Best places to see beautiful fall foliage in Quebec over the long weekend

Fall in Québec sweeps in with bursts of colour, aroma and flavour. As October creeps up to the midway point, the changing foliage is in full swing. The forests don fiery hues as the leaves turn to a range of reds, yellows and oranges.

As geese fill the skies and dry, crisp air takes over the weather, fall is the ideal time for hikes through the hills, bike rides down country roads and treks along the water.

The cooler temperatures and decreased light from shorter days are causing the leaves to change colours and this long weekend is the peak time to soak it all in. There’s something magical about seeing the leaves switch from summer-time green to flame red.

While there are plenty of incredible places to watch the leaves change right here in our own backyard, the real gold, however, can be found at various parks throughout the province.

And it just so happens that according to the Quebec’s Tourism website, Quebec’s Original, a number of parks currently have great leaf peeping conditions.

Quebec Original

The current report is showing central and western regions are in peak season and nice pockets of colour are spread out through the north.

Quebec Original

If you’re looking to check out some beautiful fall foliage over the Thanksgiving long weekend, check out one of the parks listed below which are showing leaves in the orange to brown stages, which make the ultimate fall backdrop.

Laurentians: Brown/Peak
Eastern Townships: Brown/Peak
Québec City: Brown/Peak
Chaudière-Appalaches: Brown/Peak
Abitibi-Témiscamingue: Red/Near Peak
Lanaudière: Red/Near Peak
Mauricie: Red/Near Peak
Charlevoix: Red/Near Peak
Saguenay Lac-Saint-Jean Superior: Red/Near Peak
Gaspésie: Red/Near Peak
Bas-Saint-Laurent: Red/Near Peak
Duplessis: Red/Near Peak
Manicouagan: Orange/Mid-Point
Centre du Québec: Orange/Mid-Point
Outaouais: Orange/Mid-Point

The website urges travellers to dress well and that ideal fall clothes are materials like wool and polar fleece. Windy and rainy days call for a windbreaker/rain jacket. The site recommends wool socks, waterproof shoes or hiking boots for long treks and to always wear layers, so you can tailor your outfit on the fly.

Happy foliage.

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