Quebec
Growing up in Ontario, I have always heard all the bad things about Quebec but never the good. Having the opportunity to do some exploring in the province, I was able to discover all sorts of wonderful and exciting aspects of our French neighbor.
One of my favourite things about Quebec are the hiking trails and the hikers themselves. There are ample intricate hiking trail systems all across the province and so many beautiful places to see with the added bonus of friendly hikers who never fail to greet you with a ‘Salut!’ and a big great smile. Below includes a list of just a few of my favourites trails.
Montreal
Montreal is a one-of-kind city; with the mix of cultures and languages, this city is the hub for modernity and class. The city embraces English but it’s unapologetically French roots are its biggest sell. Here you can feel the city breath as everyday Montrealers go about their lives, ordering from their favourite pattiseries, grabbing a fresh loaf at one of the many boulangeries, or just sitting down to simply enjoy a drink at a cafe.
Montreal has class and owns it. It simply does not try to prove anything. The city lives and exhudes cool and chic. I often dream of living in this great city. It has everything. Great sights, plenty of things to do, amazing restaurants, beautiful streets and buildings and much much more. The lists goes on.
Don’t forget to visit Chinatown, especially Lan Zhoe – Noodle Shop, for some amazing fresh noodles made right in front of you. Don’t let the long lines scare you away, stay awhile and find out why there is a 30 minute line outside even in the winter. If that isn’t up to your tastes, Pho Bac (my favourite pho spot ever) would treat you right. Don’t let its unassuming, casual dining atmosphere in the middle of Montreal’s China town fool you; this place is no joke. Their broth is the perfect recipe of addictingly tasteful while not being overwhelming. The noodles are high quality and the ingredients fresh. You know its good when the place looks low-maintenance and a quiet grumpy old man takes your order as a fierce grandmother is at the back cooking up a storm. Montreal‘s Chinatown is littered with amazing places to eat and the small list mentioned above is just the tip of the iceberg!
When walking around Montreal’s streets, one cannot fail to notice the amazing art work all around. From building walls, to alleyways, to garbage cans, to electric transformer covers, to mailboxes, to the sideway, to basically everything paint can stick on, Montreal is absolutely covered with art. In most cases, these are not cheap graffiti tags; majority of it are illustration that sparks inspiration, wonder and awe. The abundant amazing artwork found all over Montreal is my absolute favourite part of it and I have yet to find another city that comes remotely close (maybe Halifax, Nova Scotia).
Mont-Tremblant
Just around an hour and a half away from the bustling hub of Montreal is a quiet resort town nestled deep in Quebec’s rugged nature. Just next door, is also a National Park with the same name offering camping opportunities and scenic hikes.
Quite literally an outdoor enthusiast’s dream, Mont-Tremblant is the perfect escape from the city. In the spring, summer and fall, it is hiking paradise where lush green mountains rule over tranquil blue lakes. Raging rivers and rushing waterfalls can also be found through this area. In the fall, its lush green trees turn into the rustic hues of orange yellow red and brown as the foliage blanket the forest floors. In the winter, Mont Tremblant is a winter wonderland and a skier’s paradise. Having never personally skied here in the winter. I cant comment on how good it is but as I hiked up its slopes and under its ski lifts in the summer, I can just imagine the perfect snow days spent here.
The town itself is also a great visit in all seasons as they provide accommodations, services, food, shopping and more. It is very much the stereotypical resort town. Its iconic colourful rows of roofs provide a very pretty backdrop from the mountains above.
Mont Tremblant is the perfect outdoor area for those looking to escape Montreal’s hustle and bustle as it sits just around an hour and a half away. Its also perfect for those just looking for an adventure, thrill or quiet peace in nature.
Forillion National Park
At the Atlantic Edge of Quebec, sits Forillion National Park. My drive from Quebec city to Gaspe through highway 132 is scenic enough but this national park at the very end of it is the perfect cherry on top. Plenty of camping and hiking opportunities can be found through the area but the views itself are unreal. Its picturesque coastlines are iconic along with its endless turquoise blue waters.
I would highly recommend hiking through here as the views are astounding. Getting to the top may be hard and hot in the summer but it is well worth it. Visiting the other ends of the peninsula is also well worth the effort. The stunning views are hard to forget and easy to dearly miss.
If hiking is not your forte, you can just as easily drive around everywhere! Many main roads allow you to access the peninsula’s many treasures and beauties. For example, the iconic pictured below of the beach is just a 5 minute walk from the parking lot!
Forillion National Park makes you feel like you are at the world’s edge; turns out the world’s edge is a beautiful peninsula ripe with amazing and iconic views.
