Scenic Views · Camping & Hiking · Quebec
The signature summit hike in Charlevoix's Parc national des Grands-Jardins: a steep 8.6 km return climb to a 980 m bare peak with views over the Charlevoix crater and the Gouffre valley.
Mont du Lac-des-Cygnes is the best-known hike in Parc national des Grands-Jardins, and its bare summit at about 980 m gives one of the widest views in Charlevoix. From the top you look over the Rivière du Gouffre valley and the vast Charlevoix impact crater, formed hundreds of millions of years ago, with mountains rolling away in every direction. Reviewers in English, French and German all say the view was worth every step.
Sépaq rates the trail as difficult. It's about 8.6 km return with roughly 450 m of climbing, and the last kilometre is the hardest, ending with wooden steps and long stairways. Reviewers say anyone in decent shape can do it; round trips reported range from two hours at a fast pace to five hours for a longer route. The trail is well marked, with distance signs and panels about the surroundings.
Hikers who want more can reach the same summit on the Lac Pioui trail, a longer ridge route across valleys, rock faces and open peaks that one group took five hours to complete. Visitors praise the friendly, English-speaking staff at the park. Fall colour makes it especially popular, and the trail can be done on snowshoes or crampons in winter.
Wear proper footwear, as the trail is rooty and steep in places, and dress in layers; the summit can be windy and cold, and weather changes quickly. Rare arctic-alpine plants grow at the top, so stay on the marked trail. A Sépaq park access fee applies.
Summarised from visitor reviews on Google Maps. Based on 29 Google reviews. Conditions and rules change — check current park, access and fishing regulations before you go.
