Mont-du-Lac-des-Cygnes is one of Grands-Jardin National Park‘s most popular trails – and with good reason. Although it is a moderately challenging hike, it will provide you with a great bang for your buck, as the work-to-reward ratio of this trail is hard to beat. The views from the summit a simply stunning, where you’ll enjoy 360-degree views of the surrounding mountains and glacier-carved valleys. Below we present our Winter Hiking Guide for the Mont-du-Lac-des-Cygnes trail, which we hope will help you get the most out of your hiking adventure in Parc National des Grands Jardins.
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Mont-du-Lac-des-Cygnes Trail Location and Map
The Mont-du-Lac-des-Cygnes trail is located in Parc National des Grands-Jardins, a provincial park within the beautiful Charlevoix of Québec (link to Google Maps).
How to Get to the Mont-du-Lac-des-Cygnes Trail
The easiest way to reach the Mont-du-Lac-des-Cygnes trailhead is by car.
From Montreal: about a 4h drive (390 km)
From Québec City: about a 1h30 drive (125 km)
From Baie-Saint-Paul: about a 30 min drive (30 km)
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.
Alternatively, you can also reach the park from Québec City by organized transfer via the Navette Nature service, which offers bus trips on various weekend dates. The service rotates between parks, so there might be only one or two trips per park per season.
About Grands-Jardin National Park
Grands-Jardins National Park is one of 28 Quebec National Parks, the majority of which 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. For more information about the park and its various other hiking trails, be sure to check out our guide on Grands-Jardins National Park.
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.
Mont-du-Lac-des-Cygnes Trail Access, Fees, and Parking
Trailhead & car park location: Both are found here.
Trail access & parking fees: Québec National Park fees apply (see above) for day visits to the park. There are no additional fees for parking.
Trail opening Hours: 24 hours.
We recommend checking out the park’s official website to see if there are any temporary trail closures. You can generally find them listed at the top of the national park page by clicking the “information of the day” button.
Parking lot: The car park is quite large, there are rarely parking issues.
Facilities: Toilets are available in the visitor center by the car park. Dry toilets are also found along the trail.
Best Time to Hike The Trail
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.
Why Hike in Winter?
– There are generally fewer people on the hiking trails, allowing for a more peaceful and enjoyable experience.
– Compacted snow generally makes the trail easier to walk on and removes the difficulties associated with walking over rocks, boulders and tree roots.
– The scenery is very different than in any other season but is no less beautiful.
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.
Winter Hiking and Trail Safety Tips
In the absence of any significant recent snowfall, it is highly recommended to wear crampons/traction cleats under your shoes or boots when hiking most trails in this park, particularly any trail that has significant elevation gain. You can rent traction crampons/ice cleats to attach to your boots for 8$ (2024) at the visitor center. If you plan on needing cleats for more than 2 days, you’re probably better off buying your own.
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.
If there was a lot of recent snowfall, you might want to hike with snowshoes instead of ice cleats to help navigate the soft snow. To help you decide what footwear to bring, the national park details the recent snowfall and trail conditions via the “information of the day” button at the top of the page ( e.g. typically either 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 since you will warm up after a few minutes of hiking. But it’s a great idea to pack some extra warm gear for when you take a break or reach the summit.
Mont-du-Lac-des-Cygnes Trail Details and Map
Distance: 8.9 km
Route Type: Out & back
Elevation gain: 421 m (cumulative elevation gain: 434 m)
Start point: Trailhead & Visitor Center
Duration: Most people complete the trail in about 2h45-3h15
Access Fees: SEPAQ daily rate
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 it 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.
Other Mont-du-Lac-des-Cygnes Trail Details
– Canine companions: Dogs are not permitted on this trail.
– Summit: Mont-du-Lac-des-Cygnes summit is located at an altitude of 980 m.
– Trail environment: Mix of forested and uncovered open sections.
– Number of viewpoints: The trail has several viewpoints, but none better than the mountain summit, which offers 360-degree panoramic views.
