Outdoors
Lac Lyster Beach and Mont Pinacle Hiking Guide
Updated
Baldwin Mills is a hamlet with a church, a lake and a cliff. The lake is Lac Lyster, the cliff belongs to Mont Pinacle, and on a July afternoon the two of them cover most of what a family wants from a day outdoors. Here is what the official pages say about each, including the rules people miss.
Getting there
Baldwin Mills is part of the municipality of Coaticook, about 15 minutes by car south of town (12 km, 7.5 miles), close to the Vermont border. There is no public transit. Winter roads and border waits change the math on any drive in this corner of the Townships, so take the times on this page as fair-weather numbers.
Lac Lyster beach
The municipal beach runs along the lake for a little over 200 metres, according to Tourism Eastern Townships, and it faces the rock face of Mont Pinacle across the water. That view is the reason people remember this beach.
The practical details come from the City of Coaticook's page for the beach (in French):
- Price: the beach and the parking lot are free, which the City describes as its contribution. Free beach parking is rare enough to be worth noting.
- Season: Tourisme Coaticook says the beach usually opens around Saint-Jean-Baptiste (June 24) and runs to Labour Day, with lifeguards daily from 10 am to 6 pm. In 2026 the City cut back to weekends only, 11 am to 6 pm, from August 22, so late-summer visitors should check the page.
- Swimming: allowed only during supervised hours. The City says so plainly.
- Boats: kayak and paddle board rental runs daily from 10 am to 6 pm in season. Paddle boards are not allowed in the swimming area, and your own boat must go through the washing station first, a measure against zebra mussels.
- On site: picnic tables, a volleyball net, a playground, washrooms and a boat ramp.
- Not allowed: alcohol, smoking, fishing and fires on the beach. Only gas barbecues are permitted, in the marked spot.
Dogs at the beach
The City's rules say no animals in the swimming area, and that an animal may never be left loose. That is all the official page says, so read it strictly. If a lifeguard asks you to move, move.
Hiking Mont Pinacle
The trails are in the Parc Harold F. Baldwin, a regional park owned by the City of Coaticook and run by a volunteer board. It is small: five trails that add up to about 5 km round trip, rated from easy to difficult. The reward is the view from the top, straight down onto Lac Lyster.
What the park's FAQ (in French) tells you:
- It is not free. Entry is paid, and the money goes to trail maintenance, signage and conservation work, including protection of the peregrine falcon. The park warns of heavy weekend traffic and asks visitors to reserve access online.
- Hours: sunrise to sunset.
- Closures: open year-round except during freeze-up (between November and January) and the spring thaw (between March and May). Check the website before driving out in those months.
- Parking: in the village, between the church and the old fire hall. From there you walk up the hill to the trail entrance. The park asks people not to park on the narrow side streets, which blocks emergency vehicles.
- Difficulty: trail 4 is the easy one, trail 2 is a steep rocky climb, and trail 5 is rated difficult. Trail 3 is reserved for climbers and closed to hikers.
- Strollers and wheelchairs: no. The terrain is natural and rough.
- Dogs: allowed, on a leash for the whole hike. Pick up after them and use the bins.
This is a short hike with a big payoff, which is why it gets crowded. Go early, go on a weekday if you can, and keep children close near the top. It is a cliff.
Also in Baldwin Mills
The Parc Découverte Nature is run by the same organization as the Parc de la Gorge de Coaticook. It offers fishing, a wetlands exhibit and Acoatica, an immersive indoor experience about fish. It is a good backup for a rainy day with kids, and tickets can be combined with Foresta Lumina.
Staying close to the lake
Plenty of people do Lac Lyster as a day trip from Sherbrooke, about 50 minutes away. The trouble is that the best hours here are at either end of the day: the cliff goes orange at sunset, and the beach is quietest in the morning.
La Villa Foresta is in the Coaticook area, set among trees with views toward Mont Pinacle, and the listing puts Lac Lyster beach less than five minutes away. The house has five bedrooms and two bathrooms and sleeps 12. It is equipped for this kind of day: a picnic backpack, walking sticks, beach cruiser bikes and binoculars. Dogs are welcome at the house, with their own beds and treats. The exact address goes to confirmed guests only.
If you want a town day between beach days, the Coaticook guide covers the gorge, the dairy bar and the cheese circuit.
Useful links
Bringing a group?
La Villa Foresta sleeps twelve in five bedrooms near Coaticook, with a fire pit, a meadow and Mount Pinacle in the window. Dogs are welcome. It is new on Airbnb for 2026 and hosted by a Superhost.
See the house
