The Mont Mégantic National Park is well known for its true winter wonderland landscapes for a few months of the year. Located in the Franceville sector, these two trails are among the park’s most popular trails and some of the more family-friendly ones, as they are less challenging and steep than some of the trails found in the Observatory sector, such as the Mont Saint-Joseph trail and the Mont Mégantic trail. Below we present our Winter Hiking Guide for both The Escarpment Trail and the Cimes Trail (also known as the Trail of the Peaks), which we hope will help you get the most out of your hiking adventure in the area. We are presenting them together because not only do they both trails share the same trailhead and end-point, but they also share the first and last 1.3 km portions of the trails, a section known as “The Ruisseau” (the river).
- About the Escarpment and Cimes Trails
- Orientation – How to Get to Mont Mégantic National Park
- When to Go?
- Hiking and Safety Tips
- The Cime and Escarpment Trails
- Trail Alternatives
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About the Escarpment and Cimes Trails
Escarpment and Cimes Trails are both part of the northwestern section of the Mont Mégantic National Park, known as the Franceville Sector (the southeastern section is known as the Observatory Sector).
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.
The Cimes Trail is a loop trail that slowly ascends the park’s northern mountain range and follows a ridgeline leading to the sector’s highest peak (Mont Franceville). There are several beautiful viewpoints along the trail, some looking north beyond the park, and some looking south towards the park’s southern mountains, such as Mont Mégantic and Mont Saint Joseph. In particular, you’ll have great views of Mont Mégantic and its Observatory, from a distance.
The Escarpment trail follows a gentle climb for the first part of the trail until the climb intensifies as you make your way around and then over the smallest of the massif mountains, Sugarloaf Mountain (Montagne Pain de Sucre). There are a few viewpoints around the summit including one offering panoramic views of the Mont Mégantic to the east and the Mont Franceville to the north.
The hiking trails in this sector are generally considered to be easier than those of the Observatory Sector, such as the Mont Mégantic and the Mont Saint-Joseph trails. That being said, they are still fairly challenging as the Cime Trail is over 12 km long with nearly 400 m of elevation gain, and the Escarpment Trail, while neither as long nor as steep, has some tricky rocky sections to overcome.
Orientation – How to Get to Mont Mégantic National Park
Due to the park’s remoteness, the best way to reach the park is with your own vehicle. Located in southeastern Québec, the Franceville Sector of the Mont-Mégantic National Park is roughly 2h30 from either Montréal or Québec City.
If you don’t have your own vehicle, a transportation service is offered by Navette Nature from Montreal. However, service to Mont Mégantic National Park is very infrequent (at most once a month).
The trailhead itself is a short walk from the parking lot. For more information on the National Park or the other trails you can find here, you can check out our Guide on the Best Winter Hiking Trails in Mont Mégantic National Park
When to Go?
To experience a proper winter hike and beautiful white landscapes, it’s best to plan your visit between mid-December and mid-March. That being said, there are year-to-year differences regarding the early and late winter snow conditions. If you would like to visit early or late in the winter season, it’s best to check the park conditions first. You can generally find them listed at the top of the national park page.
It’s also a great hike to do in the early morning. The light is perfect for photography and the trail isn’t too crowded.
Hiking and Safety Tips
It is highly recommended to wear crampons/traction cleats under your shoes or boots when hiking this trail. You can rent some from the visitor center for $8 or buy your own on Amazon for $20-$25.
The exception to that rule is in the event of large amounts of recent snowfall, in which case you might be better off using snowshoes than hiking with boots and cleats. The national park details the recent snowfall stats and the trail conditions (densely packed snow or fresh powdered snow). The visitor center also rents out snowshoes if need be.
Also, always bear in mind that no matter how cold it is at the base of the mountain, it’s going to be even colder at the summit (and windier), so remember to dress appropriately. It’s generally recommended to wear fewer layers to start with since you will warm up as you start to hike. But it’s a great idea to pack some extra warm gear for when you stop or reach the summit.
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.
The Cime and Escarpment Trails
Cimes Trails – Trail Details and Map
Distance: 12.4 km
Route Type: Loop
Elevation gain: 370 m (cumulative elevation gain: 390 m)
Trailhead: Right behind the visitor center
AllTrails rating: (4.6, 882 ratings (2024))
Average Duration: 3h30
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.
Cimes Trail (Trail of the Peaks) – Trail Description
First section: The Ruisseau Trail segment
From the trailhead to the first trail intersection (1.3 km later), you’ll follow the Ruisseau Trail, a trail segment that is shared by the Cimes and Escarpment Trail. You’ll not only begin each trail with this segment, but you will also end both trails with it as well.
