Quebec Fall Foliage 2026: Canada Fall Foliage Map, Fall Colours and Trips from Quebec City and Montreal

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There is no single peak date for Quebec: Bonjour Québec's 2026 forecasts put peak colour in the first week of October around Quebec City and in the Laurentides, and in the third to fourth week of October in Montréal. Quebec's tourism board runs a fall colours map that covers "mid-September to the end of October" and is updated weekly from September onwards. Its 2026 page shows "last update September 24, 2026" and "next update October 1, 2026". Use that map for timing, and use the rest of this guide to choose a region. The Laurentians (Mont-Tremblant, Oka) and the Eastern Townships are the easiest to reach from Montreal. Charlevoix and La Mauricie National Park fit a Quebec City base.

When do the leaves peak, and how do you track it?

Timing depends on weather, and Bonjour Québec says heavy wind and rain make leaves fall faster. Its 2026 forecast page (updated August 19, 2026) gives two estimated periods for each region, built from data collected for its colour map from 2023 to 2025. Mid-point means 50% to 70% of the landscape in colour, and peak means 70% to 100%:

Other timing notes from the official pages:

• Tremblant: "late September and early October" is the general rule for the best chance of peak colour (Tremblant guide). Lake activities and the beach run until mid-October.
• Parc national d'Oka: later dates are recorded here. Colours look stronger from the second week of October and peak in the third week (Bonjour Québec forecasts).
• Eastern Townships: the pace of change varies a lot from one area to another (same page).
• Season overall: the trees start preparing at the end of August, and the fall season runs from mid-September to the end of November (Bonjour Québec, best time to come).

Three tools for week-by-week tracking:

1. The official map. The 2026 fall colours map marks parks and attractions across the regions, including Mont-Tremblant, Oka, Mont-Orford, Mont-Mégantic, La Mauricie and Charlevoix. Each marker carries one of six stages:

2. The Tremblant colour index. Tremblant publishes a colour index that changes as the season unfolds.
3. The forecast page above, for a rough idea of when to book.

The map shows current status only, so open it the week you travel. If a stop is marked "Done" or still "Beginning soon", switch to a park a few markers away.

Where should you go? The regions compared

Bonjour Québec lists these places within 2 hours of Montreal, with drive times from the city (12 spots near Montréal).

In Montreal itself, the same page names Parc du Mont-Royal, the Jardin botanique and Parc Jean-Drapeau (25 km of roads and paths).

The Laurentians. Mont-Tremblant is the classic pick. The resort village is pedestrian-only, with a free on-site shuttle. Tremblant lists 11 hiking trails of 1 to 11 km, and dogs on leash are welcome. Its fall events are free. Bonjour Québec says a stay of at least one night lets you do more. Inside Parc national du Mont-Tremblant, four trails lead to fall lookouts. The visitor guide prints these lengths (Sépaq visitor guide):

The guide says dogs are allowed in the park from May 1 to October 31.

The Eastern Townships. This is the best fit if you want variety: spas, cider, zipline, a suspension bridge. Colour timing differs from area to area, so the map matters most here. Sépaq's page for Parc national du Mont-Mégantic carries a "notice of high traffic during fall weekends".

La Mauricie National Park. It sits 60 km north of Trois-Rivières, 200 km from Montreal and 190 km from Quebec City. For scenery, Parks Canada highlights lookouts across the park. Parks Canada says you can reach it in two hours from either city (Parks Canada, plan your visit). There are two main entrances, Saint-Mathieu (highway 55, exit 217, open May to October) and Saint-Jean-des-Piles (exit 226). They are 64 km apart inside the park and 41 km apart outside (Parks Canada, directions). Saint-Gérard is reachable by trail only, not by car.

Charlevoix. Bonjour Québec's regional page puts it 93 km from Québec and 351 km from Montréal. It lists more than 700 km of hiking trails, the Flavour Trail food circuit, and whale watching from May to the end of October (Charlevoix page). The pages read for this guide give no Charlevoix peak dates. Check the map for its status.

Around Quebec City. The official map also carries markers near the city, including Parc national de la Jacques-Cartier, Mont-Sainte-Anne and the Plains of Abraham. Quebec City works as a starting point, but the official pages read here give no fall-colour timing for it.

Do the parks charge fall entry fees, and do you need a pass?

Yes. Both park systems charge day fees in fall. Children and teens 17 and under are free at both.

Prices are in Canadian dollars. The Sépaq fee page says it is valid as of May 1, 2026 (Sépaq entry fees). Parks Canada lists the La Mauricie rates on its fees page.

Sépaq details.

• Children 17 and under are free but must have authorized access. An adult's annual card covers all accompanying children.
• Five daily passes at $10.30 equal the single-park card price. Ten cost more than the $93 all-parks card.
• The annual card is not valid at Parc de la Chute-Montmorency, Aquarium du Québec, Duchesnay, Mont-Sainte-Anne or the wildlife reserves.
• Daily access is sold on Sépaq's website. The pages read do not say whether buying ahead is mandatory, so look at your park's own page before you go.

La Mauricie details.

• The daily fee can be paid at the automated pay stations at the Saint-Jean-des-Piles and Saint-Gérard entrances.
• The page says the seasonal summer pass is valid in the summer season and the fall low season. It does not state when the fall low season starts.

Tremblant's resort village has no entry fee stated on the pages read. Activities include a panoramic gondola and zipline tours.

How do you get there from Montreal and Quebec City?

By car. Use the drive times in the table above. From Quebec City, the tourism pages give Charlevoix at 93 km and La Mauricie at 190 km. They give no drive times for these two.

By train. VIA Rail runs Montréal to Québec. Its page shows sample departures such as 12:45 arriving 16:12 and 16:40 arriving 20:19, for a September 15 search. Durations and fares come from a live search on VIA Rail's site, so this guide gives none (VIA Rail). Check the live timetable for your date. The Charlevoix page links to car, bus and train sections without giving schedules.

Without a car.

• La Mauricie: Parks Canada says Navette Nature runs shuttles from Montreal and Quebec City. Whether it runs on your dates is on Navette Nature's site; this guide has no prices or timetables.
• Tremblant: Bonjour Québec mentions Navette Découverte, a shuttle from Montréal. Once you are there, the village, lodging and parking are linked by a free on-site shuttle.

What is the weather like, what should you pack, and how busy does it get?

Bonjour Québec says fall is cool and rarely warm, and that it rains more than in summer. Pack warm, waterproof clothing. It also describes "Indian summer", a warm spell between early October and mid-November. Some years there is none, and other years have two or three. The pages read give no temperature figures, so this guide gives none.

On crowds, the official pages say little in numbers. Tremblant calls fall a particularly popular time and advises booking early. Sépaq posts a high-traffic notice for fall weekends at Mont-Mégantic. Mont-Orford's Flambée des couleurs runs on weekends.

Can you combine Quebec with Ontario on one fall trip?

Yes, but plan the two legs separately. Quebec and Ontario colours change on their own schedules, and this guide states no Ontario dates. The official pages read here give no Montréal-to-Toronto distance or timetable either. Track Quebec on the map above. For Ontario colours and a combined trip, use our Toronto fall foliage guide. Algonquin is not covered by the sources used for this guide.

Which should you choose?

If the map shows your first choice as "Done", move to the region with the most markers still at "Mid-point" or "Peak".

Need flights or a hotel quote?

If you are pairing this trip with flights or a hotel in Montreal, Quebec City or Tremblant, contact us with your travel dates and we will send a quote: contact us.