Perce and Ile Bonaventure
My visit to Perce in the spring was a very quick day trip. The skies were blue and the sun was shining. I was surprised to see how touristy the whole place was; RVs and trailers filled the campgrounds, tour booths and restaurants with sea statues were everywhere, and the tourist groups were out in droves. I find it easy to believe this is so due to how beautiful the area is; right by the ocean Perce is swimming in amazing attractions. From the blue coastlines, to its beaches, to the famous and iconic Perce rock and all the way to the Ile Bonaventure, Perce has got a lot to offer.
I would highly recommend taking the boat to the Ile Bonaventure; it is an island off the coast of Perce and one must take a boat tour to reach it. After arriving, you must hike a fair ways up through the island to get to the main attraction; the island is home to a huge colony of Northern Gannets. Here, you will get to be close to a colony of beautiful birds in a protected environment.
Gatineau Park
As the French neighbor of Canada’s capital, Gatineau is often overshadowed by Ottawa as a travel destination. This works just fine, as this means less overcrowding in Gatineau Park‘s beautiful lakes and hiking trails. I find that the campgrounds are still just as popular and may even be fully booked all season long. Still, Gatineau Park is my go-to nature escape in the Ottawa region.
With its clear water lakes, lush green rolling hills, tranquil peace and quiet, Gatineau Park offers so much outdoor fun. Intricate hiking trails throughout its forests means you can really get lost in the park. In the winter, there is also a popular ski resort within the park. I’ve only gone once in the winter and it was definitely very crowded.
Gatineau Park’s jewel in my personal opinion is Lusk Cave. Driving a half hour north to the other side of the park, past the Great Canadian Bungee, sits Lac Philippe. Hiking around this lake leads you to the entrance of Lusk Cave. Lusk cave is a network of caverns carved out by the water through a really long time. It eventually formed this series of caves. My first time here was the first time I have ever gone into a cave. It was cold, dark but one of the most thrilling activities I had ever gotten myself into. You need a head lamp as some of the caves are pitch black. This is also not for the faint of heart as going through the caves can prove challenging and overwhelming. It can get claustrophobic and you might need to go under water in pitch dark. If this is not your cup of tea, you could also hike outside and above the caves and admire from there.
To put it simply, Lusk Caves is for adventure seekers looking to challenge their comfort levels.
Jaques Cartier National Park
Just outside of Quebec City, is the Jaques Cartier National Park. Similar to how Mont Tremblant is Montreal’s nature getaway, Jaques Cartier National Park is Quebec City’s. My visit here was just short and sweet; it was just a sunrise visit and a day trip. Despite my brisk stop, this national park’s beauty does not escape me. The views of the rolling green mountains into the horizon, the picturesque pink dawn skies and rolling clouds, and its many rivers and lakes are just some of the things you may see when you visit here. I’d recommend checking out the many hikes available here; I know I enjoyed the one I did (sentier le loups).
Gaspesie National Park
Gaspesie was an absolute surprise gem for me. Coming into here I did not know what I was signing up for; all I knew was that there was a lot of hiking to be done here. So I packed up my car full of camping gear, drove all the way out here and settled in for the night. Little did I know that I was actually about to experience one of the most hard core alpine hiking outside of The Rockies. Every hike, I wondered to myself ” Wow. I cant believe this place exists here. In the middle of Atlantic Quebec of all places. Wow.”
Views of stretching peaks into the horizon, waterfalls in alpine meadows, lush boreal forests covering the mountains and much much more is to be found and discovered in Gaspesie. I did three hikes in my short stay here: Mount Xalibu, Mont Albert Loop and Mount Jaques Cartier. All three were outstanding but these are listed according to my favourites.
Mount Albert was a long doozy one. It starts off mild, the trailhead offering no views of anything to come. Hiking at the start is a bit boring as it is just a trail in the forest consistently going up. I started to wonder when it was gonna end and when would it start getting good. Then, the mountains started peaking out of the tree line in front of me. Then, I was excited. Then I picked up my pace and soon enough, the views were endless. The “top” of the mountain is basically a high altitude valley full of alpine rocks, streams, a tranquil lake, more rocks, and waterfalls.
The views and natural beauty never seemed to end. That’s exactly what made this loop so amazing. After the initial hike up, its one amazing natural wonder after another. My experience hiking through this loop was amazing but it was also long and tiring. Had I been more prepared with more food and water, more physical endurance, more knowledge of what was to come ahead, I think my experience would have been 10 times better. Nonetheless, Mont Albert sits as number two in my trio hike in Gaspesie National Park.
