Although Quebec isn’t blessed with the tall peaks of western Canada, there are nonetheless many areas in the province where the mountain scenery is still quite spectacular and, fortunately for Montrealers and visitors to the city, there are several great hiking trails not too distant from the city. To help you plan your next outdoor adventure, we put together this guide on the Best Hiking Trails Near Montreal, with a focus on those that we believe best maximize the effort-to-reward ratio. We will present the trails by geographical region: our favourite trails from the Laurentians (north of Montreal), the Eastern Townships (east of Montreal), and finally a few from the Greater Montreal area. We will also limit the list to those trails that are within about a 2-hour drive of the city.
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You might also be interested in these pages (coming soon):
Best National Parks for Hiking Near Montreal
Best Hiking Trails in the Laurentians
Best Hiking Trails in the Eastern Townships
A Quick Primer on Quebec National Parks
Seven of the ten trails presented below are located within a Quebec National Park. Quebec National Parks are provincial parks created by the government of Quebec. As of 2024, there are 28 such national parks, and all but four of them are administered by the Société des établissements de plein air du Québec (Sépaq) (Nunavik Parks administer the others). Although all provincial parks in Quebec have used the term “national park” since 2002, there is no connection to the federal national park system, administered by Parks Canada.
All Quebec National Parks charge the same access fees and you can buy an annual pass that allows unlimited access to all parks.
Daily access fees and Annual passes
Quebec National Parks are managed by the SÉPAQ, a government agency that manages all provincial parks and wildlife preserves in Québec.
There is a limit to the number of visitors that can enter any Québec SÉPAQ National Park on any given day. It is therefore strongly recommended that you purchase your daily right of access online before a visit or that you acquire an annual pass.
The daily pass ($9.85 (2024)) can be purchased here up to 30 days before a visit.
The annual pass can be purchased here either for unlimited access to a single national park ($49.25 (2024)) or for unlimited access to all SÉPAQ national parks ($88.50 (2024)). Even if you have an annual pass, we still recommend arriving early in the morning or mid-to-late afternoon to avoid showing up to a filled parking lot.
If you need to book a rental vehicle for your hiking excursion, we highly recommend using Discover Cars to get the best rates on your rental in Montreal.
We also highly recommend Airalo (eSIM card) for your connectivity needs when travelling abroad. Airalo is the world’s first and largest eSIM store with eSIM plans for 200+ countries and regions worldwide.
Laurentians
The first two parks in the list for the Laurentions are part of Mont Tremblant National Park, which takes its name from the nearby mountain and ski resort of Mont Tremblant. This park is Quebec’s oldest national park (created in 1895, and is Canada’s third oldest protected park). Although the park’s hiking trails are spread throughout three different sectors (Le Diable sector, Pimbina-Saint-Donat sector, and L’Assomption sector), those listed here are part of the Le Diable sector, the closest to Montreal. The park has some of the best trails near Montreal.
La Coulée Trail (Mont Tremblant National Park)
La Coulée Trail – This trail name is given to a combination of two small out and back trails, the Corniche and La Roche trails, along with the trail section that connects them. Each of the two has its own observation deck with stunning views of Lake Monroe’s glacial valley below and of the Mont Tremblant highlands in the distance. Most of the hike is under a mixed forest cover of predominantly deciduous trees.
Distance: 8.2 km
Route Type: Loop
Elevation gain: 260 m (cumulative elevation gain: 351 m)
Start point: Large Car Park
AllTrails rating: (4.6, 709 ratings (2024))
Duration: Most people complete the trail in about 2h15-2h45 min
Access Fees: SEPAQ daily rate
Before you even start the hike, be sure to walk to the edge of Lac Monroe, the scenery is spectacular in the early morning, particularly in autumn.
If you start the hike counter-clockwise as indicated in the map above, you will complete all of the trail’s elevation gain during the first 2.5 km, at which point you will have reached the first observation deck (La Roche).
Then the trail goes progressively downhill for the next 2 km until you reach the second observation deck (La Corniche).
The trail then goes more sharply downhill over the next 1.5 km, passing a small waterfall along the way, after which it connects with a multipurpose path that follows the roadside and the shores of Lac Monroe.
There are several spots along the lake where the scenery is just stunning. You are likely to see several canoes, kayaks and paddleboards pass by.
