Hiking by month

Winter Hiking and Snowshoeing Near Coaticook, Québec

Updated October 1, 2026

Black and white photo of the wood-clad side of La Villa Foresta, with trees and the cliff of Mount Pinacle in the distance

Winter hiking near Coaticook mostly means snowshoes, a thermos and an eye on the clock. From December to February the trails of the Eastern Townships are as quiet as they get, several good ones are within half an hour of town, and the park in town rents the gear. A few trails close on purpose, though, and the sun is down soon after four.

What winter hiking near Coaticook is really like

At the solstice Coaticook gets under nine hours of daylight: sunrise around 7:20 am, sunset a little after 4 pm. By mid-February the sun sets after 5 pm. The National Research Council's sun calculator gives exact times for any date. In December, plan to be off the trail by 3:30 and put a headlamp in every pack anyway.

December is the unreliable month: snow comes and goes, the ground is half frozen, and Mont Pinacle closes for exactly that reason. January and February are the dependable months for snowshoes and skis, and cold is the price. Each month has its own page: December, January and February.

Snowshoeing at the Parc de la Gorge de Coaticook

Start here, because it is in town and it rents snowshoes and crampons. The Parc de la Gorge de Coaticook has over 21 km (13 miles) of snowshoe trails on five routes, from the 2.5 km Gorge loop to the 8.5 km Tillotson trail, which the park rates difficult and times at three hours. If nobody wants snowshoes, three packed winter hiking trails add up to 7.5 km and are walked in boots.

The suspended footbridge is closed all winter, and no winter trail leads to it.
The adult day rate on the park's site is $10.75, taxes included, with lower rates for students, seniors and children. The ticket also covers the skating rink and a small sliding hill, but bring your own skates and sleds: the park rents neither.
Leashed dogs are allowed on the trails, not in the shelters.
You register at the campground reception first. Last season ran from December to mid-March, 10 am to 4 pm on weekdays and 9 am to 4 pm on weekends, last entry at 3 pm. Check the current winter schedule.

Mont Pinacle: check before you drive

The cliff above Lac Lyster is the hike everyone wants, and in early winter it is often shut. The Parc Harold F. Baldwin, about 15 minutes from Coaticook (13 km, 8 miles), is open year-round except while the trails freeze up, a period its FAQ places between November and January, and again during the spring thaw. Look at its site before you drive out.

When it is open, entry is paid and reserved online ($9.50 for ages 17 and up, free for 16 and under), hours are sunrise to sunset, and dogs stay on a leash. The trails are short and rocky, and the summit is a cliff edge: with ice on the rock, wear real traction and keep children and dogs close at the top. Our Lac Lyster and Mont Pinacle guide has the trail-by-trail detail.

Mont Hereford: free and quiet

The Forêt Hereford keeps 16 km of trails on the highest ground near Coaticook. Access is free and paid for with donations, leashed dogs are allowed, and the trails are open from 6 am to 9 pm. From the East Hereford lot, 22 km (14 miles) from Coaticook and about 25 minutes by car, the Neil-Tillotson trail climbs 400 metres over 7 km to the summit. On snowshoes in December, 14 km round trip is a full day with no slack in it.

The shorter plan is the Vieux-Panache day shelter, open to everyone from 10 am to 3 pm, with the 1 km Cirque loop beside it under cliffs 75 metres high. Cell coverage is limited, so download the map to the Ondago app first.

Cross-country skiing near Coaticook

In Coaticook itself, Plein Air Coaticook grooms 30 km of cross-country trails and keeps four short snowshoe trails and a rustic warming hut. Tourisme Coaticook's winter page (in French) says access is paid, a reservation is required, equipment can be rented, and dogs are not allowed.

For flat and free, the Tomifobia Nature Trail follows an old rail line for 19 km between Ayer's Cliff and Beebe; its stewards list cross-country skiing among its uses and welcome dogs on a leash only. Ayer's Cliff is about 25 minutes from Coaticook (25 km, 16 miles).

The TV lounge at La Villa Foresta, with a dark leather sectional and snowshoes hung on the wall

Bigger days at Mont-Orford and Mont-Mégantic

The Parc national du Mont-Orford is about 45 minutes from Coaticook (50 km, 31 miles). Tourism Eastern Townships lists 58 km of classic cross-country trails there, 27.5 km of them also groomed for skating, 46.5 km of snowshoe trails, six warming shelters and fat biking.

The Parc national du Mont-Mégantic is about an hour and a half away (100 km, 62 miles) on two-lane roads. The tourism board calls it the snowiest area in southern Québec and lists 40 km of snowshoe trails reaching Mont Mégantic at 1,110 metres, 16 km of cross-country trails and rentals on site. With three hours of driving and nine hours of daylight, save it for February, or pair it with an evening at the ASTROLab.

Both are Sépaq parks with a daily access fee, and dogs are allowed only in the sectors on Sépaq's list.

Roads and gear

Drive times on this page are approximate, from Coaticook, on dry roads. Winter roads change the math, and so do border waits for anyone driving up from the United States. Québec requires winter tires from December 1 to March 15 on vehicles registered in the province, rentals included. Vehicles registered elsewhere are exempt, but the hills are the same for everybody. Québec 511 posts road conditions.

In the pack: traction for your boots even with snowshoes, a headlamp, spare mitts, something hot and a downloaded map. Phone batteries quit early in the cold.

After dark

Which, in December, means after 4:30. La Villa Foresta is in the Coaticook area, among trees with views toward Mont Pinacle, and it suits the long evening: fondue, robes, a popcorn maker, board games, and a fire pit with s'mores supplies for anyone willing to put their boots back on. The snowshoes on the den wall look like decor, so rent real ones at the Gorge. Our winter weekend guide covers skating and ice fishing, and the seasons page looks at the other nine months.

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.

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