Trek Quebec City — Jacques-Cartier day trip, Canada

Jacques-Cartier National Park: The Les Loups Trail

A day hike from Quebec City into a glacial valley 550 metres deep, climbing the Les Loups trail to two cliff-edge lookouts over the Jacques-Cartier River.

Duration: 1 day
Distance: 11 km
Ascent: 450 m
Difficulty: Moderate
Best season: Late May–October, best in late September for the colours

Print day cards Packing list

Less than an hour north of Quebec City, the Jacques-Cartier River runs through one of the most striking valleys in eastern Canada: a U-shaped trough 550 metres deep, carved by glaciers in the last ice age and lined with maple and birch on the slopes and black spruce on the plateau above. The Wendat and Innu travelled this country long before the loggers of the 19th century. In the 1970s Hydro-Québec planned to dam the river and flood the valley; public pressure killed the project in 1975, and the park was created in 1981. It is now run by Sépaq and has around 100 kilometres of hiking trails.

The classic day hike is Les Loups, the park’s signature climb. It leaves the valley floor, switchbacks up through hardwood forest to a first lookout over the river, then carries on along the ridge to a second, higher lookout near the summit of Mont Sautauriski, with the Jacques-Cartier and Sautauriski valleys laid out below. The out-and-back is roughly 10 to 11 kilometres with about 450 metres of climbing. Allow three and a half to four and a half hours of walking, more with a long lunch at the top.

Pair it with an hour by the river at the Discovery and Services Centre, and you have one of the best day trips from Quebec City, especially in late September when the valley turns red and gold.

Getting there. Drive north from Quebec City on Route 175 for about 40 minutes to the park entrance, then follow the valley road. The Discovery and Services Centre is at about kilometre 10 of the park road and the Les Loups trailhead at about kilometre 16; the last stretch is gravel and can be rough. There is no public transport to the park.

Permits & tickets. Sépaq charges a daily access fee per adult; under-18s enter free. Buy it online in advance or on arrival, and check the Sépaq site for current prices, opening dates and any parking restrictions on busy days.

Good to know:

The Les Loups trailhead parking is small and fills early on fine weekends and in the autumn colour season. Arrive by mid-morning.
The lookouts are open cliff edges without railings.
Hiking trails in the valley generally open in late spring and close in autumn; the park switches to winter activities in the snow months. Confirm trail status before you drive up.

Tips & Insights for this route Planning this route? Read our practical tips before you go — 8 tips. Read the tips

Download waypoints (GPX) Points of interest in walking order — not a trail trace.

Day by day

DayDistanceAscentDescentWalking time

Day 1 Hardest dayLes Loups trail and the Jacques-Cartier River

Distance11 kmAscent450 mDescentNot recordedWalking timeNot recorded

Day 1

Les Loups trail and the Jacques-Cartier River

Les Loups trailhead → Discovery and Services Centre 11 km 450 m

Navigate this day Print day

Drive up from Quebec City, climb the Les Loups trail to its two lookouts over the valley, return the same way, and finish by the river at the Discovery and Services Centre.

Segments

From the valley floor into the hardwoods 1 km 150 m Map

Les Loups trailhead → First switchbacks

Forest path, rocky and roots in places

The trail leaves the valley road beside the Jacques-Cartier River and begins climbing straight away through sugar maple and yellow birch, the deciduous forest that fills the valley floor. It is the steepest stretch of the day, so take it slowly. About 30 minutes.

About this place

The Jacques-Cartier River is a river in the province of Quebec, Canada. It is 161 km long and its source is Jacques-Cartier Lake in Laurentides Wildlife Reserve, and flows in a predominantly southern direction before ending in the Saint Lawrence River at Donnacona, about 30 km upstream from Quebec City.
Read more on Wikipedia Photo: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.5
Up to the first lookout 1.5 km 200 m Map

First switchbacks → First lookout

Steady climb on a rocky forest path

Switchbacks lead to the first lookout, at roughly two and a half kilometres, where the classic view opens up: the river looping along a flat floor between walls that rise steeply on both sides, the textbook shape of a valley scoured by ice. This is the turnaround point for a shorter hike. About 45 minutes.

About this place

U-shaped valleys, also called trough valleys or glacial troughs, are formed by the process of glaciation. They are characteristic of mountain glaciation in particular. They have a characteristic U shape in cross-section, with steep, straight sides and a flat or rounded bottom. Glaciated valleys are formed when a glacier travels across and down a slope, carving the valley by the action of scouring. When the ice recedes or thaws, the valley remains, often littered with small boulders that were transported within the ice, called glacial till or glacial erratic.
Read more on Wikipedia Photo: Anvacher · CC BY-SA 3.0
Along the ridge to the upper lookout 2.5 km 100 m Map

First lookout → Upper lookout near Mont Sautauriski

Rolling ridge path into spruce forest

The trail continues more gently along the ridge, the hardwoods giving way to conifers as you gain height, to the upper lookout near the top of Mont Sautauriski, a little over 700 metres above sea level. From here you see both the Jacques-Cartier and Sautauriski valleys and the rounded hills of the Laurentians rolling north. Stop for lunch. About an hour.

About this place

The Laurentian Mountains, also known as the Laurentians or Laurentides, are a mountain range in Canada. The range is 1,400 km (900 mi) long and ranges in height from 500 m (1,600 ft) with peaks over 1,000 m (3,300 ft). The Laurentian Mountains extend across Labrador and Quebec within the Laurentian Upland, which contains foothills in northeastern Ontario. The range is located near the rivers of Ottawa, St. Lawrence, and Saguenay. The Laurentian Mountains primarily stretch across multiple regions in Quebec, with geologic formations such as the Jacques-Cartier Massif located within the range.
Read more on Wikipedia Photo: Wilfredor · CC0
Back down the same way 5.5 km 0 m Map

Upper lookout → Les Loups trailhead

Descent on rocky forest path

Return on the same trail. The descent is easy on the lungs but hard on the knees on the steeper lower section, so walking poles help. Watch your footing on wet rock and roots after rain. About an hour and a half.
An hour by the river 0.5 km 0 m Map

Les Loups trailhead → Discovery and Services Centre

Short drive, then riverside paths

Drive back down the valley road to the Discovery and Services Centre, where you can walk along the river, find park information and, in season, arrange canoe or kayak outings on the Jacques-Cartier; check with Sépaq what is running. It is a good place to cool your feet before the drive back to Quebec City. About an hour.

About this place

The Jacques-Cartier River is a river in the province of Quebec, Canada. It is 161 km long and its source is Jacques-Cartier Lake in Laurentides Wildlife Reserve, and flows in a predominantly southern direction before ending in the Saint Lawrence River at Donnacona, about 30 km upstream from Quebec City.
Read more on Wikipedia Photo: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.5