The "Centre de la Nature" is Laval's park. It's HUGE! Here's a rundown :…read more Pros : - If you have kids, this is a great place to bring them to. There are so many things they can do and it can make for a great family outing. - There's a free animal farm with lots of animals to see such as goats, horses, cows, chickens, roosters, pigs, ponies, mules and so forth. They look like they are taken care of well enough and kids and adult both like to see them. - There's a casse-croute/fast-food joint near the lake. They serve a variety of fast food items such as hot dogs, hamburgers, pogos, fries and so forth. Their menu also has a few more things that clearly caters to kids as well as unprepared parents. :) - Lake has lots of activities. During the summer, canoes can be rented, during the winter you can go skating on the lake. - Plenty of places to plop down onto the grass and have a family picnic. - Lots of trails to be enjoyed and some parts are particularly enjoyable. There's a reason why this place is well known for wedding photos and seeing more than your fair share of brides and grooms walking around. - Huge play park for kids in front of the Farm. Lots of kids here and it can be pretty chaotic... but that's how kids like it, right? :) Cons : - If you're not so much into kids, you may want to avoid some areas during the weekends, there are really A LOT of kids. Some areas may be quiet enough to be enjoyed however if you look well enough. - While their casse-croute/fast food joint has nothing that truly stands out, kindly note the wait time is pretty bad. 20+ minutes to prepare me a couple of hot dogs, pogos and fries? Sup? - Parking is 7$. While contributing to the park is nice and all, it's a bit expensive. So, if you're able to park somewhere nearby freely on the residential streets and bring your stuff to the park, you'll save a bit. You are planning to do a lot of walking anyways, right? What's 10 minutes more going to do?

During covid-19, water equipment rental not available and playground section is surrounded by tall…read moremetal fences. There is a hand washing station before going into the play area and watched by 2 people. We went for an evening picnic with friends by the water. Parc is very well maintained with beautiful flowers and decoration and can still see some of the farm animals.

We went there for a quick walk during the fall season, all along the beach, on what was a beautiful…read moreand warm day, at the end of October. The good: The beauty of nature. Path walkways so it is easy for wheelchairs. Quiet and nice. Not crowded. Enough parking. Facilities open. Person at entrance gate very nice and useful. The bad: Person at gate being so nice made waiting to enter long. Bikes on walkway too often present and going fast. Garbage and recycling bins in middle of everywhere sort of ruins decor. Sinks not working in men's washroom. Covid restrictions: Hand sanitizers at all entrances. Employees wearing masks. Hand dryers in washrooms too close to each other. This was a very nice walk on that afternoon. The "bad" did not tarnish our day at all.

I came here for a winter hike with two friends. It was about 3 degrees outside and the snow on the…read morepaths was perfect. Our feet dug into the snow a bit, but it wasn't slippery. We hiked to two view points: Le Calvaire and Le Sommet, which took us 2h45. The difficulty level is quite easy as there are no steep paths. It was a really pleasant walk! However, entrance is 8.75$ per adult. For those who think no one checks, there was a security ranger going around in a snowmobile asking to see our ticket. Quite pricey for just a hike in the mountains!

I biked from The Old Port to the Atwater Market and I had a great time!…read more The route is very scenic even beautiful at times. There's plenty of path to visit, almost 15 KMs worth of it and its of good quality. The route is urban but surrounded by trees and buildings that went the extra length to be visually appeasing. Very cultural activity if you want to explore Montreal. Most of the terrain is flat with some hills, nothing too difficult. Several maps to check where you're located and a lot of stops to enjoy your time, take a breath and so forth. You can walk it, jog it, run it. I went with the healthy activity of renting a bike for a few hours. Grabbed food from Atwater market and had a picnic. What a wonderful place and worth for activity visitors from out of town to visit and locals willing to explore their city.

I loved renting a boat on the lachine canal ! We had the best time and even tho it only…read moreGoes 2 km pre hours lol we had a great time and would go back

Beautiful park with perfect pockets of shade. Not too crowded either and a great area to walk…read morethrough by the water.

This is a great urban park in Montreal, just west of the Village. Lots of big trees that provide…read moreneeded shade on a hot summer day in Montreal. There are tennis courts, bocce ball courts, bike paths, hiking trails, a nice pond, etc. Lots of locals and visitors come here for picnics, lunches and just plain relaxation. Check it out for a chance to enjoy a green leisure stop while in Montreal.

I love this parc. It has a great swimming pool, picnic tables, kids playgrounds and summer…read morescreenings, and tango nights. It can get a bit too packed during summer, never the less it is a neighborhood jem. Tip for groups: buy some beers and fruits at the Metro store nearby and make an impromptu picnic. Tip for loners: at the heart there is a garden with wooden beds- perfect for reading a book in the sun.

