Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), checked by Global Adventurer.
The walk
From the car park by the Mont-du-Lac-des-Cygnes visitor centre, cross the footbridge and head south through the forest to the junction with La Chouenne trail. Turn north-east and climb onto the ridge, passing two open lookouts. The path then runs east along the bare ridge above Lac George before a last climb south-east to the rocky summit, about 981 m, where a short loop circles the top. It looks across the Charlevoix crater, the bowl left by an ancient meteorite impact. Return the same way.
It is 9 km there and back with 469 m of ascent; allow about 3½ hours. The grade is Moderate: a sustained climb on rocky ground, then an open ridge. SÉPAQ rates it difficult.
The ridge and summit are exposed and windy, and conditions turn wintry early up here. The trail is open all year, as a snowshoe route in winter. The bare top carries fragile arctic-alpine plants, so keep to the marked line. Black bears live in the park. Adults pay a daily access fee; under-18s go free with a free access authorisation, from SÉPAQ online or at the visitor centre.
The car park is right beside route 381 at km 21, north of Baie-Saint-Paul; the highway is paved and open all year. No public transport was found.
Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.
Good to know
- From the 981 m summit you look across the Charlevoix crater, the bowl left by an ancient meteorite impact
- The bare top carries fragile arctic-alpine plants, and the park asks walkers to keep to the marked line
- Grands-Jardins has taiga-like lichen woodland, unusual this far south, and slopes burnt in the 1991 and 1999 fires
- The trail starts at the visitor centre on route 381, at km 21 north of Baie-Saint-Paul
Summits on the way
- Mont du Lac des Cygnes · passed close by
Getting there
Start: Mont-du-Lac-des-Cygnes car park, route 381. 47.66561, -70.62742
Directions to the start
Places to stay nearby
Rooms in and around Mont-du-Lac-des-Cygnes car park: Booking.com → Expedia → Hotels.com →
Affiliate links: if you book, Global Adventurer earns a small commission at no cost to you.
Paths change, and the weather decides the day. The line and figures come from OpenStreetMap and our own checks; take a map, check the forecast, and turn back if it isn't right.