Are you planning outdoor activities this winter? Have you recently moved to Montreal? Here are 6 PARKS TO VISIT THIS WINTER NEAR MONTREAL!
Furthermore, please note that the winter activities written in this article will depend on the snow conditions. You can purchase your passes online for the majority of these parks. These 6 parks are in no particular order.
In addition, it’s crucial to you plan ahead and be prepared before heading out into the wilderness, especially during our cold winter season. Always bring the 10 essentials with you before leaving. You’ll find the 10 essentials here.
FOR ALL INFORMATION INCLUDING OPENING HOURS, TRAIL MAPS, DIRECTIONS, COSTS, RULES AS WELL AS REGULATIONS PLEASE VISIT THE PARK’S WEBSITES THAT I’VE INCLUDED BELOW.
Disclaimer: The links I use below are affiliate links, which means I do make a small commission if you purchase through those links (at no cost to you). If you choose to use the links below, thank you so much for your support.
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6. PARC RÉGIONAL DE LA FORÊT OUAREAU
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The Parc régional de la Forêt-Ouareau is located in Notre-Dame-de-la-merci in the Lanudière region! It’s a 1 hour and 20 minutes drive (on average) from Montreal.
- Winter activities: this park is perfect for snowshoeing (snowshoe rentals are available) or cross-country skiing. In addition, this park also offers tubing for families.
- Cross-country skiing map of the Massif sector: https://www.parcsregionaux.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/ski-de-fond-11-x-17-7-février-2018.pdf
- Dog-friendly: yes. Dogs on leash are permitted.
- Website: https://www.parcsregionaux.org/parcs-regionaux/parcs/parc-regional-de-la-foret-ouareau/
5. PARC NATIONAL DES ÎLES-DE-BOUCHERVILLE
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The Parc national des Îles-de-Boucherville is located on the south shore just minutes from Montreal! This national park is operated by Sépaq.
- Winter activities: this park is perfect for families that are looking for beautiful nature walks! Furthermore, this park offers snowshoeing and cross-country skiing trails. You can also rent fat-bikes!
- Dog-friendly: yes. Dogs are permitted on some trails but not all. https://www.sepaq.com/resources/docs/pq/bou/bou-carte-chiens-hiver.pdf
- Map: https://www.sepaq.com/dotAsset/10074.pdf
- Website: https://www.sepaq.com/pq/bou/
4. PARC NATIONAL DU MONT-TREMBLANT
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The Parc national du Mont-Tremblant is an incredible must-visit park located in the Laurentides region. It takes on average a little over 2 hours to get there from Montreal! This park is operated by Sépaq.
Furthermore, if you’re interested in staying in the night this park offers a few chalet rentals.
- Winter activities: this park offers snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, as well as winter hiking and nature walks. In addition, this park offers very long nordic skiing trails (up to 112km) if you’re interested in planning an overnight or a 2-night cross-country skiing trip! They have a few refuges where you can sleep the night.
- Snowshoe and cross-country ski rentals are available.
- Dog-friendly: yes, but not on all trails. Dogs are not permitted in the Pimbina sector during the winter season. https://www.sepaq.com/resources/docs/pq/mot/mot-carte-chiens-diable-hiver.pdf
- Map of the winter trails in the Diable Sector: https://www.sepaq.com/dotAsset/4e320728-ab15-4355-b6b2-336788d6d38e.pdf
- Website: https://www.sepaq.com/pq/mot/
3. RÉSERVE NATURELLE GAULT
The Reserve Naturelle Gault is a beautiful must-visit park owned by McGill University. It is located on the south shore just minutes from Montreal. Hike Mont-Saint-Hilaire for a beautiful view of the Montérégie region.
I recommend the Rocky lookout for the highest views!
- Winter activities: snowshoeing, winter hiking (with crampons), and cross-country skiing. This park is perfect for families!
- Dog-friendly: no. Dogs are not permitted in this park.
- Map & Website: https://gault.mcgill.ca/en/outdoor-activities/#a-day-pass
2. PARC NATIONAL D’OKA
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The Parc National d’Oka is located in the Laurentides region a little under an hour from Montreal! This park is also operated by Sépaq and it’s perfect for families. Furthermore, this park is located on the Lac des Deux Montagnes!
- Winter activities: this park offers cross-country skiing, winter hiking (crampons), fat-bike, snowshoeing, as well as sledding. I recommend the Sentier du Calvaire d’Oka all the way to the summmit!
- Dog-Friendly: yes, but not on all trails. https://www.sepaq.com/resources/docs/pq/oka/oka_carte_chiens_hiver.pdf
- Map: https://www.sepaq.com/dotAsset/12261.pdf
- Website: https://www.sepaq.com/pq/oka/index.dot
1. PARC RÉGIONAL DE LA CHUTE-À-BULL
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Last but not least, the Parc régional de la Chute-à-Bull is located in the Lanaudière region in Saint-Côme. It takes (on average) 1 hour and 30 minutes to get there from Montreal.
- Winter activities: this park is perfect if you’re looking for easy snowshoeing or hiking (with crampons) trails! You can visit the entire park in about 1 hour. One of their trails leads to a beautiful waterfall at the bottom of many stairs!
- Dog-friendly: yes. Dogs on leash are permitted.
- Map: https://www.parcsregionaux.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/8x14_Chutes_a_Bull-2-sept-2020.pdf
- Website: https://www.parcsregionaux.org/parcs-regionaux/parcs/parc-regional-de-la-chute-a-bull/
6 PARKS TO VISIT THIS WINTER NEAR MONTREAL
To conclude, there are so many incredible adventures that you can plan near Montreal! These are just 6 parks to name a few! I hope this helped you plan out some fun outdoor activities for this winter season!
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