Inaugurated in 1895, Parc National du Mont-Tremblant (sepaq.com/pq/mot; $8.78) is Québec's oldest provincial park and a natural playground for humans and animal species alike. Covering a massive territory of 1510 sq km, the park, located 20 minutes' drive from the Mont Tremblant Resort, protects wild hills covered in rare vegetation like silver maple and red oak, along with six rivers and a whopping 400 lakes. Wolves, foxes and coyotes roam here, as do black bears, 200 species of birds, beavers, white-tailed deer and moose (though they're rare). As of 2023, Mont-Tremblant National Park is also an International Dark Sky Park.
The park is divided into three sectors. Closest to Mont-Tremblant Ski Resort, Le Diable is the most popular area and is best for a day trip. Here you can pick up equipment rentals for the park's many activities and speak to knowledgeable Sépaq staff at the Information Center. Activities include hopping on a bus north to pick up a canoe, then snaking down the Rivière du Diable on a trip of up to three days; descending the mountain to the river by shuffling along ropes on a via ferrata (rock climbing strapped to a rope); and hiking trails ranging from 20-minute jaunts to climbing steep mountains. The eastern L'Assomption and northern La Pimbina sectors of the park have few maintained trails and are geared towards fishing pike, walleye and speckled trout. There are more than 1000 places to choose from throughout the park, including remote refuges and cabins where you may have a whole lake to yourself.