This stunning hike near Montreal leads through a red and gold forest to a rare turquoise lake

If you're looking for the best places to see fall colours near Montreal this autumn, look no further than this scenic park that's home to a rare natural wonder.

Just a road trip from Montreal, you can hike to a stunning turquoise lake surrounded by fiery red and gold foliage, the perfect spot for a crisp autumn adventure.

Located in Gatineau Park near Ottawa, Pink Lake is a beautiful spot to soak up the autumn splendour.

Pink Lake is known as Gatineau Park’s "most outstanding lake," according to the National Capital Commission, due to its unusual makeup — the lake is meromictic, meaning that its upper and lower layers of water never mix.

Normally, a lake’s water layers mix completely each year because of things like water density and wind, but the waters of Pink Lake don't mix because it has a small surface and bowl-like shape, and is surrounded by steep cliffs.

Despite its name, the lake takes on a beautiful turquoise-green hue caused by the growth of microscopic algae. The 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 brilliant shades of orange, red and gold for a striking contrast.

Pink Lake can be found in Gatineau Park, about 2 hours and 20 minutes from Montreal. 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 trail that loops around the lake and takes an hour to complete.

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

If you want something more difficult, the NCC also lists three more challenging routes that visitors can take for a longer hike to the lake, with routes of up to 10.6 kilometres, round-trip.

Access to the lake is free, and there are also two free parking lots, one at the lookout and one at the Pink Lake Trail.

Though the Pink Lake hiking trail does not meet universal accessibility standards, the Pink Lake Lookout is universally accessible and there is also accessible parking in the lookout parking lot.

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.