A guide to Montréal's parks and green spaces
Montréal is a city that knows how to breathe. Between the smoked meat, late nights, and the rhythm of its streets, there’s an escape hatch—its parks. A mountain right in the middle of it all, where locals climb for the view and a moment of quiet. Fountains and picnic benches where conversation flows amongst friends. Hidden green corners perfect for a stolen afternoon with a book. And when winter hits? Strap on snowshoes and embrace the wild. These spaces aren’t just pretty – they’re the city’s pulse, the spots where life slows down just enough to remind you why you’re here. Read on for a list of Montréal’s parks and green spaces, both big and small.
Major urban parks
A naturally beautiful getaway steps from downtown and the Plateau and Mile End, “The Mountain” features not only a variety of wild flora and fauna but the same designer as New York’s Central Park (Frederick Law Olmsted), a 103-foot-tall illuminated cross, and a weekly Sunday gathering called the Tam-tams at the George-Étienne Cartier Monument. Head to Beaver Lake for a boat ride in summer or ice skating and tobogganing in winter, walk the steps up to the Mount Royal Chalet and the Kondiaronk Belvedere for amazing views of the city, and discover even more on a guided walk or a snowshoe trek.
Spanning several city blocks between downtown and the Plateau's eastern edge, La Fontaine park is a leafy oasis and social gathering spot in summer, while in winter the park’s pond transforms into a popular skating rink. Close to restaurants and stores on both Mont-Royal Avenue and Saint-Denis Street, the park makes for a relaxing rest-stop on a busy day. Have a coffee or a meal at Robin des Bois and catch a free performance on Théâtre de Verdure's outdoor stage during summer evenings.
Located between the Parc-Ex and Villeray neighbourhoods, and not far from Little Italy, Jarry Park teems with people all summer, whether they're there to play soccer, watch the National Bank Open tennis tournament, go swimming, or host an open-air birthday party. Plenty of picnic tables and green space – plus the nearby Jean-Talon Market – makes the park a perfect picnic destination, while a large playground and wading pool can entertain kids for hours. In winter, the pond turns into a skating rink and the grounds welcome cross-country skiers. It's also one of the parks hosting Repercussion Theatre’s annual mid-summer Shakespeare performances.
With 63 hectares of green space, including a public golf course, official bike paths, and a skating rink, there’s still plenty of space to stretch out and relax. It's also next door to the must-see Botanical Garden and fascinating (and recently renovated) Insectarium and just up the hill from the Olympic Stadium, Planetarium and Biodôme. In summer, at Biquette Écopâturage located in the northern part of Parc Maisonneuve, there are sheep that gaze freely in the park. The sheepfold also features a henhouse with five Chanteclerc hens, vegetable gardens, medicinal flower gardens, hammocks, a mushroom bed, a beehive, and several educational panels on sheep, chickens and bees. It's the countryside in the city! There are also free Saturday workshops, many of them for children.
This recently transformed gathering place is situated right next to the Olympic Stadium and dates back to the 1976 Olympics. It hosts cultural and sporting events, music and food festivals like monthly First Fridays, urban gardening at Les Jardineries and more throughout the year.
A 192-hectare green space with a 5.5-kilometre bike path and activities throughout the year is just beyond the Trans-Canada Highway and next door to La TOHU and Cirque du Soleil circus centres. Part of the Saint-Michel Environmental Complex, this newly redesigned park continues to expand its trails and forests in a massive environmental restoration project and is one of the largest green spaces in Montréal.
At the end of the Montréal metro’s green line, you’ll find this 97-hectare park in the Sud-Ouest borough. A year-round destination for families and nature lovers of all ages, the park is replete with summer activities and in winter welcomes cross-country skiers. A pond and the historic Fort Angrignon trail add to the feeling of being much further from the city than you actually are.
Friendly neighbourhood parks
At the foot of Parc Mount-Royal alongside Parc Avenue, Parc Jeanne-Mance features a wading pool and a newly constructed playground for kids, ice rinks in winter, tennis courts, a football field, baseball diamonds, and a beach volleyball court, with plenty of space left over for afternoon picnics and BBQs. (Currently under renovation.)
Near the shops, restaurants, bakeries and cafés on Laurier Avenue East in the Plateau, this is the true definition of a neighbourhood park in Montréal, with a diversity of people passing through every day, whether to read on a park bench, jog, or go for a swim, and cultural activities such as film screenings throughout the summer months.
Close to Mile End and just off Bernard Avenue West in Outremont, this quiet park is a great place to test the difference between Fairmount Bagel Bakery or St-Viateur Bagel or simply sit back and read a book. Stop at nearby Parc Saint-Viateur too for a stroll around its pond.
Among the many small parks in NDG, this one stands out as a neighbourhood gathering space and a cultural hub – check out NDG Arts Week at the end of August – just off Sherbrooke Avenue, where you'll find a diversity of restaurants and cafés.
Square Sir-George-Étienne-Cartier
If you're headed to one of the many popular restaurants, cafés or bars along Notre-Dame Street West in the neighbourhood of Saint-Henri, stop by this green space for a relaxing break by the fountain or go for a swim in the city pool. (Not to be confused with the also visit-worthy Sir George-Etienne Cartier National Historic Site in Old Montréal.)
Drive, bus, or take the bike route east under the Jacques-Cartier Bridge and along Notre-Dame Street to reach this large neighbourhood park along the river, featuring playgrounds, picnic grounds and cultural activities – you can also catch a shuttle boat to Île Charron in Parc national des Îles-de-Boucherville.
Located in Pointe-aux-Trembles, this linear park is accessible during all four seasons and has two trails that cover an area of 4.25 km. A citizen’s group mobilized to develop this site; from now on, all kinds of plant species can be found there, especially pollinators.
