Mont du Dôme is an incredible hike located in the Charlevoix region of Quebec. More specifically, it is situated in Zec des Martres exploration park.
The hike is considered to be moderate to challenging, depending on how you decide to do the loop. Clockwise, which is the recommended, takes you to the steeper part of the trail, having large rocks to climb. Anti-Clockwise takes you through the longer, simpler trail. However, the descent in this case is extremely difficult and considered to be dangerous with the large rocks.
In either cases, hiking poles are strongly recommended, as some of the rocks don’t have good hand grips to maintain balance.
The trail is well marked and maintained. It is especially beautiful during winter, with the snow covering the entire forest. During this time, it is preferable to take the anti-clockwise route, back and forth, since it is easier than going through the large rocks.
The best times to hike this mountain are from June through October, and January through March.
The full trail consists of a 7 Km Loop to reach the summit. An additional 1.5 Km is added, if you want to hike to Mont St-Michel. The trail is also split into two main sections:
- First Section: On the left, with rocks at the beginning, leading to the main viewpoint.
- Third Section: On the right, longer and can be used to go to Mont St-Michel’s viewpoint.
We chose to start from the first section and ended up going down from the second. This way, we were able to take the time to enjoy Lake Gros Ruisseau.
It is worth mentioning that the trail to the main viewpoint is to the left, as soon as you see the sign along with the trail map.
Hike Stats for Mont du Dôme
Distance: 7 km / 4.3 miles
Elevation Gain: 350 meters
Difficulty: Challenging
Dog Friendly: Yes, on a leash
Toilets: Close to the middle
Duration: 3.5 Hrs
📍 How to get to the Trailhead
The trailhead can be easily found near the Parking Lot. You can use the map below to either find the parking lot, or check your waypoints.
🎫 Hiking Pass
Registration and a fee of 5$ are required, with a voluntary additional fee to support the trail and path. You will also need to fill a slip and place it on your dashboard inside the car. Be sure to have a pen with you since the slip box does not always have that.
🥪 Where to eat nearby
Although La Malbaie is the closest town to the mountain. We decided to stop by Baie Saint-Paul on our way back and have lunch at the Incontournable Restaurant.
🥾 Other hikes near Mont du Dôme
Mont du Lac des Cygnes is an amazing hike, that leads you to a breathtaking 360 degree view of the surrounding mountains.
