{"id":5559,"date":"2019-11-26T16:33:48","date_gmt":"2019-11-26T21:33:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/montrealtips.com\/?p=5559"},"modified":"2026-05-17T07:48:11","modified_gmt":"2026-05-17T11:48:11","slug":"4-best-parks-to-visit-in-montreal-this-winter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/montrealtips.com\/fr\/2019\/11\/26\/4-best-parks-to-visit-in-montreal-this-winter\/","title":{"rendered":"Les 4 meilleurs parcs \u00e0 visiter \u00e0 Montr\u00e9al cet hiver"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Top Parks To Visit on the Island of Montreal This Winter<\/b><\/h2>\r\n
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View of Montreal Skyline from Park Mont-Royal<\/em><\/p><\/div>\r\n

<\/h2>\r\n \r\n\r\nAh, Montreal parks. The perfect setting for people watching, romantic strolls, picnics with friends, quirky activities like slack-lining, quidditch, extreme frisbee or practicing cartwheels because, why not? At least they\u2019re great for all that (and more) in the summer and fall. But, what about winter?<\/span>\r\n\r\nDon\u2019t despair, folks. The parks stay open year round, and there\u2019s plenty to do at Montreal\u2019s parks throughout the long winter months!<\/span>\r\n

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Here are 4 of the best parks in Montreal to visit in winter:<\/span><\/h2>\r\n \r\n

1. Parc la Fontaine<\/b><\/a><\/h3>\r\nLocated in le Plateau, Parc la Fontaine is bordered by Sherbrooke, Avenue du Parc La-Fontaine (obvs), Rachel and Papineau. It\u2019s a great park for a stroll, a picnic, chilling by the duck pond or kicking back with a good book. In the winter, it transforms into a snowy wonderland, surrounded by some of the city\u2019s trendiest hotspots.<\/span>\r\n\r\nWhy it\u2019s awesome for winter:<\/b>\r\n\r\nThe <\/span>skating<\/span><\/a>! There\u2019s something truly romantic about this park, so while you can definitely take the family skating, or go for a pick up hockey game, it\u2019s a really special spot for an evening skate with your special someone. Don\u2019t have skates? No worries! You can rent skates at the onsite chalet. You can also get your own skates sharpened there if you quite literally had to dust yours off. There\u2019s also a little restaurant onsite to grab a snack or a hot drink, but\u2026\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nKick it up a notch:<\/b>\r\n\r\nIn case you weren\u2019t aware, you can drink alcohol in Montreal\u2019s public parks! The catch is, you have to be consuming a meal if you\u2019re drinking. Ah, but there\u2019s another catch! There\u2019s really no definition of what constitutes a meal. So, if you were to bring a few yummy pastries or holiday baking alongside your thermos of spiked hot chocolate or egg nog, you\u2019re probably good to go! If that isn\u2019t the perfect budget-friendly, yet romance-packed date night, we don\u2019t know what is!<\/span>\r\n\r\nMore awesomeness:<\/b>\r\n\r\nThough the park is known more for its beautiful skating rink in the winter, you can also use the cross-country skiing or snowshoeing trails throughout the winter. Even just a snowy stroll through the park can be pretty special.<\/span>\r\n\r\n\"Park<\/a>\r\n\r\n \r\n

2. Parc Mont Royal<\/b><\/a><\/h3>\r\nPretty much all of the mountain (note to non-Montrealers: it\u2019s more of a large hill than an actual mountain, but to Montrealers it is 100% \u201cthe mountain\u201d) is Parc Mont Royal and since that\u2019s a lot of ground to cover, there\u2019s an awful lot to love about it.\u00a0\"Montreal's<\/a><\/span>\r\n\r\nWhy it\u2019s awesome for winter:<\/b>\r\n\r\nSnow tubing<\/span><\/a>! There are a few spots on the mountain where you can bring your own sled and coast down the hill, but the groomed tubing tracks overlooking Beaver Lake are hands down some of the most fun you can have in Montreal during the winter!<\/span>\r\n\r\nYou rent a tube onsite (prices for this year have not yet been announced, but have always been extremely affordable in the past) and if you bring your own lock, you can make use of one of the onsite lockers so you can whoosh down the hill at top speed without a care in the world!<\/span>\r\n\r\nThis is obviously an awesome activity for kids, but if you\u2019re an adult or semi-adult and feeling nostalgic for the days when snow felt thrilling and magical, trust us\u2026 there is no joy quite like tubing! So slap on your snow pants and get ready to yeehaw!<\/span>\r\n\r\nKick it up a notch:<\/b>\r\n\r\nScrap the office Christmas party this year and take the whole team out to the hills for a day of totally unprofessional fun! When was the last time you fell into a fit of giggles with your coworkers? Forget the team building exercises. Nothing bonds a team together like tubing!<\/span>\r\n\r\nMore awesomeness:<\/b>\r\n\r\nLike we said, this is a BIG park. Aside from tubing, there\u2019s also snowshoeing, cross country skiing, bird watching, skating, hiking and more!<\/span>\r\n\r\n \r\n