A gem of a green space nestled in the eastern edge of the Plateau, this park is the quintessential neighbourhood park, replete with young families, artists and performers, and lined with beautiful examples of Montreal’s residential architecture.
Charming city squares
Right next to Berri-UQAM metro station in the Quartier des spectacles, this grassy square turns into the Jardins Gamelin come spring, with an open-air bar and café, food trucks, urban gardens, live music and performances, activities for kids and more. Don’t miss the in winter, a unique space to enjoy some of the season’s best outdoor activities.
Located next door to digital-culture hub Society for Arts and Technology [SAT] in the Quartier des spectacles, this small square hosts open-air film screenings, skate jams, afternoons of electronic music and more all summer.
Sit on the steps of the monument to King Edward VII at this square on shopping-centric Sainte-Catherine Street. It faces the Birks flagship store and sits across from The Bay department store downtown, one of the many entrances to the Underground Pedestrian Network.
At the foot of restaurant-rich pedestrian corridor Prince Arthur Street, you'll find this Parisian-style square surrounded by quaint turn-of-the-century houses. It's also along Saint-Denis Street and up the hill from the youthful Latin Quarter.
Take a break from meetings or sight-seeing in Old Montréal at this 19th-century square right above Square-Victoria-OACI metro station, outfitted with Art Nouveau signage, across from the World Trade Centre Montréal and the W Montréal hotel.
Dorchester Square – Place du Canada
One of the most picturesque spots in downtown Montréal, this recently restored square was once known as Dominion Square and sits adjacent to the Mary Queen of the World Cathedral. Dorchester Square is also where you can hop on a double-decker bus city tour or take a day trip out to a nature park with La Navette Nature.
In the heart of Old Montréal, facing the exquisite Notre-Dame Basilica of Montréal on one side and the lavish architecture of the Bank of Montréal and museum on another, you’ll often hear live music in this tree-lined square originally built at the end of the 17th century.
Paramunicipal and National Parks
Separated from the city by the St. Lawrence River but only one metro stop from downtown, Parc Jean-Drapeau combines nature’s beauty with Montréal's penchant for dazzling entertainment. Developed for Expo ‘67 and later renamed for one of the city’s most iconic mayors, the park spans two islands, welcoming hikers, cyclists, swimmers, cross-country skiers, and snowshoers while also hosting some of the city’s biggest festivals, such as Osheaga, and the Casino de Montréal, La Ronde amusement park, and the iconic Biosphère. Panoramic views of the river and downtown skyline – as well as the Jean-Doré Beach – add to the park’s wonders.
Lachine Canal National Historic Site
One of the city’s longest bike paths follows the Lachine Canal from Old Montréal, past Atwater Market and all the way to Promenade Père-Marquette and Parc René-Lévesque and Musée plein air de Lachine sculpture garden at the canal’s western edge. Located in the Sud-Ouest borough, the 14.5 km route features five waterway locks, lush natural surroundings, historic industrial shorelines and opportunities to visit the neighbourhoods of Griffintown, Little Burgundy, Saint-Henri, Verdun, LaSalle and Lachine.
See the St. Lawrence River and the spectacular Lachine Rapids from a close vantage point in this Sud-Ouest borough park, also featuring the St. Lawrence waterfront cycling path, a bird sanctuary and picnic grounds. While there, watch surfers, kayakers and white-water rafters take on the rapids – or try it yourself.
Parc national des Îles-de-Boucherville
Five islands make up this peaceful, wildlife-filled park a few minutes’ drive from downtown, featuring hiking and biking trails, channels for canoeing and kayaking, and both rustic camping sites and Huttopia ready-to-camp tents.
Nature parks
Parc-nature du Cap-Saint-Jacques
Forests and meadows, a sandy beach and an ecological farm open to visitors make Cap Saint-Jacques well worth the short drive from the city. Open year-round, the 288-hectare park also isn’t far from the outdoor-indoor Ecomuseum Zoo, the Morgan Arboretum and Parc-nature de l'Anse-à-l'Orme, popular with windsurfers and boaters.
Parc-nature de l’Île-de-la-Visitation
On the shores of the Rivière des Prairies, this 34-hectare nature park once housed Canada’s first industrial site, but is now home to a variety of birds and aquatic wildlife, the historic Maison du Pressoir and mills, a bistro and several kilometres of walking, cycling and cross-country skiing trails.
A 159-hectare park on the shores of the Rivière des Prairies, this forest park is ideal for hiking and cycling or snowshoeing and cross-country skiing – two chalets and an interpretation centre provide a cozy retreat from the weather.
Parc-nature de la Pointe-aux-Prairies
On the eastern tip of the Island of Montreal, this 261-hectare park features interpretation trails through forests and marshes, numerous outdoor activities, bird watching, and the historic Maison Bleau “Quebec-style house” built in the 1850s.
Green spaces further away
Navette Nature, a company based in Quebec, focuses on sustainable transportation and preserving the environment. It provides group transportation to natural destinations throughout Quebec, allowing non-motorized individuals to access green spaces and inviting car owners to use their service. You can depart from Montréal and reach nature spots like Bois-de-Liesse Nature Park, Cap-Saint-Jacques Nature Park, Pointe-aux-Prairies Nature Park, as well as other regions like Mont-Mégantic National Park, Mont-Orford National Park, and many more.
Daniel Bromberg
As a proud native of Montreal, Daniel channels his education in history and his work as a tour guide, writer, and photographer to share his love affair with the city. His passions include the local street art scene, sipping an allongé at a local cafe, discovering new green alleys, biking, and reading at home.