Le Centenaire (Mont Tremblant National Park)
Created in 1995 on the slopes of La Vache Noire Mountain to celebrate the national park’s 100th anniversary, this trail features several viewpoints, including an impressive one of the meandering Diable River.
Distance: 8.4 km
Route Type: Out & Back with Partial Loop
Elevation gain: 310 m (cumulative elevation gain: 385 m)
Start point: Car Park (small lot, arrive early)
AllTrails rating: (4.5, 601 ratings (2024))
Duration: Most people complete the trail in about 2h30-3h
Access Fees: SEPAQ daily rate
From the parking lot, the trail first goes around the Sablionnère campground and ascends very slowly for the first 2 km, with fantastic views of the Diable River around the 1.5 km mark.
Then the trail starts to climb more steeply for the next 2 km until you reach the Vache Noire Mountain’s northern summit, where shortly thereafter you will come across two fantastic viewpoints (large open rock faces) of the surrounding mountains and Bagsly Lake to the east.
Note that around the 3.5 km mark, you will come across an intersection: this is the start of the loop portion, head left to tackle the steepest portion of the loop first. The forest in parts of the loop section was quite pretty with several rock faces covered in moss.
Between both loop viewpoints, around the halfway mark of the loop, you will come across another intersection, with a path that will take you to the Montagne de la Vache Noire’s main summit, which is another 2km away (4km with return). Keep right at this intersection to return to the trailhead.
Not an AllTrails member yet? We highly recommend signing up for either their free or paid membership plans. The free plan allows you to find new trails and plan routes but can only be used while hiking if you have access to mobile data. The paid membership plan (AllTrails+) allows you to download trail maps for offline use and provides live progress updates and off-route notifications.
If you are still uncertain – you should know that the All Trails mobile application was voted the 2023 iPhone App of the Year by Apple.
Montagne Verte Trail (Green Mountain Loop)
You’ll definitely get a great bang for your buck on this trail – you get fantastic panoramic 360-degree views from the top and it’s only 3.1 km long.
It is suggested to do this loop counter-clockwise (see map below).
Distance: 3.1 km
Route Type: Loop
Elevation gain: 170 m (cumulative elevation gain: 180 m)
Start point: Car Park
AllTrails rating: (4.6, 1739 ratings (2024))
Duration: Most people complete the trail in about 1h-1h15
Access Fees: Free
You’ll gain altitude quickly through a thick forest during this hike, but your suffering will be short-lived given the short trail length. You will cross the first of four main viewpoints after just 1.3 km, with three others coming over the next kilometre. The summit is a very large open rock face providing you with 360-degree panoramic views of the surrounding landscape.
To the east, you see Lake Tremblant, Mont Tremblant in the distance, and a short round peak nearby – the Nez-de-L’Indien (see next trail below).
Nez-de-L’Indien Trail
Many actually combine both the Nez-de-l’Indien Trail with the Montagne Verte Trail, since they both share the same trailhead. Instead of turning left to do the loop, keep going straight to reach the Nez-de-L’Indien summit. Doing both adds about 2.5 km to the Nez-de-L’Indien Trail total.
Distance: 8.5 km
Route Type: Out & Back
Elevation gain: 205 m (cumulative elevation gain: 496 m)
Start point: Car Park
AllTrails rating: (4.6, 1739 ratings (2024))
Duration: Most people complete the trail in about 3h-3h30.
Access Fees: Free
You’ll spend most of this hike in a deep forest along a path that changes elevation often. After an initial rise of 80 m over the first kilometre, you will then descend 120 m into a lush forested valley over the next 1.5 km, only then to climb sharply again and gain 200m in elevation over the next 2 km.
You will be rewarded for your effort with spectacular viewpoints near the summit, where you’ll find several large rocky outcrops from which you can enjoy panoramic views of the surrounding mountains, particularly of Lake Tremblant, both to the east and west.
*Note #1, to do the combined Montagne Verte and Nez-de-L’Indien trail follow this All Trails Map.
*Note #2, there’s a second trail to reach the Nez-de-L’Indien summit from the east. The parking lot is closer to Mont Tremblant but is significantly smaller. Another drawback is that combining with the Green Mountain Loop isn’t practical (and very long) from this trailhead.
