Mont Tremblant - The changing of the leaves

Snapshots of Mont Trembant

When I was in exchange in Montreal we took a day road trip to Mont Trembant - the Trembling Mountain - just 130km from Montreal.

We were lucky enough to go during the very short Autumn season which felt like it lasted for less than a month, when the leaves turn from green through lime, yellow, orange, red and brown and finally fall on the forest's soil. It was a truly magical moment to see the large forest area in all colours.

To find out more about the park check out this link
 
You can trek or walk around in the well sign posted tracks or ski in the winter with true fresh powder snow, although the slopes are quite short because the mountains are not very high, but beware of the ridiculously low temperatures - by end of October we were already well below zero and winter had not yet officially started that the thermometer had been hitting -20 or below for more than a month

The colour gradient of Autumn

Leaf peeping tourism is quite famous in North America both in Canada and in the US and brings many people to the various forests. The tourism influx is so relevant in some areas that The Weather Channel has started tracking the foliage in order to help tourists find out when the phenomenon occurs much like the Cherry Blossom phenomenon. The warmer the area the later in the year it can be seen. In the case of Mont Tremblant because it is farther north and it gets cold earlier this is best seen in September or early October. 
 

The details

How to get there

The best way is to rent a car and drive yourself. It should take around 1-1.5h to arrive and the drive is also worthwhile as you see all the forest areas and the sleepy pretty towns along the way

Map Mont Tremblant - Quebec

Best time to visit 

The changing of the leaves happens during a relatively short time of the year. In the case of Mont Tremblant this occurs usually around September/October. You will be able to find more accurate timings online. As Canada is pretty far north Autumn season is very short

Where to stay

As it is just a day trip from Montreal you might as well come back for the night. If you want to stay in the area for longer trekking or walking you can stay at the popular Hotel Quintessence

How to get around

As you will be driving to get there a car is typically the best way to get around

What to do

Mont Tremblant has a few well marked and easy to follow paths up some of the view points. Stop at the information station to get some maps of the area and get started. The Park's website also has quite a lot of info on what to do, where to stay, etc.. You can take a helicopter ride, canoe down the river, rock climb, play gold, zip line, whitewater raft, etc. there is a host of outdoors activities to do in the area which may deserve a longer stay

Practicalities

1. If you go in the winter you won't be able to see the changing of the leaves but the park still has a lot to offer. Dress appropriately, temperatures are far below zero
2. If you like camping this is a good place to do so, there are a few camping sites where to pitch your tent