Mont Sutton is often regarded as one of the best skiing resorts in eastern Quebec, but it’s not just a winter paradise for avid skiers. The area is also renowned for some beautiful winter hiking trails. Two of the most popular attractions for hikers are the Round Top (Sutton’s most famous summit) and Lac Spruce (a beautiful frozen lake landscape come winter). Although you can see both attractions independently, because they share a large portion of the same trail you can easily see both within the same ascent. Although all those who plan to visit Lac Spruce might not want to visit the Round Top due to the extra elevation gain, including the lake into a trip up to the Round Top adds very little time or effort to the hike. Below we present our Winter Hiking Guide for Sutton’s Round Top and Lac Spruce trail, which we hope will help you get the most out of your hiking adventure. We will cover all three variations of the trail: the Round Top, the Lac Spruce trail, and the Round Top and Lac Spruce combo trail.
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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)
Orientation – Where are the Round Top and Lac Spruce trails?
Both trails are part of the Parc d’Environnement Naturel de Sutton (P.E.N.S), which is located 118 km southeast of Montreal (roughly a 90-minute drive) in the Eastern Townships region of Québec. The PENS is roughly 5km east of the village of Sutton and is only 10km from the Canadian-American border (Burlington (Vermont) is also roughly a 90-minute drive away).
To hike the Round Top (or any other trail at the P.E.N.S) you’ll need to pay an 8$ access fee (2024) and it is highly recommended to book ahead online. The purchased ticket will be valid only for the selected day and selected timeslot, meaning that will you have to start your hike either between 9 am and 12 pm or between 12:30 pm and 3:30 pm.
All three trails described below have the same starting point, and there is free parking just across the road or along the side of the road.
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 on the PENS trail conditions page.
Hiking and Safety Tips
It is highly recommended to wear crampons/traction cleats under your shoes or boots when hiking any of the following trails that have significant elevation gain. In particular, several upper sections of the Round Top trail (notably the manmade staircase) are notorious for being quite icy at times – this however isn’t a problem if you are wearing the appropriate footwear. You can rent traction crampons/ice cleats to attach to your boots for 10$ at the PENS visitor center or purchase some on Amazon for 20-25$.
In the event of large amounts of recent snowfall, 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 new 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.
Round Top Trail
Trail Summary
Although most people come to Sutton to hike to the Round Top summit, which sits at 938m in altitude, the direct out-and-back route isn’t the most popular trail, however. The main reason is that a slight detour turns most of the and-back route into a loop where you will be able to visit two beautiful lakes: Lac Spruce and Lac Vogel. But if you are short on time, this direct route should save you 15-20 min on the combo trail presented further below.
Most people complete this hike in about 2h-2h30. Unfortunately for canine lovers, dogs are not permitted on the upper portion of the trail, which belongs to the Green Mountains Nature Reserve (see the dark green section on the map below).
Trail Details
Distance: 6.0 km
Route Type: Out & back
Elevation gain: 396 m (cumulative elevation gain: 404m)
Start point: PENS car park
AllTrails rating: (4.4, 328 ratings (2024))
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.
Lac Spruce Trail
Trail Summary
This is easily the easiest of the three trails described here. Although it’s about 75% of the length of the direct Round Top trail, it only gains a bit more than 50% of its elevation, meaning that it won’t be as steep. Although you won’t be rewarded with sweeping vistas of the surrounding mountains and valleys, it is still very enjoyable and will take you to two scenic frozen mountain lakes. Although the main draw is Lac Spruce, it’s definitely worth the 5-minute detour to see Lac Vogel as well.
Most people complete the trail in 1h30-2h. Dogs are welcome but must be on a leash.
Trail Details
Distance: 4.5 km
Route Type: Loop
Elevation gain: 230 m (cumulative elevation gain: 234 m)
Start point: PENS car park
AllTrails rating: (4.4, 250 ratings (2024))
Round Top and Lac Spruce combo Trail
Trail Summary
This trail is essentially a combination of the two previous trails and is the most popular route followed by hikers at Sutton. It’s significantly harder than the Lac Spruce trail due to the extra elevation gain and longer distance, but only adds an extra kilometre (with barely any extra elevation gain) to the direct Round Top route. In other words, if you plan on going to the Round Top summit, you might as well take the short detour to the lake.
Furthermore, the combo turns the route into a loop instead of a straight out and back, which will allow you to discover different sections of the mountain. Most people complete this trail in about 2h30-3h, and like for the Round Top trail, dogs are not permitted here.
Trail Details
Distance: 7.1 km
Route Type: Partial Out & back, Partial Loop
Elevation gain: 400 m (cumulative elevation gain: 440 m)
Start point: PENS car park
AllTrails rating: (4.6, 2626 ratings (2024))
Where to Stay Near Sutton
If you would like to spend a night (or more) to have the chance to enjoy several trails in the area, there are a few great accommodation options nearby. We particularly enjoyed our stay at the Le Pleasant Hôtel & Café, situated in the heart of Sutton village, a short 5-minute drive from most of the hiking trailheads.
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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Well, that wraps it up! We hope you enjoyed our Winter Hiking Guide on Sutton’s Round Top and Lac Spruce trail and that it will prove useful for planning your trip to Montreal’s eastern townships. If you are interested in reading about other trails in the area, be sure to check out our Guide on the best hiking trails in the Sutton area.
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