Hiking near Coaticook in November: Eastern Townships Guide

Hiking near Coaticook in November is the quiet month. The leaves are down, the leaf-peepers have gone home, the rifle season is on, and the first snow is as likely as the last mild afternoon. It is a fine month if you choose the trail for the day and the hat for the season.

What hiking near Coaticook in November is like

Daylight runs from about ten hours on November 1 to nine by the 30th. The clocks go back on the first Sunday of the month, so sunset drops from around 5:30 pm to 4:30 overnight and sits a little after 4 pm by month's end (the National Research Council's sun calculator has exact times). A headlamp is not optional.

Expect freeze and thaw: ice on north-facing slopes in the morning, mud in the afternoon, and by mid-month a crust that calls for slip-on crampons. Wear waterproof boots and look at Environment Canada before you leave. Ticks are not done either. The health ministry says adult ticks are most active in fall and that any day above 4°C counts, so check after mild days.

Hunting season: the main event

In zone 6, the province's white-tailed deer page gives the 2026 rifle season as November 7 to 22, after a novice weekend on October 31 and November 1. Black bear has a fall season on the same November dates, and small game runs all month. Hunters must wear a fluorescent orange bib of at least 2,580 square centimetres in those seasons.

What that means for walkers:

• Closed: the Forêt Hereford trails from November 7 to 22, 2026, except the Chute à Donat trails at East Hereford and the Centennial road. Les Sentiers de l'Estrie keeps sectors closed until November 22.
• Open: the Sépaq national parks, the Gorge and Mont Pinacle, which Tourism Eastern Townships' page on hiking during hunting season lists as staying accessible.
• Everywhere else: wear orange (hat and vest), keep the dog leashed and visible, stay on the trail, and skip woodlots at dawn and dusk.

Where to go

Mont-Orford, until the ground freezes

The Parc national du Mont-Orford, about 45 minutes from Coaticook (50 km, 31 miles), runs its hiking season to November 30 "depending on freezing and thawing conditions" and allows dogs on certain trails until then. Mont Chauve (10.6 km, 310 m of climbing) is the pick. Read the park's information of the day before you drive. A daily access fee applies.

Mont-Mégantic, already winter up top

The Parc national du Mont-Mégantic, about an hour and a half from Coaticook (100 km, 62 miles), keeps its 20 km of Observatoire-sector trails open year-round and recommends snowshoes once they are snow-covered, which near the 1,110 m summit can be the case in November. Pack full winter kit. The dark comes early, which suits the park: our stargazing guide covers the ASTROLab.

Mont Pinacle, if it is open

The Parc Harold F. Baldwin, 15 minutes from Coaticook (13 km, 8 miles), closes while its trails freeze up, some time between November and January. Check the site the week you come. When it is open: sunrise to sunset, $9.50 online for ages 17 and up, dogs on a leash.

The Gorge, then the gap

The hiking season at the Parc de la Gorge de Coaticook ends in early November (in 2026: weekdays 10 am to 5 pm, weekends 9 am to 5 pm, last entry 3 pm after the time change). Then the park closes until its winter season opens in December, and the footbridge stays shut until spring.

Flat and open all year

The Tomifobia Nature Trail, 19 km of rail bed from Ayer's Cliff, about 25 minutes away (25 km, 16 miles), lists walking as a year-round use and allows leashed dogs. The municipality's page says nothing about hunting, so wear orange. The Marais de la Rivière aux Cerises in Magog, about 40 minutes away (40 km, 25 miles), has trails and boardwalks open daily from 7 am to 11 pm. And Sherbrooke's Promenade du Lac-des-Nations, a 3.5 km loop about 35 minutes away, is the clean-boots option.

Getting around

Drive times are approximate, from Coaticook. Winter roads and border waits change the math, and November is when winter roads begin. Québec's winter tire rule starts December 1 for vehicles registered in the province, rentals included, so a November rental may still be on all-season tires. Watch the forecast and drive in daylight.

Back at the house

Short days make long evenings, and La Villa Foresta, in the Coaticook area among the trees with a view toward Mont Pinacle, is set up for them: a fondue set, a popcorn maker, new and retro board games, puzzles, books, robes, and a fire pit with s'mores supplies for anyone willing to sit out in the cold. Dogs are welcome, with their own beds.

The fall outdoors guide covers the season, and the winter one takes over in December. Neighbouring months: October and December.

Useful links

• Québec: white-tailed deer hunting seasons
• Québec: the fluorescent orange bib
• Forêt Hereford: trails and fall closures
• Tourism Eastern Townships: hiking during hunting season
• Parc national du Mont-Orford (Sépaq)
• Parc national du Mont-Mégantic (Sépaq)
• Parc Harold F. Baldwin (Mont Pinacle)
• Parc de la Gorge de Coaticook: schedules
• Tomifobia Nature Trail (Municipality of Ayer's Cliff)
• Québec: Lyme disease and ticks