Grande Ligne, Stoneham-et-Tewkesbury
hiking distance? There are 8km of hiking trails, and you can do several short loops of 10 to 45min or all 8km (trails are marked as easy or intermediate).
and also? to reserve, click here! daily access adult $8, student $6.5, senior $6.5, child $5 / leashed dogs are accepted and there are plenty of vantage points for birdwatching and observing local marsh fauna…
6 Mont-Tremblant National Park
how long from Montreal? 2h30 by car
how? 1000 Chemin des Voyageurs, Mont-Tremblant (at Mont-Tremblant ski resort)
hiking distance?
- Les Ruisseaux (loop from village); 2km (1h), elevation gain 82m
- Sommets; 3.7km (1h30)
- North-South; 5km (2h30)
and also? free access to trails during the summer season (before Mont-Tremblant becomes a ski resort again), dogs allowed except on the Sommets trail, and you can take a panoramic gondola back down (all info here!).
8. Îles-de-Boucherville National Park
How far from Montreal? 45 minutes by car
where? 55 Île Sainte Marguerite, Boucherville
hiking distance?
- L’île-Grosbois; 7km loop (2h), easy, departure from Passerelle des Hollandais
- Île-Sainte-Marguerite ; 7km loop (2h), easy, departure from the Discovery and Services Centre, *dogs are allowed on this trail.
- L’île-aux-Raisins ; 9km loop (2h30), easy, departure from the Discovery and Visitors Centre.
- Le Grand-Duc ; 1.5km loop (30min), departure from the Pavillon du Grand-Duc
and also? it’s a Sépaq national park, daily access $10.10 for adults and free for children, online reservation recommended here!
9. Lachine Canal Trail
how far is it from Montreal? it’s in Montreal (from Little Burgundy/Griffintown/Atwater)
how? depart from 400, rue de la Commune Ouest
distance? between 2 and 4 hours
and also? it’s free, easy and dog-friendly!
Enjoy the ride!