Mont Du Dome: One of Quebec’s Best Fall Hikes
Are you looking for one of the best Fall hikes near Quebec City? Mont Du Dome is an stunning trail located in Zec Des Martres in the Charlevoix region of Quebec, about 1.5 hours drive from the city and my personal favourite in this area.
The 8km loop takes you through colourful forests before opening up to sweeping views of the mountains that are especially breath-taking during leaf-peeping season.
Dave and I hiked Mont Du Dome at sunset in the Fall and watching the sky turn golden and pink and light up the red and yellow treetops was absolutely magical. It’s the kind of view that sticks with you long after you’ve left. I actually had someone email me recently asking whether drones were allowed at Mont Du Dome (because he was planning on proposing to his girlfriend up there! EEK! Such a perfect spot to get engaged!). We didn’t take our photos with a drone but I have since found out that they are allowed because it is not a national park.
In this hiking guide, I will share everything you need to know about the Mont Du Dome trail, from distance and elevation to what it’s like in Fall, plus a few tips about hiking at sunset or sunrise.
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Tips for hiking Mont Du Dome
Where to stay nearby:
Budget: Maison Chez Laurent
Fancy: Hôtel-Auberge la Grande Maison et Spa
Best time of year: Fall!
Hiking pass: Purchase at the trailhead – $5
Trail difficulty: Moderate – hard
Finding the Trailhead
The best way to reach the Mont Du Dome trailhead is by car. The parking lot is pretty small and there aren’t any toilets. The closest toilets to Mont Du Dome are in the Grand Jardins visitors centre.
The trailhead is located along the route 381. You will need to drive past the Grand Jardins visitors centre and keep going for about 2.4km (2 minutes). The trailhead parking lot will be on your right.
Click here to open the map in Google Maps!
Hiking Pass Required
Before you head out on the trail, you will need to register at the welcoming area at the trailhead and pay a $5 fee. Here, you will need to take a slip and fill it out. It asks you for details like your hiking start time, and then place it on the dashboard of your car. I recommend making sure you have a pen with you as there was not one there when we did this hike.
Trail Difficulty
Mont Du Dome is a moderate to hard hike in terms of difficulty. It is hard due to a bit of scrambling on a section of the loop. There is a sign that warns you when you are approaching this section of the trail and you can actually choose to avoid it by taking the easy way there and back. If you do this, you will end up hiking further distance overall.
In the scrambling section, you will be hiking up large boulders, which, in the Fall are also covered with leave so they are quite slippery. I did this hike with hiking poles but actually found this section easier without them so that I could use my hands.
The trail also became quite muddy at the top. We found our hiking boots useful for this section.
The Trail Itself
I’ve told you about the difficult section of the hike, but not about the rest of it. The hike starts out pretty mellow and takes you through the trees. For the entire hike you will be in the forest and will not see any views until very close to the viewpoint. The gradient is not too steep until the difficult section. Once you have completed this section, the trail becomes more muddy and a little narrower with less boulders.
There are a few wooden planks to help you cross certain sections. Be careful because it can be quite slippery. Soon you will emerge from the forest and come across the viewpoint I was talking about. You will recognise it from our photos when you see it.
Even though this is the best viewpoint, I still recommend hiking all the way to the top because it is not much further from here. Keep walking, following the trail through the shrubs until you reach the some more granite rocks which you will need to hike up. These lead you to the top of Mont Du Dome and you have views of the other side of the park. Not as good but still beautiful!
How Long Does it Take to Hike Mont Du Dome
It takes 2.5 – 3 hours in total on average to hike Mont Du Dome.
Are Dogs Allowed on the Mont Du Dome Trail
Yes! Dogs are allowed to join you on leash on the Mont Du Dome trail. Small dogs may struggle on the difficult section because the boulders are quite large but you can also take the easier, longer route.
What is the Best Time of the Year to Hike Mont Du Dome
Mont Du Dome, in our opinion, is most beautiful during Fall when the view from the top is a sea of reds and oranges. However, I’m sure Winter would be magical too. If you hike Mont Du Dome in Winter, make sure you bring along some micro spikes as the trail will be slippery.
Tips for Hiking Mont Du Dome at Sunrise or Sunset
I have absolutely no regrets about hiking Mont Du Dome at sunset! We actually found the view from the false summit better than the summit and this is where all of our photos are from. This viewpoint looks out over the park into a sea of trees and you can see the main road cutting through the park. The trees are even more impressive during Fall when they have turned bright orange, especially at golden hour with the golden light on them!
If you are hiking at sunrise or sunset, make sure you have the following:
- A headlamp for hiking in the dark.
- Layers in case the weather turns. On this hike at sunset during Fall, we each had
- Fleece
- Puffer Jacket
- Beanie
- Raincoat or windbreaker
- Navigation device such as All Trails offline maps – The trail is pretty well marked but it is always good to have a back up, especially when you are hiking at night
- Snacks for enjoying whilst watching the sunset and plenty of water.
Where to Eat Near Mont Du Dome
The closest town with a large variety of restaurants and even an IGA is Baie-Saint-Paul. This is also a great town for accommodation options if you are looking to spend a few days in the area. Alternatively, you could do a day trip from Quebec City to hike Mont Du Dome.
Baie-Saint-Paul has a beautiful old town which you should definitely visit while you are there. We went to a few restaurants in Baie-Saint-Paul and our favourite was Bistrot Des Artistes. You can check out the menu on their website.
Where to Stay Near Mont Du Dome
The closest town to the Mont Du Dome trail is Saint-Urbain, however there are not many accommodation options there. There is a campground called Camping Espace Air Pur, if you are camping. Otherwise, the closest hotels/lodges are closer to Baie-Saint-Paul:
- Maison Chez Laurent – this is where we stayed. It is a basic motel but great if you are on a budget.
- H̫tel-Auberge la Grande Maison et Spa РThis place looks REALLY cool! They have an amazing spa room.
When is the Best Time to Visit Quebec for Fall Colours?
Quebec is a bucketlist destination for Fall colours and is still very much under the radar. The colours in Quebec during Fall are absolutely bonkers and some of the views could easily be mistaken viewpoints in New Hampshire in the USA.
It can be hard to plan a trip around the best Fall colours as they change every year. The Fall colours only last a couple of weeks, with the peak colour time window being even smaller. Luckily, there is a way to help you plan your trip.
There is a Fall Foliage Map available which shows each national park in Quebec with a colour coding chart showing what stage the leaves are at. The map is not updated until the leaves start to change colours, but when it starts, it becomes a lot easier to predict where and when the peak leaf peeping will occur.
frequently asked questions
Our Thoughts
This was our favourite Fall hike in Quebec! We would highly recommend doing this hike at sunrise or sunset if you can as the colours in the sky make the view even more spectacular!
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