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Hike Mont St-Joseph

Notre-Dame-des-Bois, Québec

Details

Distance

5.3 miles

Elevation Gain

1689.6 ft

Route Type

Loop

Description

Added by Ariane Lessard

An amazing hike that will bring you ''from the Earth to the Sky'' ! Mont Megantic is located in the Dark Sky Reserve of the Eastern Townships of Quebec !

From the parking lot, start your trail following the ''Parcours du Soleil trail'' which is 1,2 km and will bring you to the first point of view. The view up there, even if it's not on the summit is quite impressive and you'll be surrunded by moutains and valleys. After a short stop, continue your way up to the summit of Mont St-Joseph. To do so, you need to follow the path to ''Halte des Pelerins''. The hike up there is the hardest, but it is short and the view is worthed. It will take approximatelly 1h30-2h00 to reach the summit. From the top you'll see the impressive Lac Megantic and even some mountains located in Maine. There is also a small chapel and some picnic tables. A guide is normally there to answer all of your questions.
Be carrefull, because there is no water point on the mountain, so make sure to pack enough. 
On your way back, follow the trail that leads to the ''Col-des Trois-Sommets''. There will also be a lot of indications for the main entrance (''Accueil'') so you can just follow those signs also. The way down, even if its longer in distance is shorter in time. You may need 1h00-1h30 to reach back the parking lot. 

After the hike, I suggest you to do the stars observation night, which take place in the Astrolab located near the parking lot. Mont Megantic is located in the Dark Night Reserve, which means that there is not a lot of lightning pollution out there. The nights are really dark and you can observe the stars pretty well and even see some northern lights during summer (mid august is the best time for that!)
The activity began at 19h30 and you'll receive a lot of explanation regarding our solar system and the different scientific discoveries. There is also special activities for children. The main part of the night is the stars' observation. As for us, we weren't lucky and it was rainning the night we went so we could'nt see the stars, but we did observe the moon thrue the giant telescope and receive really good information from the guides. I will definetly go back on a less cloudy night, because it is totally worthed ! 

There is plenty of different site were you can do camping in the park (http://www.sepaq.com/pq/mme/in...). You can do traditionnal camping, rent a space in a refuge camp, rent a chalet or a Huttopia tent. We were sleeping in a Huttopia tent in the Franceville sector (two last pictures), which is located on the other side of the park (22km from the main park entrance). I would totally recommand this type of accomodation which is perfect for a couple, a bunch of friends or a family.

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Features

Chillin
Camping
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Snowshoeing
Hiking
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Easy Parking
Family Friendly
Forest
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Picnic Area
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