Hiking during Hunting Season in the Townships

Updated on Sep 1, 2022

Autumn has arrived and many people wish to take advantage of this time of year to go hiking. Careful though! Many trails in the Eastern Townships are closed during the big game hunting season. Will your favourite trail be open or not this autumn? Here’s a little guide to help you find all the information you’ll need.

Open All Year Round

Here’s a list of the most popular hiking trails in the Townships that remain open all year round; hunting is forbidden on these territories chasse.

  • Parc national du Mont-Orford
  • Parc national du Mont-Mégantic
  • Parc national de Frontenac
  • Parc national de la Yamaska
  • Parc régional du Mont-Ham
  • Parc de la Gorge de Coaticook
  • Mont Pinacle in Baldwin Mills
  • Parc d’environnement naturel de Sutton
  • Parc écoforestier de Johnville
  • Marais de la Rivière aux Cerises in Magog
  • Parc des Sommets Network in Bromont
  • Parc des montagnards and Parc écologique Jean-Paul Forand in Shefford
  • Sentiers du Morne et de la Maison du Granit
  • Piopolis Trail Network, including Mount Scotch Cap
  • Parc du Mont-Bellevue in Sherbrooke

Closed during Hunting Season

Depending on the sector, the dates reserved for hunting will vary from one year to the next. Therefore, here are some dates indicating when the region’s most popular trail networks will be closed during the autumn of 2022.


©Daphné Caron

Les Sentiers de l’Estrie

The closing dates for this trail network vary depending on the sector.

In the Stoke Mountains sector ARE CLOSED :

  • Mont Chapman/Pic Bald (rang 14) and Grotte de l'ours (rang 11) from Septembre 28 to October 7, October 15 to 19 and from Novembre 5 to 20 2022.
  • Mont Élan From September 28 to October 19 and from November 5 to 20, 2022.
  • Mont John Guillemette (rang 10) and Montagne du 10 (rang 8) from September 26 to October 7 and from October 31 to November 20, 2022.

The Kingsbury North and Richmond sector ARE CLOSED from:

  • Saturday, October 1 to Wednesday, October 19, 2022, inclusively
  • Saturday, November 5 to Sunday, November 20, 2022, inclusively

The trails of Sutton, Écho, Glen and Bolton sector (including mount Singer, Glen, Foster, Chagnon and Colline Trouser) ARE CLOSED from:

  • Saturday, September 24 to Wednesday, October 19, 2022, inclusively
  • Saturday, November 5 to November 20, 2022, inclusively

*Please note that access to Mount Echo, Étang au Castor campground and Nombril and Round Top from the S05 trail will remain open. The Trois-Frères (PV1, PV2 and PV3) in the Sutton sector will also remain open via S01.

Circulating in the Brompton zone (route 220 to route 222) and the Kingsbury South zone (route 222 to km 9) is allowed, but at your own risk because hunting is permitted from October 1 to October 19 and from November 5 to November 20, 2022.


©Pierre-Jean Moreau

The Sentiers frontaliers Trails

Trails outside the Mount Gosford sector ARE CLOSED from:

  • Saturday, October 1 to Friday, October 23, 2022
  • Saturday, November 5 to Sunday, November 20, 2022

Note that the trails leading to the summit of Mount Gosford will be exceptionally open on October 8 and 9, 2022 only.


Mount Hereford

The Hereford Community Forest hiking and biking trails ARE CLOSED from:

  • Saturday, October 1 to Friday, October 7, 2022, inclusively
  • Saturday, October 15 to Wednesday, October 19, 2022, inclusively
  • Saturday, November 5 to Sunday, November 20, 2022, inclusively

©Pierre-Jean Moreau

The Mont Bélanger Trails

The Mont Bélanger hiking trails, and the campground, are closed from September 15, 2022, and will remain closed until mid-May 2023. The trails are not maintained during the winter.

At all times, remember to wear bright-coloured clothing and to be very careful. Have a great hiking season!


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Head Outdoors and Enjoy our National Parks!
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