Mont Brassard Loop Trail (Septs Chutes Regional Park)
To be fair, this trail is actually in the Lanaudiere region (and not in the Laurentians), but we wanted to share it as it’s one of our favourites, and it’s roughly the same distance from Montreal as the trails presented above.
Distance: 6.3 km
Route Type: Loop
Elevation gain: 230 m (cumulative elevation gain: 321 m)
Start point: Car Park
AllTrails rating: (4.6, 1739 ratings (2024))
Duration: Most people complete the trail in about 1h45-2h15.
Access Fees: 9$ (you can repurchase your ticket here)
The trail first starts by following a scenic river. As the trail begins to rise and turn right, you’ll come across the lovely Bridal Veil Falls just before the 1 km mark.
Shortly thereafter you’ll come across a sign indicating the Mont Brassard loop – the suggested direction to complete the loop is counter-clockwise (right form in the path).
Along the loop section of the trail, you’ll come across several viewpoints and belvederes, some offering views of the mountain scenery and Lake Remi in the distance, and some along the shores of the smaller Lake Guy.
Hiking Packing List
All Trails subscription – This comes in really handy for areas with little or no cell reception, as the annual subscription allows you to download trail maps for offline use.
External Battery – If you are using your phone to track your progress along the trail or to help with navigation, you certainly don’t want your phone to die on you. That’s especially true in the unlikely event that you might get hurt or need assistance.
Hiking poles – These can be particularly useful in steep trails or muddy/boggy trail conditions.
Eastern Townships
Mont Orford National Park is home to some of the best trails near Montreal, including the three trails presented below. The park is situated just north of Magog, about a 90-minute drive from Montreal. It’s one of Quebec’s oldest National parks, created in 1938. If you are looking for some elevation gain with your hikes, then you’ll love several of the trails here and it’s a particularly beautiful area to explore during autumn when the leaves turn bright orange and red. The park is also home to several lakes, with two supervised beaches (Lac Stukely and Lac Fraser beaches). Canoes, kayaks, rowboats and more can be rented at these lakes.
The park has two Service/Visitor Centres: the Cerisier Visitor Center at the southern end of the park, and the Bonnallie Visitor Center near the northern end of the park. The road that connects them can be quite scenic, particularly during autumn.
L’Escalier du Nord Trail (Mont Orford National Park)
This moderate to moderately challenging trail takes you up to the Pic the l’Ours (mountain This moderately challenging trail takes you up to the Pic the l’Ours (mountain peak) and is probably the most difficult trail presented in this guide, both because of the elevation gain and the occasional rocky and uneven terrain, which can require a bit of light scrambling. You will be greatly rewarded for your effort, however, as you will cross several panoramic viewpoints along the trail.
Distance: 12.7 km
Route Type: Out & Back
Elevation gain: 450m (cumulative elevation gain: 624 m)
Start point: La Bonnallie Car Park and Visitor Center
AllTrails rating: (4.6, 917 ratings (2024))
Duration: Most people complete the trail in about 3h30-4h min
Access Fees: SEPAQ daily rate
There is another car park that’s slightly closer to the trailhead, but you would be missing out on some beautiful lakeside views. From the car park (link above; by the La Bonnallie Visitor Center), be sure to walk to Lac Stukely before starting the hike, the scenery along the lake is quite beautiful.
This trail starts relatively easy, with almost no elevation gain for the first 2.5 km along a wide multipurpose path, initially through large conifers and later on through a serene delicious tree section.
Eventually, the trail turns into the forest (notice the signs indicating the L’Escalier du Nord) where a constant ascent awaits you over the next three kilometres. The trail is a little more technical than some of the other trails presented due to the uneven and rocky terrain, where many large rocks and tree roots make up the path.
At the 3.5 km mark, a very short detour takes you to the Escalier du Nord viewpoint (a signpost will indicate the detour to the viewpoint), where the scenery is just spectacular
From the 5 km mark until the Pic de L’ours summit (6.5 km mark), there are several great viewpoints as the trail starts to follow a ridgeline along large open rock faces. We’ve been both in summer and autumn and the views are spectacular!
Mont Chauve – Ruisseau David Trail (Mont Orford National Park)
This is a great and popular trail taking you up the summit of Mont Chauve. You can also significantly shorten the trail by skipping the loop portion of the trail (more on this below).
