Explore 17 parks on Montreal Island, where you'll find just what you need for a day's getaway, from rides on an electric trolley to a stroll through the wild habitat of fox and white-tailed deer
Has the price of gas got you lying on the couch, dreaming of foreign beaches, faraway forests and shimmering lakes you can't afford to get to?
Don't despair. Montreal has 17 major parks, many of them teeming with nature's splendours but little known and underused. Others are well known and well used, but even they may have new elements or a history you don't know about.
1Mount Royal Park: A beach on Beaver Lake?
You probably already know this park was designed by the famous American landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, also responsible for New York City's Central Park. But did you know there was once a funicular on the east flank of the mountain? The funicular opened in 1876 and carried people from the Park Ave. entrance to the summit until it was dismantled in 1918.
More fun facts on Montreal's most famous park:
The artificial pond, Beaver Lake, was built in the 1930s as a make-work project during the Depression. Olmsted had plans for some cool features around Beaver Lake that were never realized, like a sandy beach, a horseback riding trail and a garden of irises.
Other things you might see in Mount Royal Park: red-backed salamanders (look under rocks), red foxes (anywhere, anytime) and the northern saw-whet owl (at dusk). And though Montreal police patrol regularly on horseback, you might also see drug dealers (near the Park Ave. entrance) and the occasional flasher (off Olmsted Rd.).
For information, 514-843-8240
2Jean Drapeau Park: Beer at the beach
The most popular attraction at this two-island park is the aquatic centre, which includes three heated pools that open earlier and close later in the season than the city's other outdoor pools.
But for my money, the best thing about Jean Drapeau Park is still the beach. This artificial lake and beach uses a natural filtration system to ensure the water, which comes from the St. Lawrence River, is clean enough to swim in. You can enjoy a cold beer at the outdoor bar or rent kayaks, canoes, windsurfers, pedal boats and small sailboats for use on the lake.
For more info: 514-872-6120.
3Angrignon: Check out the pond
The city bills this park as reminiscent of a 19th-century English garden with its mature forest and winding walking paths.
Its vast lawns make it a favourite for big family picnics, and cyclists and inline skaters appreciate its two kilometres of bike paths.
The popular petting zoo is closed this summer and next for major renovations but Fort Angrignon (514-872-3816) has activities for kids and is open. This park has a gigantic pond (one kilometre long), surrounded by cat-tails, willow trees and irises. Lovely.
4Parc des Rapides: River dancing
This park near the historic Lachine Rapids is a favourite of birdwatchers. The park and a nearby island form a migratory bird preserve where you can apparently spot 225 different species, including herons.
Also, if you are into white water kayaking, this is the place (kayak rentals: 514-595-7873, about $20 for four hours).
A group called Héritage Laurentien offers a broad range of activities, including guided nature walks, birdwatching outings and even twice-weekly line dancing sessions by the river.
Call 514-367-6540.
5René Lévesque: 22 sculptures and a view
This odd park at the very western end of the Lachine Canal bike path is on a jetty that juts into Lake St. Louis.
The park is home to a "sculpture garden," part of Lachine's outdoor museum. Check out Robert Roussil's Hommage à René Lévesque, commissioned by the city of Lachine in 1988.
This is a great place to discuss whether public art in places of great natural beauty enhances the views or distracts from them.
Near the park's entrance, check out La Maison LeBer-LeMoyne, considered the oldest intact building on Montreal Island (1669).
For info: 514-634-3478.
6Bois de l'Anse à l'Orme: Sea kayaking at dusk
Sea kayaking at sunset has to be the coolest thing to do at this park, which opens onto Lake of Two Mountains and also follows a creek, the Anse à l'Orme River, to the southeast.
This summer, Aventure Monde (1-888-744-0008 or info@
aventuremonde.com) is offering introductory kayaking courses on four Friday nights (the last one will be Aug. 15). For about $50, it provides the kayak and all the gear; you provide the muscle power and the "oohs" and "aahs" as the sun goes down.
7Cap St. Jacques:
Try a mayak
Everybody knows about the beach at Cap St. Jacques, but did you know you can buy organic vegetables at the general store grown at this park's ecological farm? The farm is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily and kids love it, especially the pony rides.
At the beach you can rent pedal boats, canoes, kayaks and newfangled, Quebec-made mayaks! Mayaks are like kayaks, except you paddle on your knees (easier on the back).
For info: 514-280-6871.
8Bois de l'Île Bizard: Shhh! The other beach!
The best kept secret of this large park on Île Bizard is a small, natural sandy beach where you can swim without fighting the crowds.
