Parc du Mont-Megantic Adventure
One of my goals this winter was to explore the area of Mont-Megantic, and boy, did it deliver! This area is completely stunning and this mountain packs a good punch for it’s size.
Due to Covid, there was some changes in the reservation system. All their cabins are normally rented by the room where you can lock your room and the common area is shared. They changed the booking system for some of their cabins and I was able to book a cabin and only pay the cost for 3 people which was $95. In all my solo travels I can say this is a very reasonable cost. I booked for 2 nights and I stayed in Refuge Petite Ourse Hut. This particular cabin is 1km from the main parking and registration building and it’s in the hub of all the trails. It’s next to a nice flowy stream of water and there is plenty of wood available. There is no running water and there is an outhouse 100 meters away.
Note: To book you must call to reserve this type of cabins.
They do have skiing and hiking (snowshoeing when necessary) in the area but during my stay it warmed up quite a bit so the xc skiing wasn’t to great. I would recommend that you bring your classic skis but leave them in your car and inspect the trails first. The trails are beautiful and definitely worth bringing your great with you.
The views are unbelieveable! For those looking for a more intense and challenging (cardio wise) hike, I found that hiking to the very top of Mont-Megantic (where the observatoire is) is the best as it’s about 4km from my cabin. Another strong hike is going to the top of L’Asencian! Wowzers! That one starts straight from the registration (across the road) and it will get the heartrate going pretty quickly. You will be rewarded with great views as you reach the top, so it’s well worth it.
I would highly recommend this area if you are looking to have a base to start for all your daily activities. You can do a morning hike, come back and have something to eat and relax, then start out on your next excursion. The staff are very friendly and very willing to help provide feedback. There is also a hikers cabin where you can change and wash up at the main reservation area. This is very handy to have for those heading back to their cars.
Map: I would refer to the map they have online as it’s very accurate.
Hydration: Nuun Hydration - Endurance + cafeeine for the longer hike and the Nuun Vitamins for recovery.
Food: I had bought the dried package food to boil on the stove. Extra water was in the car so I did take a trip down there a few times.
Gear: Atomic Redsters from Euro-sports Ottawa, Dion Snowoshoes for my activities. I brought a few change of clothes and my own mugs and cooking utensils and such for eating. I found I was able to heat everything on the stove. They do not provide pots and pans so you need to bring your own
Experience Required: The whole trail network has something for everyone. I would be comfortable heading out on your own and follow the signage as it’s well marked.
Trail Information: If you have a Seqaq park pass you don’t need to pay for the trail use. If not, I would recommend you buy it when you arrive at the reservation area.
