As soon as nights freeze and days thaw, the maple sap runs: from late February to late April, it’s sugaring-off season. A traditional meal, taffy on snow, a wagon ride, sometimes a mini-farm or sliding hills, the sugar shack is one of Quebec’s most deeply rooted family outings. This guide brings together the sugar shacks across the province, each with the venue’s listing, what’s on offer (meals, taffy, shop) and opening dates.
Tips: book several weeks ahead for March weekends, especially around spring break and Easter; weekday meals are quieter and often cheaper. Many maple farms also welcome groups and offer a children’s menu.
Our favourites
Érablière Charbonneau, Mont-Saint-Grégoire, Montérégie. All-you-can-eat meals and taffy on snow several times a day, then a mini-farm, sliding hills and the evaporator shack between two sittings.
Érablière Bernard, Granby, Eastern Townships. The Sentier du Trotteux, a storytelling walk of about an hour through the maple grove, ends with taffy on snow; the sugaring-off meal can be eaten on site or taken to go.
Érablière du Lac-Beauport, Lac-Beauport. A Maple Museum that tells the story of syrup from its Indigenous origins, the Camp du trappeur on Quebec’s animals, and sugar shack meals year-round.
Cabane à sucre chez Aurélien Lessard, Saint-Georges, Beauce. A hearty meal, taffy on snow and a horse-drawn sleigh ride, the old-fashioned way, in a maple grove decorated with antiques.
Cabane à sucre Farsa, Saint-Eustache, Laurentians. Watch the evaporator at work and the syrup being processed, before the mini-farm, the playground and a horse-drawn sleigh ride.
🍁 Sugar shacks by region
QuebecAbitibi-TémiscamingueCentre-du-QuébecChaudière-AppalachesEastern TownshipsLanaudièreLaurentidesMauricieMontérégieOutaouais
Quebec
6 placesAbitibi-Témiscamingue
1 placeCentre-du-Québec
5 placesChaudière-Appalaches
5 placesEastern Townships
12 placesLanaudière
10 placesLaurentides
19 placesMauricie
8 placesMontérégie
21 placesOutaouais
5 placesRead next
Around the same time of year: Spring break, Easter break.