Distance: 12.7 km
Route Type: Out & Back and partial loop
Elevation gain: 280m (cumulative elevation gain: 556 m)
Start point: Small Car Park (arrive early)
AllTrails rating: (4.5, 1427 ratings (2024))
Duration: Most people complete the trail in about 3h30-4h min
Access Fees: SEPAQ daily rate
After a short section of narrow elevated wooden boardwalks, the trail starts to become steeper slowly and continues to do so until about the 3.5 km mark, at which point you’ll reach the intersection that marks the beginning and end point of the loop section around Mont Chauve. Here, you have two options: 1) go left to start the loop section around the Mont Chauve summit, where the trail will first descend quite a bit before rising again towards the summit, or 2) go right and straight to the viewpoints and summit where there is a large wooden belvedere (after which you can return the way you came). If you pick option #2, the trail will only be 7.5km in length and you will have removed nearly half of the elevation gain of the full trail.
Regardless if you do the full trail or not, you’ll get fantastic aerial views of three different lakes Regardless of whether you do the full trail or not, you’ll get fantastic aerial views of three different lakes during the hike, first of Lake Fraser, then of the long and slim Cherry Pond (and Mont Orford in the background), and finally of the larger crescent-shaped Lake Stukely.
Pékan Trail (Mont Orford National Park)
This This is a beautiful lakeside trail that follows a path that gently goes up and down several times as you loop around the Étang aux Cerises pond (a pond that honestly feels more like a lake, to be honest), with several viewpoints along the way.
Distance: 8.5 km
Route Type: Loop
Elevation gain: 60m (cumulative elevation gain: 215 m)
Start point: Cerisier Car Park and Visitor Center
AllTrails rating: (4.2, 615 ratings (2024))
Duration: Most people complete the trail in about 2h-2h30
Access Fees: SEPAQ daily rate
The first half along the east side of the pond is lovely as you travel through various types of woodland, eventually climbing up to a beautiful promontory (Colline de la Serpentine) a few hundred feet above the pond. You will also get to enjoy great lakeside views during the first few hundred meters of the trail.
We prefer the first half of the trail (east side of the lake) and can suggest as an alternative that you simply turn back towards the trailhead once you’ve enjoyed the views from the Colline de la Serpentine – this will result in about a 6 km trail instead of 8.5 km.
Greater Montreal Area
Les Lacs Trail (Saint Bruno National Park)
Both the longest trail in the park (though not very difficult) and the only trail in the park that allows you the opportunity to see all of the five park lakes (Lac Seigneural, Lac du Moulin, Lac des Atocas, Lac à la Tortue, and Lac des Bouleaux).
Distance: 8.9 km
Route Type: Loop
Elevation gain: 90 m (cumulative elevation gain: 126 m)
Start point: Car Park / Discovery Center
AllTrails rating: (4.5, 1987 ratings (2024))
Duration: Most people complete the trail in about 2 hours.
Access Fees: SEPAQ daily rate
This trail spends most of its time under tall forest cover while circumnavigating the park around its five lakes. Special decks have been built over three of the lakes (the three largest) allowing you to get up close and enjoy panoramic views of the lakeside scenery.
Most of the elevation gain is tackled early on the trail, allowing you to relax while you enjoy the lake views during the rest of the trails.
Grande-Rivière Trail (Iles de Boucherville National Park)
A lovely trail through a mix of woodlands, open fields, and riverside marshes. Although there are longer trails in this park, we find this one to be the most pleasant, offering a greater variety of landscapes and scenery. This is one of the best and easiest trails you’ll find close to Montreal.
Distance: 4.3 km
Route Type: Loop
Elevation gain: 16 m (cumulative elevation gain)
Start point: Car Park / Discovery Center
AllTrails rating: (4.2, 125 ratings (2024))
Duration: Most people complete the trail in 45-60 minutes
Access Fees: SEPAQ daily rate
Given the short duration of this trail and its close proximity to the city, you can easily combine it with another trail from the park, such as L’Île-de-la-Commune Trail, A scenic multi-purpose riverside trail riverside, with an observation tower that offers a panoramic view of the nearby wetlands.
Bonus: Winter Hiking Trails
These are trails that we only experienced in winter when the scenery produced a true winter wonderland. These trails are still popular destinations year-round, but we can definitely recommend them once the snow starts to pile up.
Mont Sutton & Round Top Trail
The Round Top trail is probably the most popular winter hiking trail near Montreal, it’s always busy, and with good reason. The snowy scenery at the top is just spectacular.
