Great Destinations

Bicycling Through Vermont and Quebec: October 2026

We had a great whirlwind 4 day tour seeing bits of the spectacular Canadian Rockies in Banff, Jasper, Kootenay and Yoho National Parks in 4 days, seeing as much as possible see in that time. This gallery is a collection of photos sampling some of the incredibly beautiful places we visited including Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, Emerald Lake, Banff itself, several of the many waterfalls, the spectacular Columbia Icefield, and various peaks and glaciers along the way. The weather did not cooperate at all, with rain and low clouds most days, with some sunshine mostly on the last day as we wrapped up the trip. But clouds add drama to the scenery, so it wasn’t a big problem. We stayed in Banff, which is a nice very upscale town, but is 45 minutes from most of the big scenery further north. Maybe not the best choice, though the restaurants there are great. Crowds were big, all hotels were fully booked. Canadians were friendly. Overall, the Canadian Rockies were a fabulous destination, highly recommended if you haven’t been. The area is known for otherworldly turquoise glacier-fed lakes that are almost magically surrounded by epic mountain scenes. I held back shots of several of these gorgeous lakes and placed them in a gallery of their own, so click here to see these.

Wide view of a waterfall between limestone walls, with calm dark water downstream and autumn trees along the cliff tops.
Montmorency Falls Across the Autumn Gorge
Red, turquoise, pale green and dark blue umbrellas form a dense suspended canopy against the sky and stone facades.
Colorful Umbrellas Over an Old Qu?bec Lane
Yellow and orange branches arch over a narrow unpaved road leading into shaded woodland.
A gravel road disappears beneath a tunnel of golden maples in the Brownington countryside – Brownington, Vermont.
A rural valley of fields, houses and colorful hardwoods rises toward layered hills under gray sky.
Farms and scattered homes spread across rolling autumn hills in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom near East Burke – East Burke, Vermont.
Shallow water snakes between pale boulders and bedrock beneath orange, yellow, and evergreen trees.
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Orange and gold trees line a fenced green pasture as broken clouds brighten the horizon.
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Yellow birches, orange maples and dark pines line calm gray-blue water on Lake Willoughby.
Mixed hardwoods and evergreens trace a rocky shoreline beneath gray skies along Lake Willoughby – Lake Willoughby, Vermont.
Two bright shoreline buildings stand beside calm blue water below tall pines and orange hardwoods.
Red and blue boathouses sit against dense evergreen and autumn forest along Lake Willoughby’s shore – Lake Willoughby, Vermont.
Steep overhead view of rushing white water, broad rock shelves and a river winding into the distance.
The Gorge Below Montmorency Falls
Bright deciduous trees and dark pines form a peninsula extending into steel-blue Lake Memphremagog.
A forested point glows with yellow and orange foliage beneath a gray sky on Lake Memphremagog – Lake Memphremagog, Vermont.
Blue lake lies between green meadow and densely wooded hills filled with red, orange, and yellow trees.
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Yellow center lines lead down a quiet road bordered by dense orange and gold foliage.
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Golden-leaved trees stand across open parkland with long shadows and fallen leaves on the grass.
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Green lawn, dark chairs, and orange trees slope toward blue lake water under clear sky.
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One tall autumn tree rises from green grass beneath blue sky with layered Eastern Townships hills behind.
A solitary orange maple stands in an open field with wooded hills beyond in the Hatley countryside – Hatley, Quebec.
Scarlet maple leaves spread across a clear blue sky in Warren during autumn.
A crimson maple canopy fills the frame beneath blue sky during peak foliage in Warren’s Mad River Valley – Warren, Vermont.
Weathered rails curve beside a grassy lane strewn with brown and orange leaves under dense maples.
A long white fence follows a leaf-covered path through orange woodland in rural Brownington – Brownington, Vermont.
Dark reflective water bends past evergreen and autumn woods along the West Branch Ausable River.
Still water and forest reflections gather along the West Branch Ausable River near Monument Falls – Monument Falls, New York.
Slender birch trunks rise from a stony lakeshore with orange hills across deep blue Lake Massawippi.
White birches and yellow foliage follow the rocky Lake Massawippi shoreline beside Manoir Hovey – Manoir Hovey, Quebec.
Pair of bright red Adirondack chairs sits beside a dark fence facing misty fall-covered hills.
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Yellow, orange, and red trees reflect in still water along a gently curving lakeshore.
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Gray clouds press over calm lake water and a distant band of yellow and orange trees near Newport.
Storm clouds hang over Lake Memphremagog while autumn forest colors the far Newport shoreline – Lake Memphremagog, Vermont.
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Tan grass stems arc sharply in front of blurred orange, red, and green autumn trees.
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Red and orange trees mirror beside small homes on still Lake Dunmore with a forested slope behind.
