Day escape / Eastern Townships (Potton / Mansonville)

Owl's Head

LEAF-PEEPING, LAKE VIEWS

A ski mountain above Lac Memphrémagog that runs fall-colour weekends, with free trails and a chairlift ride to the view.

From home: 127 min drive; 138.39 km. Walk 1905 min
Spend: $$$$; est. $0-20 per person
Our dates: Trip-day hours unconfirmed; Give it about 2 hours on site (editor's lead from Tourisme Montréal, not verified); plus travel

Website

Photo: Kevstan, CC BY-SA 3.0

The verdict

Only worth it as a dedicated day trip, and only if you have a car and a spare day. Thanksgiving Monday is actually the best fit: the resort is running its country weekend through Oct 12 with music and food trucks, and fall colours are near peak. Call ahead for chairlift hours and check the colour report, because the site gives no explicit holiday schedule.

Fall-colour programming through Mon Oct 12
Free hiking trails with summit views per the resort
Lac Memphrémagog panorama per the editor's lead

Why maybeGood fall payoff but a full day out of a four-day city trip, and chairlift hours for Oct 12 are not confirmed.

Vibe check

chill/bright

Best forfall colours, a day out of the city, hikers

What it costs

$$$$Est. $0-20 / person

Trail hiking is free. Fall-colours presale chairlift ticket shown on home page as adult from $20, family from $37 (presale, may differ on the day).

Our estimate from posted prices, CAD, before tax and tip. Québec purchases carry the 5% federal GST plus the 9.975% Québec Sales Tax (QST, TVQ in French): 14.975% combined on taxable items. Tourisme Montréal: it is customary to tip restaurant servers, taxi drivers and hairdressers 15% of the bill, before taxes. Bellhops, porters and doormen generally get at least $2 per bag or service; coffee and food counters often have a tip cup by the register.

On our dates

Customer service daily 8:30-16:30; chairlift and trail hours not published

Mon 12UnclearThanksgiving: holiday hours unconfirmed
Tue 13Unclear
Wed 14Unclear
Thu 15Unclear

Thanksgiving MondayFall page lists a 'country weekend' Sat Oct 10 to Mon Oct 12 with live music Mon 11:30-15:00, so the site is evidently active that day, but no explicit Thanksgiving hours or chairlift hours were found.

Full week

Mon	Not listed
Tue	Not listed
Wed	Not listed
Thu	Not listed
Fri	Not listed
Sat	Not listed
Sun	Not listed

Customer service Mon-Sun 8:30-16:30. Chairlift hours sit behind a schedule page that could not be read. Contact page says hiking closed for the season, which conflicts with the fall page and is probably stale.

Hours from a third-party listing. Confirm before you go.

Is it worth it?

Yes if fall colours are the point and you can spare a day; no if you only have a few hours.

Best time: Daytime, ideally clear weather for lake views
Time needed: About 2 hours on site, plus drive
Cost: Trails free; chairlift ticket extra (presale adult from $20, family from $37)
Difficulty: Intermediate to advanced (L'Échappée and Abénakis-Maçonnique intermediate; Chalet and Panorama advanced)
Trail: 5.4 km
Climb: 540 m
Weather: Outdoor only; rain makes slopes slick and views poor. Dogs on leash allowed.
This season: Fall colours weekends Sept to Oct 12; golf open until Oct 13 per 2025 post. Elevation figure is the resort's stated average; Panorama loop is the longest at 5.4 km.