This hike near Montreal takes you through a red and gold forest to a hidden turquoise lake

Looking for an enchanting way to see fall colours? Just a short road trip from Montreal, you can visit a sprawling nature park home to a majestic turquoise lake that’s framed by red and gold leaves in autumn.

Nestled in the National Capital Region, this hike offers stunning scenes of the fall foliage and winding trails that lead to postcard-worthy views.

Set in Gatineau Park, Pink Lake is a popular spot in spring, summer, and fall, offering a beautiful, scenic hike.

The lake is known as Gatineau Park’s “most outstanding lake,” according to the National Capital Commission, thanks to its unusual makeup and rare beauty.

Pink Lake is meromictic, meaning that its upper and lower layers of water never mix.

Unlike other lakes, whose layers normally mix completely each year during the spring and fall (because of things like water density and wind), the waters of Pink Lake don’t mix due to its small surface and bowl-like shape, as well as the fact that it’s surrounded by steep cliffs that shelter from the wind.

“Pink Lake” is also a bit of a misnomer. The lake is, in fact, a greenish-blue in colour, a hue caused by the growth of microscopic algae. Its name comes from the Pink family, who settled the area in 1826.

The lake’s unique colour makes it a rare beauty in the park, and an especially scenic spot to visit in the fall. As the leaves change colour, the turquoise lake is framed by vibrant shades of red, orange and gold for a spectacularly striking sight.

For a beautiful way to experience the lake in fall, you can embark on an easy hike. The area offers a three-season trail and a lookout for hikers to enjoy.

The most direct way to access the site is from the Pink Lake parking lot, according to the NCC, which can be reached from the Gatineau Parkway.

From the parking lot, visitors can access the trailhead for the Pink Lake loop. The hike is a 2.3-kilometre loop around the lake and takes about an hour to complete.

According to the NCC, the ecosystem in this area is delicate and protected. For conservation, this means that, unfortunately, pets will have to stay behind.

Along the route, hikers will walk through a beautiful red and gold forest and pass multiple scenic, leaf-covered stairs and interpretation panels before coming to the lookout.

If you’re up for a more challenging hike, the NCC also lists three alternative routes that visitors can take for a longer hike to the lake.

Start at the P2 (Relais plein air) parking lot and take Trail 27 for an 8.6-kilometre round-trip hike to the lake. Or, begin your journey at the equally stunning Mackenzie King Estate, where you’ll even find scenic ruins draped in fall colours, and take trails 15 and 35 for a 7.2-kilometre there-and-back trip to the lake.

You can also get to the lake by bike by starting at the P6 (Mackenzie King Estate) parking lot and taking Mackenzie King Road, Champlain Parkway and Gatineau Parkway for an 8.6-kilometre round-trip journey.

Gatineau Park can be found in Gatineau, Quebec, just over 2 hours from Montreal.

The park offers several other fall trails, including King Mountain, which features several lookouts and leads to the top of the Eardley Escarpment, 300 metres above the Ottawa Valley, and the Luskville Falls trail, a 290-metre climb that leads to a fire tower with stunning views of the valley.

Before you get going, check out our Responsible Travel Guide so you can be informed, be safe, be smart, and most of all, be respectful on your trip.