Mont Megantic Summit Trail

Mont Megantic Summit Trail (Sentier du Mont-Mégantic) is the park’s signature hike in Parc national du Mont-Mégantic, Québec, built around a climb to Mont-Mégantic’s summit and the Observatoire du Mont-Mégantic at the top. The route is a day-hike loop with a listed distance of 8.93 km.

Expect a steady uphill profile that gains about 515 m to reach a summit around 1,105 m elevation. Most hikers treat it as an intermediate/moderate outing paced to a 4–6 hour total time window.

The ascent is commonly done via the Sentier du Col (Col Trail), starting on forest paths and then getting steeper and rockier as you move toward the ridge. From the ridge and near the summit area, the route focuses on reaching the observatory and the high point.

At the top, the Observatoire du Mont-Mégantic and ASTROLab are the main landmarks. The summit is associated with the International Dark Sky Reserve, so it’s also a hike where night-sky interest is part of the point of going.

For wildlife, watch for Canada Jays (often called whisky jacks) in the subalpine fir forest environment near the summit area.

For the return, the usual approach is to descend via Grande-Ourse or Petite-Ourse, which are described as offering a gradual downhill back toward the starting area rather than an abrupt drop.

More information: Map, A High-Level Hike | Mont-Orford, Hiking Trails - Parc national du Mont-Mégantic - Sepaq