Located in Québec’s Lanaudière region, about 90 minutes from Montreal or 45 minutes from the Mont-Tremblant, Mont Ouareau is a popular hiking destination near the resort village of Saint-Donat-de-Montcalm, itself a popular spot for weekend getaways among beautiful mountains and majestic lakes. The Mont Ouareau trail is one of our favourites to do in the area, so we put together this Mont Ouareau Hiking Guide to help you plan your outdoor adventure here, which will include details on the trail difficulty, how long you can expect the hike to take, and the various viewpoints the trail offers. At the end of the guide, we will compare this hike with other popular trails in the area to help you decide if you are hesitating between a few different hiking options.
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You might also be interested in these pages:
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Mont Ouareau Location and Map
Mont Ouareau is located in the Lanaudière region, just east of the border with the Laurentian region. The trailhead is a few kilometres southeast of the resort village of Saint-Donat-de-Montcalm.
How to Get to Mont Ouareau
The easiest way to reach the Mont Oureau trailhead is by car. Although you can reach Saint-Donat-de-Montcalm by bus from Montreal (via the Circuit 125 bus), you will have to figure out an alternative means to reach the trailhead from there.
From Montreal: about a 1h30 drive (120 km)
From the Mont-Tremblant area: about a 45-to-60 minute drive (60-70 km), depending on if you are leaving from the town of Mont-Tremblant or the ski resort area.
From Ottawa: about a 2h30 drive (214 km)
From Saint-Donat-de-Montcalm: about 10 minutes (10 km)
From Trois-Rivières: about 2h drive (160 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.
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Mont Ouareau Hiking Trail Access, Fees, and Parking
Trailhead & car park location: Mont Ouareau trailhead.
Trail access & parking fees: 10$ per vehicle (new since 2024 – payable via parking meter).
Trail opening Hours: 24 hours. The trail is managed by the MRC Matawinie. For more up-to-date trail updates and information, you can consult their webpage (look under National Trail – Mont Ouareau Summit).
Parking lot: medium-sized (about 40 vehicles). It does fill up quickly on weekends and during the autumn leaf-peeping season. It’s best to arrive early (or late afternoon after the morning rush has ended).
Facilities: no toilets on-site.
Mont Ouareau Trail Details and Map
Distance: 5.6 km
Route Type: Out & back (with partial summit loop)
Elevation gain: 270 m (cumulative elevation gain: 317 m)
Start point: Car Park
AllTrails rating: (4.4, 1661 ratings (2024))
Duration: Most people complete the trail in about 1h45-2h15
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 Ouareau Trail Details
– Canine companions: Dogs are permitted on leashes.
– Summit: Mont Ouareau summit is located at an altitude of 692 m.
– Trail environment: Forest (you will be under tree cover for most of the trail).
– Number of viewpoints: The trail boasts 4 main viewpoints, though only one could be considered panoramic due to the others being partially obstructed by foliage.
– Trail Surface / Technical trail: easy flat surface for the most part. A few more challenging sections due to rocky segments with uneven surfaces including many tree roots, particularly during the first portion of the trail. This first portion of the trail is also often quite muddy, even after several days of good weather.
– Average trail slope grade: 11%
– Trail difficulty level assessment: Moderate
(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 Ouareau Trail Description and Summary
The first section of the trail is actually one of the most tricky to navigate because of the rocky uneven surface with large tree roots, made occasionally worse by this area’s tendency to be muddy, even after several days of good weather. When the path is dry it can be a fun section to hop around the stones if you don’t mind that sort of trail.
The trail surfaces then becomes for the most part smoother as the trail starts to gently climb through forests that belong to a nearby maple syrup producer (notice the blue tubes connecting the trees).
About halfway up the ascent (around the 1.5 km mark), the slope grade starts to increase as the trail gets steeper until you reach the start of the summit loop section shortly thereafter. We recommend going right (doing the loop in a counter-clockwise direction) as this is the steepest portion of the loop and it’s better to access this section than to descend it. Also, it leaves our favorite viewpoint (the third of four viewpoints you will cross in this direction) towards the end of the loop.
About a third of the way around the loop, you will come across a sign directing you towards a viewpoint. It’s a worthy short detour to the best view of Lac Ouareau (although there is a fair bit of foliage preventing you from having a fully unobstructed view).
The second viewpoint, which you will reach about the midway point of the loop, offers a partial view of Lac Ouareau’s northern tip – again, there is a fair bit of foliage here preventing you from getting an open view of the landscape.
