The Townships in Colour: A Fall Weekend Plan

Fall in the Eastern Townships has a hard deadline this year. Foresta Lumina, the illuminated night walk at Parc de la Gorge de Coaticook, has four evenings left in its 2026 season: 3, 9, 10 and 11 October, each from 7 p.m. The last three fall on Thanksgiving weekend. Add the colour on the region’s hills and the orchards that are still pressing cider, and you have a weekend that won’t keep until next year.

Day one: the hills and the abbey

Start on the Route des Sommets, a 193 km scenic drive with 21 stops between Mont Mégantic and Mont Ham. Higher ground turns first, so the summit stretches are the place to be in early October. Tourism Eastern Townships publishes a colour map through the season; check it the day before you leave.

It’s a long day in the car, so start early. In the afternoon, head west to Abbaye de Saint-Benoît-du-Lac on Lac Memphrémagog. The Benedictine monks make cheese and cider from their own orchards, and the abbey shop sells both. Stay an hour for the view of the lake from the grounds.

Sleep in Magog or North Hatley, an easy drive from Coaticook the next evening.

Day two: cheese, then the forest at night

Spend the day in the farm country south of Sherbrooke. In Compton, Fromagerie La Station runs an ÉCONOMUSÉE tour, in French or English, that explains farmhouse cheesemaking. It’s open year-round. Farm shops keep shorter hours once the harvest ends, so call ahead before you drive out to any of them.

Get to Coaticook for dusk. Foresta Lumina is a 2.6 km night trail through the gorge forest. The park commissioned it from Montreal studio Moment Factory, and the two refresh the lighting and story each season. The park says it welcomed its one-millionth visitor in July 2025, 11 years after opening. The trail crosses the park’s suspension bridge, which the park puts at 169 metres and bills as the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in North America.

Two things to know. The trail has stairs and steep slopes, and the park doesn’t recommend it for strollers or anyone with reduced mobility; baby carriers can be rented on site. And buy tickets ahead, because weekend time slots go first. Children three and under enter free but still need a reserved ticket.

Plan it

• When: Foresta Lumina’s last nights are 3, 9, 10 and 11 October, from 7 p.m. Colour generally peaks from late September to mid-October, earliest at elevation.
• How long: two days and one night. Add a second night if you want the Route des Sommets and the abbey without rushing.
• Getting there: Magog is about an hour and a half from Montreal by car, and Coaticook is about half an hour beyond it. You need a car.
• Cost: Foresta Lumina’s 2026 tickets are $30.50 for adults (16+) and $19.50 for children aged 4 to 15. The park also sells bundles with its hiking trails.
• Book ahead: Foresta Lumina tickets online, and a room for Saturday night. Thanksgiving weekend rooms are scarce.
• Bring: warm layers and a headlamp for the walk back to the car. October nights in the gorge are cold.

Sources

• Foresta Lumina dates, rates and access
• Parc de la Gorge de Coaticook, 31 July 2025
• Moment Factory
• suspension bridge
• Route des Sommets
• colour map
• Abbaye de Saint-Benoît-du-Lac
• Fromagerie La Station
• Tourism Eastern Townships, Official Tourist Guide 2025–2026