During the summer the park gets packed and despite that it's always clean. The pool opens too and…read morethere are 3 baseball and soccer fields. There is a park for children and space for people who like to work out or play other games. I come through the park pretty late at all times of the year and I often feel pretty safe! They could really use some night lights though, wouldn't recommend it during the winter.

Nice, easily accessible water front park great for jogging,walking, nordic skiing and bird…read morewatching. As with many nice places, users are the problem- especially when they do not understand the concept of sharing a space with others. Most recently, we were enjoying a lovely and peaceful Sunday morning stroll and picnic breakfast when the stillness was shattered by a woman (purportedly teaching some sort of class) braying like a jackass and screaming at the top of her lungs, disturbing other users and the many wonderful ducks which, ultimately, took flight at all the commotion. We share public spaces- be mindful of how your actions affect others.

I was looking for a place I can take my son on his scooter to celebrate the summer, a place that I…read morecan also bring my dog and doesnt feel like you are in/near a city but has more of an outdoor flavor. This place was PERFECT The trails are well kept, some picnic tables/area at the edges but most of the walk is lovely, filled with people but yet feels not crowded, great views to the river, lots of birds and lots of dogs (I love places like this). My son loved the riding experience, my dog loved the exercise and I loved the entire bundle. I am sure once the trees will become green again it will be even more amazing and they also have a verity of winter walking trails. Nature in the City

I'd love to say I come to this park but I've been once in the last million years. I know it's…read morepopular for runners and that's about it. I know back in the day it used to be very popular and lots of families would have bbqs but not my style over here.

We were visiting family and they suggested that we spend a little time here for our niece to do…read moresome sledding. So of course we go cause why not? There's a large parking lot but it seemed quite full when we went but we found a relatively close/mid spot to where we were going to be. There were roughly 2 large hills where a lot of families were sledding down. We went to the smaller hill as the niece was going to try out her new snowboard! It was really cute as it's like a super bunny slope which if you're just learning, is perfect and it's free! After we did a little sledding, we took the same sled and walked around the park area as there are many trails into the woods and around the lake. It was quite pretty and really serene. I wonder how it would look like not covered in snow. But it was quite nice to be able to walk around outside where it wasn't super crowded and just explore. We saw others snowshoeing as well as cross country skiing. Definitely a place to check out if you want to do something in the outdoors as well as just walk around as it's so big that it'll give you lots of time to just get lost. Hopefully not too lost!

I visited the part last weekend for Vans Warped Tour. It was my favorite festival venue I've been…read moreto by far. Despite there being 5 stages, things were really well spread out, it was very clean, and there was plenty of space to move around in the crazy crowds. There were a lot of shade options around and seating that seemed permanent to the park, which is rare at festivals. One of the better parts of the experience was the transit. Getting there via ferry was quick (once I figured out which pier was the right one). Leaving the venue was even better. They had trains lined up and ready to go. As fast as one could fill up, the next one was there and ready to fill up as well. I was at the front of main stage for that headliner, and from there to getting off of my main metro stop back in Old Montreal was no more than 20 minutes. Also there was a great view of the city at sunset from the island!

When we planned our trip to Montreal, social media kept pointing us toward Mosaïcultures at Parc…read moreJean-Drapeau. The images I saw online were so compelling that I knew we had to experience it for ourselves. It was a warm summer day when we arrived. The park itself was already beautiful--a serene green escape just minutes from the bustle of the city. Before stepping deeper into the gardens, we stopped at a small stall for coffee. The vendor shared a few kind words with us, and that simple exchange set the tone for the day: warm, welcoming, and grounded. With coffee in hand, we wandered through the pathways where colossal living sculptures seemed to rise out of the ground. Each one was a marvel--crafted from hundreds of thousands of flowers and plants, yet so artfully shaped that they felt like characters telling their own stories. "Mother Earth," with her serene face and cascading waterfall arm, embodied both strength and gentleness. "The Man Who Planted Trees" reminded me of the power of one person's quiet perseverance. And the "Six Pairs of YY" seemed to echo Montreal's spirit of community and cultural connection. We strolled slowly, letting the art unfold piece by piece, until we eventually found a spot to sit. There, I simply took it all in--the scale, the imagination, the harmony between nature and art. It wasn't just an exhibition; it felt like an experience that asked you to pause and reflect. What struck me most is that every year this exhibit tells a different story. It's not only a feat of horticulture but also a cultural heartbeat--Montreal reminding us of the quiet power that art and storytelling hold in shaping how we see the world. In the end, what brought us there was social media hype. But what stayed with me was something far more profound: a sense of awe, a renewed appreciation for art's dialogue with nature, and the reminder that culture--like these living sculptures--is always alive, always evolving.