It’s a flat and easy section that follows a scenic and peaceful river for the entirety of this trail section. Once you have reached the intersection, you have two options. Go right to continue towards the Escarpment and the Talweg trails, or go left to continue along the Cimes trail.
Second section: The ascent, the ridgeline, and the Pic de l’Aurore summit
From the intersection, the trail will start to ascend pretty steadily but without ever getting too steep as you navigate through a more open portion of the forest.
After about a kilometer, you will reach the first of four elevated viewpoints, which coincides with the start of the ridgeline that you will be walking along for roughly the next three kilometers.
The first two viewpoints (Repos du Dragon; Gardiem des Méandres) face north, looking at the flat terrain beyond the national park.
As you continue beyond the second viewpoint, the trail continues to ascend at a not-too-steep but constant pace. As you gain altitude, you’ll notice the surrounding trees are increasingly becoming covered in snow.
The final two viewpoints (Porte du Ciel; Pic de l’Aurore) along the ridgeline are definitely those that offer the most impressive views of the surrounding scenery.
With a good lens, you can get decent close-ups of the Observatory.
Third section: The descent and the Talweg Trail segment
Once you’ve savoured the views from the Pic de l’Aurore, the trail will quickly start to descend and you will through a series of several switchbacks. After about 1.5 kilometers, you will come across a rock face covered in ice. It wasn’t as spectacular as we anticipated, but perhaps it’s more impressive at other times of the year after some snowmelt.
Continuing onward you will navigate several other switchbacks for another two kilometres, until you reach the beginning of the Talweg trail section. From here you’ll follow the river along the valley floor for the next 3 kilometers or so. Although there are a few viewpoints, they aren’t as impressive as those from along the ridgeline. The best one is once you reach the metal bridge near the first intersection you crossed.
From here, simply retrace your steps along the Ruisseau trail.
Escarpment Trail – Trail Details and Map
Distance: 7.1 km
Route Type: Mostly out & back, partial loop near the middle
Elevation gain: 190 m (cumulative elevation gain: 234 m)
Trailhead: Right behind the visitor center
AllTrails rating: (4.7, 442 ratings (2024))
Average Duration: 3h30
Escarpment Trail (to Sugarloaf Mountain) – Trail Description
Due to the shared trail segments with the Cimes trail, we’ll start here with where both paths diverge, at the trail intersection. Here you will have to right and cross the long metal bridge. If the sky is clear, you should get great views of the observatory atop the Mont Mégantic from the bridge.
After crossing the bridge, you will have to keep straight after crossing a trail intersection (going left takes you along the Talweg trail). From this point onward the trail starts to gain some elevation at a slow but steady pace until you reach the base of Sugarloaf Mountain.
From this point, you alternate between short switchbacks and walking along rocky edges as you make your way up and around the summit. Nothing is particularly difficult or dangerous, but some caution should be taken in some sections as the trail can become icy.
As you make your way around the mountain summit, you will come across three viewpoints (all three are located within a one-kilometre section of the trail). The first viewpoint (L’abri du Rocher) looks west, to the landscape outside of the park.
The next two face east, towards the center of the park, revealing the imposing Mont Mégantic to the east and the Mont Franceville to the north. On a clear day can make out the Mont Mégantic Observatory.
After you leave the second viewpoint, you’ll start turning across the mountain summit and navigating a few switchbacks down the other side to complete the loop portion of the trail. Once you’ve completed the loop, you will have about 2.5 km left to do on the out-and-back portion of the trail before making it back to the trailhead.
Trail Alternatives
If you would prefer some trails without too many vertical challenges, there are two options in this sector of the park. There’s the Ruisseau Trail, which is the common first and last segment to both the Escarpment and Cimes Trails and runs 1.3 km in length (one-way). It’s relatively flat along a well-walked path, making a it good option for those with reduced mobility or with young children.
Ruisseau Trail
There’s the Talweg Trail, which is the final and mostly flat portion of the Cimes trail and runs 4.2 km in length (one-way) and includes the Ruisseau Trail as both Ruisseau and Talweg partially overlap and follow the same river along the sector’s valley floor. It’s a great option if you are looking for some distance without significant elevation gain.
To take the Talweg Trail, take the left turn after crossing the long metal bridge (going straight leads up to the Escarpment trail and Sugarloaf Mountain).
Talweg Trail
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Well, that wraps it up! We hope you enjoyed our Guide on the Escarpment and Cimes Trails Winter Hiking Guide and that it will prove useful for planning your trip to the beautiful Eastern Townships.
You might also be interested in these pages:
6 Quebec Hiking Trails that Are Stunning in Winter
Best Winter Hiking Trails in Charlevoix region
Best Winter Hiking Trails in Mont Mégantic National Park
Best Winter Hiking Trails in Sutton (Eastern townships)
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