Best Fall Hikes in Quebec
Are you dreaming about crispy air, leaves crunching under your feet and being surrounded by a sea of red, yellow and orange? The best way to see the Fall foliage in Quebec this season is by doing one of Quebec’s best Fall hikes.
Quebec is one of the prettiest provinces in Canada for Fall colours and is (in my opinion) extremely underrated. I would love to get back out there for another Fall adventure.
Dave and I spent about 10 days road tripping from Quebec City where we explored a few of the national parks that we knew would be best for Fall colours and did lots of hiking. If you know us, you’ll know that we went crazy for photos while we were in Quebec because everywhere we went was just so stunning and I think we found some of the absolute best hiking trails for Fall photos!
In this guide I list 8 of the best hikes for Fall colours near Quebec City, along with the trail stats and extra tips for each one.
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Quick Tips for the best Fall hikes in Quebec
Are you visiting Quebec soon? Here are some quick links and tips to help you plan your trip!
Where to stay in each National Park (our picks):
Parc national de Mont Mégantic: Cute cabin where we stayed
Parc national des Hautes‑Gorges-de-la-Rivière‑Malbaie: My favourite hotel of the entire trip!
Parc national des Grands-Jardins: Maison Chez Laurent
Where to rent a car from: I recommend using Rentalcars.com to find the best deals for a car rental from Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport.
Best time to go: First couple of weeks of October
National Parks Pass: Daily rate: $10.10 – get one here
Mont Du Dome is my favourite Fall hike in Quebec, so naturally I had to put it first on the list. The 8km loop takes you through colourful forests before opening up to sweeping views of the mountains that are absolutely breath-taking during leaf-peeping season.
Dave and I hiked Mont Du Dome for sunset and we were literally the only ones up there. It was magical, if not a little creepy. You will need to purchase a $5 hiking pass at the trailhead so bring cash.
Mont du Lac-des-Cygnes
National Park: Parc national des Grands-Jardins
Distance from Quebec City: 1.5 hours drive
Distance: 9.2km / 5.7 miles
Elevation: 439 metres / 1,440 ft
Time: approx. 4 hours
Difficulty level: moderate
The Mont Du Lac-des-Cygnes trail is one that we didn’t get to but it looks amazing and I would love to go back to do it some day. The views from the summit of Charlevoix look incredible.
Monts du Lac à l’Empêche
National Park: Parc national des Grands-Jardins
Distance from Quebec City: 1 hour 40 minutes
Distance: 8km / 4.9 miles
Elevation: 301 metres / 987 ft
Time: 2.5 hours
Difficulty level: moderate
Mont Du Lac à l’Empêche is an extremely underrated Fall hike in Parc national des Grands-Jardins. We did this hike for sunrise and although it was FREEZING, the views were so worth it! We didn’t hike the whole thing (which is 4 summits), but instead went up to the first summit where we took sunrise photos and then headed back down.
L’Acropole-des-Draveurs
National Park: Parc national des Hautes‑Gorges-de-la-Rivière‑Malbaie
Distance from Quebec City: 2 hours 10 mins
Distance: 10.6km / 6.5 miles
Elevation: 885 metres / 3,264 ft
Time: 4-6 hours approximately
Difficulty level: Hard
This trail is a bit of a slog. It feels like it just keeps on going and going. But it’s 1000% worth it! I mean just look at the views! You climb up pretty high through the forest and are eventually rewarded with the most insane views of the valley, the roads and the river. In Fall, the view is even better because the trees below you are golden.
This hike does involve some planning. Check out the rules on when the trail opens and closes here.
L’Eperon Trail
National Park: Parc national de la Jacques-Cartier
Distance from Quebec City: 40 minutes
Distance: 5km / 3.1 miles
Elevation: 249 metres / 813 ft
Time: 2 hours
Difficulty level: Easy – moderate
L’Eperon Trail is an easy and very popular trail in Parc national de la Jacques-Cartier. It is popular because it is so close to Quebec City so perfect for a day out. This trail felt a lot more touristy than some of the other trails further away Quebec City on this list, but it was still a really nice trail with great views. If I were to pick between this one and Monts du Lac à l’Empêche though, I would pick Monts du Lac à l’Empêche.
Oh! And at the viewpoint in the above photo, there were LOADS of lady bugs!
The Wolves Trail
National Park: Parc national de la Jacques-Cartier
Distance from Quebec City: 1 hour
Distance: 9.6km / 6 miles
Elevation: 479 metres / 1,574 ft
Time: 3.5 hours
Difficulty level: Hard
The Wolves Trail (Les Loups Trail ) is a longer and harder trail in Parc national de la Jacques-Cartier that takes you through the forest and up Mount Sautauriski and gives you views of the Jacques-Cartier River valley. You can also opt to do just a small section of the trail to make it shorter.
Sentier Des Cimes
National Park: Parc national du Mont-Mégantic
Distance from Quebec City: 2.5 hours
Distance: 12.9km / 8 miles
Elevation: 396 metres / 1,295 ft
Time: 2.5 – 3.5 hours
Difficulty level: Moderate
We did a small portion of Sentier Des Cimes for sunset up to one of the viewpoints and then back again and it was so magical! The Fall trees from the viewpoints were so bright red and orange that they honestly looked fake.
Hiking for sunset
If you decide to hike for sunset like we did, don’t forget to bring a headlight, extra layers and download offline maps.
Mont Mégantic Trail
National Park: Parc national du Mont-Mégantic
Distance from Quebec City: 2 hours 40 mins
Distance: 15.9km / 9.8 miles
Elevation: 724 metres / 2,375 ft
Time: 5 – 7 hours
Difficulty level: Hard
When we were staying near Mont Mégantic, we only had time for one trail and we chose Sentier Des Cimes which was incredible, however I really wish we had been able to do this trail too.
The Mont Mégantic Trail has stunning views from the summits of Mont Mégantic (1,110 m) and Mont Saint-Joseph. From both of these summits, you will be able to look down at a sea of orange and red.
Alternative easier Fall trails near Quebec City
If you are not in the mood for climbing a peak and looking for something gentler than the hikes on this list, here are a few beginner friendly options. I haven’t personally hiked these trails yet, but they are often recommended for their beautiful Fall colours.
- Parc de la Chute-Montmorency – This one is only 15 minutes from downtown Quebec City. There are some easy trails that you can explore around the iconic Montmorency Falls. I remember seeing the colours around the waterfall from the highway. We REALLY wanted to stop but we ran out of time.
- Sentier Les Loups (short section), Jacques-Cartier National Park – The full trail is challenging, however, you can hike just a portion for gorgeous river and mountain views without committing to the whole climb.
- Domaine de Maizerets – This is a a peaceful urban park in Quebec City with walking trails. It’s perfect if you want to be surrounded by fall foliage without leaving the city.
frequently asked questions
Our Thoughts
My favourite Fall activity in Quebec was the hiking trails! They were all so different to each other and all so so stunning. If you have the chance to visit Quebec in the Fall, I highly recommend trying on of these trails.
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