Around the three-quarter mark of the loop, you will reach our favorite viewpoint of the trail, offering you beautiful open views of the surrounding mountainous landscape. This is probably the best place to linger or to sit down and enjoy a snack.
The final viewpoint is a bit of a letdown (not pictured here), as it’s the most obstructed of the four, and we honestly don’t think it should even be considered one. After this point, you will complete the summit loop in about 10 minutes and can then return back to the car park the way you came.
Mont Ouareau Hiking & Trail Tips
– 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.
– Best time to visit: We tend to prefer hiking in this area from mid-August to early November. The weather will be pleasant and the likelihood of being harassed by bugs is significantly reduced. Moreover. Note that trails are quite busy during the weekends of the leaf-peeping season (typically from late September to mid-October), so it’s best to arrive early or to try to come on a weekday.
The trail is also very beautiful come winter, but we haven’t tried it ourselves that time of year.
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.
Is the Mont Ouareau Hike Worth it?
Why you might like this trail
-It’s a fairly easy hike compared to other popular trails in the area such as la Montagne Noire and Mont Kaaikop (see trail comparison table below), and can be completed in less time than those other trails as well. We find that it offers a good challenge without being too difficult.
-It’s one of the trails in the area that has the most viewpoints
Why this trail might not be for you
-Certain sections (particularly the first portion near the trailhead) can remain muddy even after several days of good weather.
-Although the trail has many viewpoints, they are (on average) less impressive than those from other nearby trails.
Comparison with Other Nearby Trails
(updated in 2024)
| Mont Ouareau | Montagne Noire | Mont Kaaikop | Mont L’envol | Mont Sourire | |
| Difficulty | Moderate | Moderately Challenging | Moderately Challenging | Easy | Easy |
| Time required | 1h45-2h15 | 3h30-4h30 | 2h15-2h45 | 1h-1h30 | 30-45 min |
| Dogs | yes (leash) | yes (leash) | yes (leash) | yes (leash) | yes (leash) |
| Access Fees | 10$ | Free | 8.70$ + tax | $9.85 + tax* | Free |
| Busy/popular | +++ | ++ | ++ | + | ++++ |
| Viewpoints | 4a | 4b | 3c | 2 | 1 |
b The best viewpoint is atop a wooden tower on the mountain’s summit
c The summit has two viewpoints, but a slight detour halfway up the hike offers a third
* Free with the SEPAQ annual pass
Which trail has the best bang for your buck (the best rewards for little effort)?
We would have to go with the Mont L’envol trail. Although there is some elevation gain (220m), the slope is gradual and the trail surface is mostly flat. In the end, you are rewarded with two of the best viewpoints in our opinion.
Which trail is the most technically difficult?
We would have to go with the Mont Kaaikop trail. Large portions of the trail are very rocky with a variety of small-to-medium boulders, mixed in with lots of tree roots and several very muddy sections (even after several days of nice weather). Fortunately, the viewpoints are spectacular making all that effort worthwhile.
We gave the Montagne Noire trail the same overall difficulty rating but that’s mostly due to the length of the trail, which is more than double that of the Mont Kaaikop trail.
Which trail offers something different?
This one is easy – the Montagne Noire trail. Why? Particularly because near the summit you will come across a famous plane crash site – the Liberator Harry that crashed here in 1943 (the worst accident in Canadian military aviation history). There weren’t any trails on the mountain back then, nor did anyone witness the crash. It took more than two years for the wreckage to finally be located. There are lots of informative panels around the site where you can learn more about the history of the plane and its crew.
Where to Stay near the Mont Ouareau trail?
Though many visit the area as a day trip, spending a weekend (or longer) here can be a rewarding experience and would allow you to visit more of the region (and try out several of the beautiful hiking trails in the area). We particularly enjoy staying in the small town of Saint-Donat-de-Montcalm, which is strategically positioned between this trail and some of the other more popular trails in the region.
For great self-catering options, we can recommend one of the following Condo Lac Archambault units: 295, 326, 314, and 316. There is also this fantastic large modern wooden chalet with 3 bedrooms.
If you prefer a hotel, look no further than the Hotel Le Suisse, the town’s largest and best-rated hotel.
Want to Discover More Hiking Trails In Southern Québec?
You might be interested in these pages:
Best Hiking Trails Near Mont-Tremblant
Best Hiking Trails Near Montreal
Best Hiking Trails in the Eastern Townships
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
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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 Mont Ouareau Hiking Guide and that it will prove useful for planning your hiking trip.
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