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6 Beautiful Hiking Spots Outside Of Montreal
The area surrounding Montreal is so rich with lush national parks, and hiking trails for beginners and experts alike. Whether you’re looking for a calming nature walk with the family or a vigorous hike with expansive views, you’ll find the perfect park and trail here!
Mont Saint-Bruno National Park
Distance from city: 30 minutes by car
Arguably my favourite place to go hiking close to Montreal is Mont Saint-Bruno National Park. It’s more of a “walk” than a “hike”, since there’s no summit, but the trails are absolutely beautiful and so lush. It’s the perfect place to come for a long nature walk and get away from the city for a while.
You can take a look at the trail maps and the other activities they offer here!
Mount-Orford National Park
Distance from city: 75 minutes by car
Mount Orford is located about an hour outside of Montreal, north of Magog. This national park offers a lot of beautiful trails with a variety of difficulty levels, so it’s a great place for experts and beginners alike.
You can check out their trails and seasonal info here!
La Mauricie National Park
Distance from city: 2.5 hours by car
I spent a few days in Shawinigan with my boyfriend as a little getaway, and we decided to take a drive up to La Mauricie National Park and we had a great hike, except for us having to cut our day short because a ranger advised everyone that there were bears on the move in the park! This park also has several trails of all difficulty levels, but I’d recommend starting with Les Cascades, an easy trail with a waterfall along the trail!
Check out the park’s website and trail maps here!
Jacques Cartier National Park
Distance from city: 3 hours by car, and about 1 hour out of Quebec City.
Definitely the largest of all the parks on the list, Jacques Cartier National Park is one of the best places close to Montreal for a day of hiking lush trails and finding beautiful views! The park has over a dozen different trails, of all difficulties, but there are some pretty challenging ones for experienced hikers if you’re up for it!
There are currently some occupancy restrictions on the more popular trails due to covid, so try to plan your hike for less popular days of the week, or be flexible about the trails you want to hike.
Check out the park’s expansive list of trails and other activities here!
Oka National Park
Distance from city: 50 minutes by car
One of the closer hiking spots to Montreal is Oka National Park. On the opposite side of Chemin d’Oka from Oka Beach, there’s a mountain with hiking trails that take you up to Calvair d’Oka. Make sure you consult the trail maps before you go, so you don’t end up taking the difficult trail up to the summit (like I did) if you don’t want to!
Check out their trail maps and other Oka National Park activities here!
Mount-Royal Park
Distance from city: In the city, accessed best by metro
So this one is technically IN Montreal, but it’s a pretty vast park so it still makes the cut! Mount Royal is really popular among locals and tourists alike, as it offers easy walking trails, lots of green space for picnics, and great views of the city from the top of the mountain!
Visit its website and plan your visit to Mount Royal here!