– Trail Surface / Technical Trail: The fun thing about winter hiking is that technical trail surfaces (rocks, boulders and tree branches) get buried under the snow. The main challenges that remain are the steep sections that often require ice cleats or crampons, and there are a few such places on this trail, particularly during the final ascent to reach the summit.
– Average trail slope grade: 10% (although this is not particularly steep on average, the trail is almost continuously on an incline (see elevation map above) and offers little opportunity for rest along flatter sections).
– Trail difficulty level assessment: Moderately Challenging
(based on our personal assessment, taking into account the trail length, slope grade and trail surface – 5-point difficulty scale: Very easy, Easy, Moderate, Moderately Challenging, Challenging)
Mont-du-Lac-des-Cygnes Trail Summary and Description
The trailhead is at the southern end of the parking lot, opposite the visitor center. The first 1000 m of the trail is fairly easygoing as the path is straight with a slight uphill incline. Shortly after veering left, you will cross a fork in the road. If you go right you will continue toward a shorter summit (La Chouenne trail), whereas if you continue left you will continue on the path up to the Mont-du-Lac-des-Cygnes summit. After another 400-500 m you will come across the first viewpoint of the valley below.
Shortly thereafter, as the trail veers right, you will get a splendid view of the summit you will later ascend.
Up next will be a series of switchbacks over 1500 m that will lessen the steepness of the trail. Near the final switchback, you will come across the scenic Lac George. It’s a good place to enjoy a break – there is a hut and a few nearby picnic tables.
After the lake, it’s mostly straight uphill. The first 1000 m or so will be with beautiful forest cover.
The final 200-300m will be on the mountain’s bare summit, with several sections of man-made wooden stairs. It is particularly on this section that the surface can get quite icy and the use of crampons or ice cleats could come in quite handy. If you turn around behind you’ll have a great view of the Mont du Dôme and Lac George.
Once you reach the summit (and even before then), you will enjoy beautiful 360-degree views of the surrounding mountains and the glacier-carved valleys. Once you’ve fully taken in the scenery, you return the same way you came up.
Another Great Trail Just Down the Road: Mont du Dôme
If you want to do another amazing hike in the same area, you are in luck! The car park for the Mont du Dome trail is just 2 km up the road from the Grands Jardins National Park visitor center. Despite its proximity, however, it’s technically part of a different park. You can find more information about this trail in our Mont du Dôme Trail Winter Hiking Guide.
Where to Stay in the Area?
Without a doubt, our favorite place to stay in the area is at the Hotel & Spa Le Germain Charlevoix, located in the picturesque town of Baie Saint Paul, located a short 30-minute drive from the National Park. This modern boutique hotel is located just on the outskirts of town and features barn-inspired wood features throughout, with rooms available in five different pavilions. Also, as stated in the name, the hotel features a swimming pool, a steam room, a Jacuzzi, and a sauna, in addition to housing two on-site restaurants and a breakfast buffet.
The town itself is quite charming, and we put together a Baie-Saint-Paul Visiting Guide to help discover all the key attractions in the area.
Other Great Hiking Trails in the Area
Beyond the National Park, there are several other great hiking trails in the area, and we describe several of them in our guide on the Best Hiking Trails near Baie-Saint-Paul.
You might also be interested in these pages:
Grands-Jardins National Park Winter Hiking Guide
Best Winter Hiking Trails near Sutton (Eastern townships)
Best Winter Hiking Trails in Mont Mégantic National Park
6 Quebec Hiking Trails that Are Stunning in Winter
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
Airalo is the world’s first and largest eSIM store with eSIM plans for 200+ countries and regions worldwide. With Airalo eSIMs, travellers can get connected the moment they land at their destination and avoid nasty data roaming charges
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 Winter Hiking Guide for the Mont-du-Lac-des-Cygnes trail and that it will prove useful for planning your hiking adventures in the Parc National des Grands Jardins.
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