Lakeside cottages and vivid maples reflect across calm water along Lake Dunmore during peak foliage – Lake Dunmore, Vermont.
Bright sun glints through layered yellow-green leaves with tree trunks and lake glimpses beyond.
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White agricultural buildings with a tall silo sit beyond a narrow shoreline below a patchwork of autumn-colored trees.
Riverside Farm Buildings on ?le d?Orl?ans
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Tall traditional facades glow in purple and warm yellow light beneath a dark blue sky, with a quiet street below.
Colorful Evening Facades in Old Qu?bec
White water surges through a narrow masonry lock channel bordered by stone walls and railings.
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Red leaves spread across clear sky above Lake Massawippi and distant Eastern Townships hills.
Manoir Hovey: Autumn Maple Above Lake Massawippi
Weathered pale masonry with a turquoise door and small windows is crossed by curling red autumn vines.
Red Ivy on an Old Qu?bec Stone Wall
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Gold and orange hardwoods frame a dark pond and layered slopes near Appalachian Gap beneath a clear blue sky.
From Appalachian Gap, autumn forest surrounds a small pond below rounded Green Mountain ridges in Buels Gore – Appalachian Gap, Vermont.
Close oblique view of a tall white waterfall with thin branches, autumn leaves and mossy rocks in the foreground.
A Close View of Montmorency Falls
Low cloud veils a wooded ridge beyond green fields and a vivid line of red autumn trees.
Mist softens the hills beyond bright red maples and open fields in the East Burke countryside – East Burke, Vermont.
A damp lane recedes beneath crimson maples with red leaves spread across the road and grass.
Wet pavement reflects a corridor of red maples and fallen leaves along a quiet lane in East Burke – East Burke, Vermont.
Fallen maple leaves cover the ground beside a paved drive and tall autumn trees at Runaway Manor.
A carpet of orange maple leaves borders the drive at Runaway Manor in the West Glover countryside – Runaway Manor, Vermont.
Six red maple crowns form a vivid line above bright grass under a pale gray sky.
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Fast shallow water ripples over dark bedrock beside a wooded riverbank near the Newport trail.
Whitewater slides across a broad rock shelf beside the Newport Bike Path during autumn – Newport Bike Path, Vermont.
Open grassland, scarlet maples and distant farm buildings spread beneath blue sky in the Eastern Townships.
Red maples punctuate a green meadow with farms and distant ridges across the Hatley landscape – Hatley, Quebec.
Multiple white curtains of water cross a wide rocky ledge beneath dark clouds at Cohoes Falls.
The Mohawk River spreads across layered rock before dropping over the broad crest of Cohoes Falls – Cohoes Falls, New York.
An elevated view shows a horizontal concrete barrier spanning dark river water between autumn-covered rocky banks.
River and Spillway Above Montmorency Falls
Fog covers a rocky mountain face above dark lake water and bright orange shoreline trees.
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Mist hides the top of a sheer lakeside mountain covered in orange and green forest at Lake Willoughby.
Low cloud clings to the steep forested cliffs rising directly from Lake Willoughby in Westmore – Lake Willoughby, Vermont.
Fast river water breaks around flat dark rocks beneath a forested bank near Monument Falls.
Whitewater runs over broad rock shelves on the West Branch Ausable River beside Monument Falls – Monument Falls, New York.
A narrow waterfall descends over dark rock into a small gorge surrounded by evergreen forest.
Split Rock Falls drops through a narrow wooded gorge on the Boquet River near Underwood – Split Rock Falls, New York.
Red maples line a pale wooden fence beside a leaf-covered roadside under clear autumn light in Hatley.
A white rail fence runs past crimson maples and fallen leaves along a rural road in Hatley – Hatley, Quebec.
Narrow white waterfall drops between mossy rock walls beside wooden railings and autumn trees.
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Large trompe-l?oeil painting covers a tall building end wall, showing people, balconies and period architectural scenes.
Historic Wall Mural in Old Qu?bec
Elevated view across orange treetops and dense old-town roofs toward white passenger vessels moored along a wide river.
Cruise Ships in Qu?bec City Harbour
Large white curtain of water plunges into shadow beside wooded rock ledges, with a slim bridge visible high above.
Sheer Drop of Montmorency Falls
Orange, yellow, and green trees surround a meadow with wooded hills rising behind.
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Shallow water runs over gray stones beneath dense autumn woods near Stowe.
A rocky stream curves through mixed forest as yellow and orange leaves brighten the riverbank near Stowe – Stowe, Vermont.
Iconic brick hotel with pointed towers, green roofs and a broad foreground approach under a partly cloudy blue sky.
Ch?teau Frontenac Rising Above Old Qu?bec
An old cemetery lies under vivid autumn trees with a weathered white wooden fence in the foreground.