<\/b> 3. L\u2019Escapade in Rigaud<\/b><\/a><\/h3>\r\nSo this one\u2019s actually outside the city and – bit of a bummer – not accessible by public transportation. It\u2019s about a 45 minute drive away in the town of Rigaud, but it makes our list because\u2026\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nWhy it\u2019s awesome for winter:<\/b>\r\n\r\nThe <\/span>cross country skiing<\/span><\/a>! L\u2019escapade is a linear park. Yes, that is a boring description, but what it means is that the park is a lot longer than it is wide. Because of that, it\u2019s the perfect layout for trails! There are about 27 kms of groomed ski trails in gorgeous l\u2019Escapade park. The 27 kms are divided into five distinct trails, rated from easy to difficult. Given the length of the trails, you can really make a full day of it.<\/span>\r\n\r\nKick it up a notch:<\/b>\r\n\r\nCombine your ski day with a little history! Rigaud is a town packed with historic sites and rich in quebecois culture. Sure, there\u2019s plenty of history in Montreal as well, but this is a little different and immersing yourself in the roots of Quebec culture is an experience every Montrealer should have. So, spend a morning skiing the trails, then stop for lunch before visiting one (or more) of the many stops along the <\/span>heritage and cultural circuit<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\r\n\r\nMore awesomeness:<\/b>\r\n\r\nIf you\u2019ve never tried snowshoeing, this might be the perfect opportunity as you can rent the equipment onsite. There are also walking trails open year round, and while dogs are not allowed on the ski trails, they are more than welcome to join you for some furry fun on the walking and snowshoeing trails.<\/span>\r\n\r\n \r\n

4. Parc Jean-Drapeau<\/b><\/a><\/h3>\r\nThis is probably the most action-packed park the city has to offer. Year round, there are all kinds of events and activities happening at Parc JD. Located on \u00cele Sainte H\u00e9l\u00e8ne, Parc Jean-Drapeau is surprisingly easy to get to with plenty of parking and access via the metro\u2019s yellow line. In the summer, you can even take a river shuttle from the Old Port. But in winter\u2026\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nWhy it\u2019s awesome for winter:<\/b>\r\n\r\nF\u0207te des neiges<\/span><\/a>! For the 37th year in a row, this event will be bringing the joy of winter to Montrealers for four weekends in a row. This year\u2019s festival will include the ice boat (a giant pirate ship made of ice), snow tubing, a refrigerated skating trail, boot hockey games to join, a human foosball game, an \u201calpine adventure\u201d activity organized by Cirque \u00c9loize acrobats and much more. There\u2019s even a mini-hill and equipment for kids to take their first shot at downhill skiing or snowboarding!<\/span>\r\n\r\nThis is definitely a family friendly festival, with plenty of activities for kids of all ages, but it is by no means exclusively for kids and families. The ice slides are fun for everyone, there are plenty of activities to join in, and last year\u2019s festival had amazing food trucks to sample some of the best cuisine in the city. This year\u2019s food truck lineup is gearing up to be just as delicious.<\/span>\r\n\r\nKick it up a notch:<\/b>\r\n\r\nAccess to just the festival is free, but some activities require a ticket. Opt for the ridiculously affordable pass and you get unlimited access to all activities for ALL 4 WEEKENDS of the festival! Skate one day, go tubing the next, eat yourself silly at the food trucks, take a snowshoeing lesson, join a game of boot hockey, then do it all again!<\/span>\r\n\r\nMore awesomeness:<\/b>\r\n\r\nIf you opt for the festival pass, you also get free admission the <\/span>Stewart Museum<\/span><\/a>, which has great exhibits and programming for all ages, as well as 25% off admission to the Biosphere. If you\u2019re tired of hearing \u201cI\u2019m bored\u201d from your kids\u2026 or partner\u2026 or friends\u2026 there\u2019s four straight weekends packed with activities!<\/span>\r\n\r\n\"View<\/a>\r\n

What\u2019s your favourite Montreal (or nearby) park to visit in the winter? Share it in the comments!<\/strong><\/h4>\r\nRead more about some activities that you can do this winter in Montreal.<\/a>\r\n\r\nAlso make sure you are all set for winter, and see what we recommend for a Canadian winter Jackets<\/a>\n\n\n\n