Whenever you’re researching hiking trails in Quebec, you’re sure to come across Acropole des Draveurs. It’s one of Quebec’s most difficult day hikes but also one of the most beautiful trails! If you’re looking for a challenge and phenomenal views, you’re in the right place.
This hike is an essential hike to Quebec in my opinion, so I’m going to tell you everything you need to know before tackling this trail.
Know Before You Go:
Acropole des Draveurs is a trail located in Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie National Park. To access the trail on weekends in busy months, you must take a shuttle (included in your reservation fee) as no driving in the park is allowed. When I went, the first shuttle was at 8am so I arrived at 7am to get in line.
This trail is heavily trafficked, in the morning when I arrived there was still lots of parking and spots on the shuttle (which was a school bus, by the way). Later in the afternoon most shuttles were completely full, as was the parking lot. I recommend arriving as early as possible. You catch the shuttle at the main entrance of the park, called Centre d’interprétation et de services Félix-Antoine-Savard. I just put in “Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie” on my GPS and it took me right to this gate.
You are not supposed to start this hike after 12pm, and Summit #3 closes at 4:30pm. This hike is likely to take you 4-7 hours.
The higher up you get, the less protected you are from elements and the colder it is-up to 10°C colder than the start of the trail. There’s also a bathroom around 3.5km.
The Trail:
The trail is marked as 11.2km total (roughly 5.6km each way). This is the distance if you hike to Summit 3 and back. Summit 2 is the “Instagram” photo spot you’ve likely seen of this trail. Each summit is very beautiful and worth visiting in my opinion, but Summit 2 is my favourite.
The first 2km of this hike are rock stairs that switchback up. After the 2km you get a little break from stairs which I was very excited about! The rest of the trail is a mix of rock stairs, dirt path and switchbacks with one small crossing over water. Most of the trail is shaded, but the top has almost no shade anywhere.
Throughout the trail you walk along a waterfall, and you’ll come to many photogenic points which are nice to rest at. But nothing compares to the view at the top!
Once you reach the top, the landscape changes completely. There are lots of smooth rock formations that can be tricky to walk along so be very careful. Be careful to not step on any vegetation.
Around 5km, you’ll be greeted by Summit 1 where you can read the map to show what exactly you’re looking at. Like I previously said, Summit 2 is the famous Instagram spot (and for good reason, honestly). Summit 3 is a bit further up and very beautiful – I was not expecting it because I had never seen photos of it!
The way down is the way you came up. This is where I personally find trekking poles to be handiest, as going down all of these uneven rock stairs is tricky and hard on the knees.
Once you get to the bottom…celebrate! You’ll have just completed one of Quebec’s most difficult day hikes.
Fun Fact: This trail takes you to the highest peak in the park!
What To Pack:
Your packing list may look different than mine, but here’s a what I recommend taking in consideration that this trail includes a lot of stairs, uneven rocks, and even a water crossing.
- Sturdy footwear (a MUST for your ankles sake)
- Trekking poles
- At least 2L of water
- A jacket for the top
- A good lunch
- First Aid Kit (I always throw in Tylenol, too!)
- Bug Spray
- Sunscreen/Sunglasses/Hat
- A camera to document the adventure
Hopefully with all this information you’re starting to feel more prepared for this adventure! It is a challenge but worth every ounce of effort you put into it. Trust me!
Until next time,
Katie
yourmatiekatie 