Also, check out the boardwalks that zigzag over marshes and wetlands; you might catch a glimpse of beavers, turtles, herons, ducks or geese.
This spot is popular among those who like to fish, birdwatch, cycle (10 kilometres of bike paths) or canoe and kayak. For guided tours by naturalists, call 514-280-6829 or go to guepe.qc.ca
9Bois de Liesse:
A flight of butterflies
Those in the know call this park on the shore of the Rivière des Prairies "the Enchanted Forest" because of its towering, 100-year-old trees that make you feel like you are in Narnia.
Look for red foxes and painted turtles along the gorgeous Bertrand Brook. Also, the fishing on the river is good. And throughout September you can learn about the life cycle of the Monarch butterfly.
For info: 514-280-8706.
10Île de la Visitation: Bistro in the forest
In this shoreline park, which includes a small island in the Rivière des Prairies, you'll find a bistro-terrasse overlooking a cascading waterfall.
Nearby you can see the ruins of an old water mill, which the city of Montreal markets to movie producers as an "exquisitely grungy" location for film shoots. Because of its collection of historic buildings, this area is known as the Site historique du Sault au Récollet.
You can take a ride on an electric train, reminiscent of a 1920s streetcar, for a guided historical tour. Or you could just enjoy this park for its excellent fishing, birdwatching, cycling and hiking.
For info: 514-280-6733.
11Ruisseau de Montigny: The sound of water
This is a tiny park (22 hectares) compared with the other, but what it lacks in size it makes up in charm.
The De Montigny stream winds through a well-preserved forest, occasionally widening into cascades you can hear from a distance as you hike. The park also includes a series of four small islands in Rivière des Prairies, which are considered important breeding grounds for several species of frogs, reptiles, birds, fish and muskrats. Great herons also feed on these islands.
Conservationists are watching this park with concern as the province begins work on the bridge to Laval.
For information: 514-280-6691.
12Pointe aux Prairies: Deer ... in Montreal
This huge park at the eastern tip of the island is fabulous for hiking and creature-spotting.
If you are very lucky, you might see a great-horned owl or a white-tailed deer.
The park provides a unique window on the confluence of the St. Lawrence and the Rivière des Prairies. It has 14 kilometres of cycling trails, 15 kilometres of hiking trails and an information centre at 14905 Sherbrooke St. E.- 514-280-6691.
13Promenade Bellerive: Views, and a ferry
This park is all about gorgeous views of the St. Lawrence River.
To capitalize on that view, a local community group organizes dances, shows and concerts by the water all summer long.
But the best thing about this park is that from it you can hop a ferry to the Îles de Boucherville provincial park. Offered on summer weekends and holidays only, the ferry costs $7 return. Ferries leave every hour on the hour from 10 a.m to 5 p.m.
For information: 514-493-1967.
14Maisonneuve Park: Golf, anyone?
When we think of this east-end park, we tend to think rock concerts and political rallies. But did you know it is home to a nine-hole golf course?
The Montreal Municipal Golf Course, a par 3 course, is open from the beginning of May to the beginning of November, weather permitting. For information, call 514-872-4653. There is also a driving range (514-872-1889).
15La Fontaine Park: Free theatre
This park is well-used and well-loved in summer and winter, but its history is not so well known.
Originally a farm, the park served as a military training field from 1845 to 1874. In fact, right up until 1991, the federal government retained the right to use the eastern part of the park for military exercises.
On summer nights, you can catch free plays and films at the Théâtre de Verdure.
The city plans to finally renovate the park's main chalet over the next few years, so La Fontaine may finally get the decent restaurant/café it so desperately needs.
16Jarry Park:
Swim for free
You're thinking international tennis tournaments, sports fields and picnics, but did you know Jarry Park has one of the few free outdoor pools in the city?
The city has just reopened this pool, after investing $1.5 million to put in a new sand-filtration system, outdoor showers and to renovate the change rooms (now wheelchair accessible). It's open from 11:30 to 8 p.m. until Aug. 24. Jarry Park pool: 514-872-1135.
17Complexe environnne-mental de St. Michel
This bizarre but oddly beautiful 36-hectare green (and brown) space is still in transition from city dump to city park.
Visitors can cycle around the old quarry and dumpsite, which is being "renaturalized." Local residents who complained for decades about noise and stench from the dump are now delighted with their emerging park.
There is a recycling-sorting centre and a plant that converts biogas from the buried garbage into electricity for 10,000 homes.
This park is also home to the Cirque du Soleil and National Circus School headquarters, known as TOHU. For guided park tours, call 514-376-8648.
For more information on parks, go to ville.montreal.qc.ca