Mont Jaques Cartier is the tallest mountain in southern Quebec, and the highest mountain in the Canadian Appalachians but it sits as my number three in my Gaspesie hikes. It sits here for a multitude of reasons. To get here, I had to buy a seat on a bus that would take me to the start of the trail head. Needless to say, my cheap frugal self did not like this at all. This also meant that at the very start of my hike, I was sharing a very narrow hiking path with around 30 or more other people. It was a mad scramble as hikers were competing to get to the top first or simply trying to get ahead of the crowd. If everyone is trying to get ahead of the crowd, then simply the crowd stays with you the whole time!
Second, the weather was not amazing at all. I can kind of dismiss this reason as the weather provided a unique hiking environment I have had never experienced: heavy mist. One could hardly see 10 meters ahead of themselves, so the views were nonexistent. But the mist did provide a very interesting and unique vibe. It felt like I was really going into the unknown. I could not see what was ahead of me so when I saw the shapes at the peak of the shelter and rock piles, it was pretty cool.
The Mount Xalibu hike was a surprisingly amazing one; I had not planned at all on doing this hike. I was simply packing my camping gear and my tent into my car when the day all of a sudden started clearing up unexpectedly. This sunshine was welcomed with open arms as it had been raining for the past 2 days and I was stuck in my tent. Feeling like I did not want to waste the nice day, I started scrolling through All Trails for any nearby hike that looked good. That’s how I found Mount Xalibu.
The first view of American lake is astonishing and the best part of it is: its just getting started! To get an amazing first look at the very start of the hike is nothing but a great sign of this amazing trail. Climbing up the trail head, the forest start to swallow you up with occasional views of the mountain side. Shortly after, you start to clear the trees and climb up onto the alpine levels where the view clears up. Alpine rocks and vegetations rule this place and the further you go into the trail, the more you can see of the far horizon. You would also start to notice the many rock shelters made by other hikers. You would also start to notice why these shelters would be necessary; the wind can absolutely put on a show and pull you in all directions.
With all that being said, Mount Xalibu was my favourite hike in the Gaspesie National Park. My spontaneous hike that was surprisingly absolutely fantastic with views all around. From the start to the end, Mount Xalibu was an absolute joy to do.
Chute-a-bull
Just a little ways out of the Montreal area, lies a waterfall that flew under my radar: Chute-a-bull. This waterfall was first recommended to me by my sister; she showed me the hiking trail on All Trails and I wasn’t sold on it. The pictures simply does not do it justice. In fact, I’d even say its slightly misleading; the rocks are huge (picture below for comparison) and the falls even bigger. The best part about this place is the great pool right underneath where you can cool off from the summers heat and cool off. If brave enough, you could even go underneath the falls and fully feel its wrath.
Chute-a-bull is an absolute treat and is just a day-trip away from Montreal’s metropolitan area. With its location and its absolutely breathtaking waterfall, Chute-a-bull is my go-to spot near Montreal to itch my waterfall crave.
Quebec City
Visiting Quebec’s oldest city, Quebec City, is always a treat. With its French heritage roots on full display, Quebec City is a must visit. Take a walk around the Old City and get lost in its cobblestone streets and its alleyway shops. Explore and stay the night at the iconic Fairmont hotel and its grounds. Visit my favourite spot in the city and walk over and across a massive waterfalls: , Montmorency Falls.
Saguenay and Tadoussac
Just north of Quebec City lies the city of Saguenay. Following the coast, you find yourself at Tadoussac. Both areas are beautiful on their own as the ocean enters in this ancient fjord. Its beaches are also worth a mention and hiking trails are abundant and beautiful in the area.
An especially beautiful and amazing trek is the Notre Dame du Saguenay Statue hike. Though a rather hard and long hike, this one is worth every step. Know that the pay-off is that you will find yourself at the base location of a huge statue of “The lady of Saguenay”. The statue is believed to guard and bless the fjord and keep the ships safe.
Needless to say, you also get a wide open view of the Saguenay fjord after hiking through the forest. There are wooden walk paths along side the cliffs and many many steps and stair cases to get down to this cliffside treasure. Its iconic and huge size is nothing short of amazing and breath taking. I absolutely recommend this hard albeit very rewarding hike.
Acropole Des Draveurs
Acropole Des Draveurs or “Raftmen’s Acropolis” is a strenuous but rewarding hike. There are also camping near the area but the highlight is for sure the hiking. Climb up the 800m summits and bask in its views overlooking the river and the rolling green mountains all around. The views at the top and the summits thereafter are not for the soft hearted as you traverse through a rocky ridgeline with vertical drops to both your sides.
As a hiker with less experience and less physical fitness, I was unfortunately not able to complete all the summits. I could only look on as other hikers challenged it and watch their silhouettes get smaller and smaller. I was absolutely knackered reaching the first summit as the trail is constantly uphill and never seem to relent. Make sure you are physically ready to challenge this jaw-dropping hike deep in Quebec.
Travellers Pursuits 