As beautiful as the Round Top trail, the Parc d’Environnement Naturel de Sutton (P.E.N.S) has several other trails that are fantastic as well, with the added benefit of not having to share the trail with fewer other people, such as Lac Spruce Trail and the Hollandais Trail.
Mont Mégantic National Park
This National Park is a little outside our 2h range from Montreal, but we wanted to highlight it given the spectacular winter scenery. The park is home to several great trails, including 4 in particular that we highlight in our Mégantic Winter Hiking Guide – our favorite being the Mont Mégantic Trail that takes you up to the summit astronomical observatory.
Winter Hiking Packing List
Crampons / Ice Cleats – These are a must-have to help you with those steep ascents/descents or navigate icy trail conditions.
External Battery – Cold weather significantly affects cell phone battery drainage. Best to be prepared with an external power source to recharge your phone if needed.
Hiking poles – These can be particularly useful in winter, especially when not wearing any crampons or ice cleats.
Hand warmers – if you are like us and often remove your gloves to take pictures, having little hotties around care be hand life savers in freezing weather.
All Trails subscription – comes in really handy for areas with little or no cell reception, as the annual subscription allows you to download trail maps for offline use.
Trail Tips for Hiking Trails near Montreal
-During the peak summer and fall months, the parking lots can fill up quickly, particularly on weekends. Try to arrive early in the morning or late afternoon to guarantee a spot.
-Mosquitoes and black flies can be a nuisance at certain times during the year. The exact dates vary from year to year, but they are generally most present from mid-May to mid-July. Regardless of when you come, it’s always a good idea to carry some bug spray with you, just in case.
-Stick to the designated path to protect the surrounding environment. Moreover, ticks are present in some places, particularly in the Eastern townships, so straying from the trails carries additional risk.
-Best time to visit (summer hiking): we highly recommend the end of summer and early fall (August, September and October). The weather will be pleasant and the likelihood of being harassed by bugs is significantly reduced. Moreover, July is when most people in Québec take their summer holidays.
-Best time to visit (winter hiking): the winter season hiking typically runs from late November to late March. Trail conditions vary throughout the season, so be sure to check up-to-date park trail conditions. It is highly recommended to wear crampons/traction cleats under your shoes or boots when hiking any trail with significant elevation gain (see winter packing list above). In the event of large amounts of recent snowfall, you might be better off using snowshoes than hiking with boots and cleats.
Want to Discover More Hiking Trails Around Montreal?
You might be interested in these pages (coming soon):
Best National Parks for Hiking Near Montreal
Best Hiking Trails in the Laurentians
Best Hiking Trails in the Eastern Townships
Photography Gear
If you like our photography, you might be interested in some of the gear we use to shoot our travel and hiking destinations.
Camera Body – Nikon Z 6ii Fx-series Mirrorless Body
Main Lens – NIKON 24-120mm F/4G ED VR AF-S
Zoom Lens – Sigma 745-306 150-600mm f/5-6.3
Polarizing filters – Urth Circular Polarizing (CPL)
Camera Tripod – K&F Concept 64-inch Camera Tripod
Mini-tripod – Lammcou Flexible Camera Tripod
Camera/hiking backpack – Vanguard Alta Rise 48 Backpack
Universal Travel Adapter – VYLEE Universal International Power Travel Plug
Other Travel Essentials
Travel Insurance
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e-Sim cards
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eSIMS are a sustainable alternative to single-use SIM cards – they are 100% digital, require less energy to produce and be re-used rather than disposed of.
Car Rentals
Discover Cars is our go-to website for car rentals. We almost always find our preferred rate there.
Transfer from Airport
Welcome Pickups is our favourite private transfer service, which you can pre-book at a fixed price. Currently available in 220 cities all over the world (mostly in Europe, but with several major cities in Asia, the Middle East and the US).
Kiwitaxi is another private transfer service – we haven’t tried it yet, but it’s currently available in a few more countries (102 as of 2024).
Hotels and Accommodations (coming soon)
Photography Prints
If you found this blog useful, you can help support our blog by purchasing low-cost digital prints. Printed physical prints are also available for purchase.
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Well, that wraps it up! We hope you enjoyed our Best Hiking Trails Near Montreal Guide and that it will prove useful for planning your hiking trip.
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