If you’re visiting Mont Tremblant in the summer, making the drive out to the National Park is not to be missed! This national park is part of SEPAQ (Société des établissements de plein air du Québec – basically National Parks but only in the province of Quebec), and not by the national origination Parks Canada. Regardless, the park is enormous and covers over 1,500 km² (over 580 miles²), has over 400 lakes, and countless hiking trails. The most famous hiking trails are La Roche, La Coulée, and La Corniche. They are all connected, are easy to do in a half day, and offer spectacular views! Here is my guide to hiking these famous trails in Mont Tremblant National Park!
About the Hikes & Planning Your Route
La Roche, La Coulée, and La Corniche are the most popular hikes in Mont Tremblant National Park! Both La Roche and La Corniche are out-and-back trails that will lead you up to their respective viewpoints. La Coulée is a trail that connects the two viewpoints, and doing the entire “La Coulée Loop” will cover all three trails. The loop is advertised at a little over 8 kilometers (though for me, it was closer to 10 km- not sure why!). The entire loop took me about three and a half hours, which included plenty of time at the viewpoints and breaks for rest and photos. I’d consider myself in slightly-below-average shape, and I feel as though anyone at or above my fitness level will be able to do the loop.
You could do the loop either way: clockwise (going La Corniche – La Coulée – La Roche) or counterclockwise (La Roche – La Coulée – La Corniche). I’d recommend the latter, going counterclockwise. La Roche is a popular trail that starts at the discovery center, so you can start right away. Plus, you’ll get the majority of the uphill climb out of the way right at the beginning!
What to Wear and Bring
I visited in early July and the weather was in the low 70’s the day of my visit. Definitely make sure you check the weather ahead of time and plan accordingly. On a typical day though, you’re going to want to make sure you wear sturdy sneakers or even hiking boots. Some of the up and downhills are pretty steep and you’ll want something with a good grip. Also be aware of the weather for the few days prior too. If it recently rained, expect some areas of the trails to be muddy and slick. I wore bike shorts and a moisture-wicking tee which was needed with the humidity!
Bug spray was also a life saver! Rather than lugging around a heavy bottle of spray, I opted to bring wipes like these. Much easier and lighter to pack! I was okay without sunscreen, as most of the hike is in pretty thick forest and you’re shielded from the sun, though you can use your own judgement on that! I also brought my large backpack to store things like a water bottle, tripod, wallet, etc. Honestly, I didn’t need most of the stuff I brought and I wish I used something lighter and smaller instead!
Getting to Mont Tremblant National Park
Driving to the park from Mont Tremblant will take anywhere from 30-45 minutes, depending where in the town you are staying. The drive is curvy and uphill, but overall very easy. At the gate, you will pay $10.10 CAD per person to enter if you plan to just do the hikes. If you plan to make a day at Mont Tremblant National Park and do activities such as water sports or fishing, more fees will apply (click here for more info). When you arrive, they will offer you a paper guide book that has a map and more info about the hikes (a pdf version can be found here).
From the gate, you’ll continue about 6 miles straight to the Discovery Center, which will be your home base for the hikes. You can park your car in this lot, which will be right at the base of La Roche hike. Inside the discovery center are restrooms, a small gift shop, light refreshments, and park rangers to answer all of your questions.
La Roche Trail & Viewpoint
Once you arrive at the Discovery Center, it’s time to get started! The trailhead for La Roche is right across the street and easy to find. From the base to the viewpoint, it is about 2.7 km (5.4 km if you are doing an out-and-back), and mostly entirely uphill. The first kilometer or so is a gravel path with loose stone. After that, it turns into a typical forested trail with packed dirt and a clear trail.
The entire trail goes up about 800′ in elevation, so it is a slow-moving hike! Along the trail you will find a handful of benches and large rocks to rest on. The middle chunk of the trail hugs a creek and you will even see some small waterfalls! Once you arrive to the viewpoint, there are plenty of additional benches and it’s a perfect place to rest and take in the view before continuing on.
Continuing onto La Coulée Trail
A majority of the hikers on this trail will treat La Roche as an out-and-back and turn back down after the viewpoint. Continuing on to La Coulée means you’ll see much fewer crowds! This section of the trail is short (only about 1.7 km) but much more challenging than the uphill climb on La Roche.
La Coulée is a series of steep uphill and downhills (which arguably can be more difficult!), tight switchbacks, and the trail will take you over tree roots and rocks. There were a few times I needed to hold on to tree branches for support! In fact, the only times on the entire loop that I almost fell were on this short stretch. If it recently rained, expect mud and even more difficulties. The good part is that it’s short and only took about 45 minutes. The end of La Coulée will be at the La Corniche viewpoint – a well-deserved treat!
La Corniche Viewpoint & Descent
After completing La Coulée, the viewpoint for La Corniche is a slight detour, only about a tenth of a mile. This viewpoint was similar to La Roche, with plenty of benches and rocks to sit on and enjoy the view. The view itself is also similar, but you’re about 300′ higher and will be able to have more views of the park facing west. After a well-deserved rest, continue on La Corniche trail, which will be about 3 kilometers and almost entirely downhill back to the road. Along the descent, there was a waterfall that you can stop at, admire, or even dip your toes in. La Corniche ends at the parking lot, located here. From there, it’s a calm, flat walk back along the road to the Discovery Center.
Back to the Discovery Center
From the base of La Corniche, the path will be entirely flat, as it runs next to the road back to the Discovery Center. It’s about a mile or so, but is a welcome break on your knees after a long descent! Along the walk, take a break at Plage de la Crémaillère. Here, you’ll find a lake beach, designated swimming area (if you want to take a dip), and plenty of picnic tables. I spent a little time at a table resting and enjoying the view before continuing on the walk. From the beach, it’s only a few hundred meters back to the Discovery Center where you can take a proper, final rest!
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