White gravestones rise behind a rail fence beneath orange and yellow maples in Brownington – Brownington, Vermont.
Cut crop rows lead to orange and red woods beneath a clear blue sky in rural Hatley.
A harvested field opens toward mixed autumn forest and low hills in Quebec’s Hatley countryside – Hatley, Quebec.
Heavy white cascades fan over dark rock while autumn trees edge the Mohawk River below storm clouds.
A closer view shows the Mohawk River plunging over the stepped face of Cohoes Falls beneath a dark sky – Cohoes Falls, New York.
Sunlit paved square with tourists, yellow-gray stone buildings and a central historic facade beneath a clear blue sky.
Sunlit Stone Buildings at Place Royale
Nighttime urban scene with an intense pink-lit building, bridge railing and a nearly symmetrical reflection in dark water.
Magenta Illuminations on Qu?bec City Waterfront
White church steeple rises from Stowe village below red, orange, and green wooded hills.
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A rocky woodland stream tumbles between boulders below yellow leaves near the Falls of Lana.
Sucker Brook threads through mossy boulders and autumn forest near the Falls of Lana in Salisbury – Falls of Lana, Vermont.
Golden branches arch over a quiet paved road scattered with fallen leaves near East Burke.
A narrow country road bends beneath yellow and orange hardwoods during peak foliage near East Burke – East Burke, Vermont.
Looking down between gray steel lock gates with yellow railings above green canal water.
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Blue rippled water borders pale buildings backed by densely packed yellow and orange deciduous trees.
Autumn Woodland Along ?le d?Orl?ans
Red leaves spread across clear sky above Lake Massawippi and distant Eastern Townships hills.
A scarlet maple frames blue water and distant hills above Lake Massawippi at Manoir Hovey – Manoir Hovey, Quebec.
A broad curved weir spills smooth water beside a tree-lined canal at Lock E2 in Waterford.
Water sheets evenly over the curved overflow weir beside Erie Canal Lock E2 at the Waterford Flight – Erie Canal Lock E2, New York.
One blue chair sits at the end of a wooden dock overlooking Lake Massawippi, cottages and autumn trees.
A single Adirondack chair faces Lake Massawippi from a quiet dock at Manoir Hovey – Manoir Hovey, Quebec.
The white Manoir Hovey building rises beyond garden beds, benches and autumn trees on the lakeside grounds.
The historic Manoir Hovey overlooks lawns and gardens colored by late autumn beside Lake Massawippi – Manoir Hovey, Quebec.
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Calm Lake Memphremagog opens toward a low wooded ridge and colorful Newport shoreline beneath heavy clouds.
Autumn trees and scattered homes line the distant Newport shore across calm Lake Memphremagog – Lake Memphremagog, Vermont.
Colorful shoreline homes and small docks sit across calm Lake Massawippi beneath forested hills.
Waterfront cottages and boathouses sit among autumn trees across Lake Massawippi from Manoir Hovey – Manoir Hovey, Quebec.
Red maple crowns line a leaf-strewn path in a wide panoramic view at East Burke.
A long row of crimson maples forms a broad autumn panorama across the grounds of East Burke – East Burke, Vermont.
Rows of deep red maple crowns stand above a dense carpet of fallen leaves at East Burke.
A grove of crimson maples fills the lawn and forest floor with red leaves in East Burke – East Burke, Vermont.
Wide waterfall spilling down from a flat upper edge, framed by gray stratified rock and orange-green trees.
Montmorency Falls and Forested Cliffs
Small shore homes face Lake Willoughby beneath a hillside layered with orange, red and evergreen forest.
Lakeside cottages sit below a densely colored mountain slope across the water at Lake Willoughby – Lake Willoughby, Vermont.
Large vivid blue sculpted head dominates the foreground while smaller colorful heads and pedestrians recede along the pavement.
Blue Sculptural Heads in Qu?bec City
Layers of orange, red, and green trees fade upward into pale gray fog.
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A low sun glitters on Lake Massawippi behind silhouetted trunks and red autumn leaves.
Late sun shines through red lakeside maples and reflects across Lake Massawippi in the Eastern Townships – Lake Massawippi, Quebec.
A pale green-roofed boathouse projects over calm water with village homes and colored hills behind.
A white boathouse stands at the water’s edge below autumn-covered hills on Lake Willoughby – Lake Willoughby, Vermont.
Narrow waterfall runs down dark rock behind a roadside guardrail with a black bicycle in front.
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Bright sunlight strikes a patch of orange forest across blue water beneath dark clouds.
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A bright red maple anchors a grassy field with orange trees and low Vermont hills behind.
Red and orange maples stand across an open lawn beneath a clouded ridge in rural Craftsbury – Craftsbury, Vermont.