Where to go snowshoeing in Montréal

Mount Royal Park

The snowshoeing trails of the city’s “backyard” are a great place to spot creatures furry and feathered as you walk among the trees. Be sure to stop off at the Kondiaronk Belvédère for a photograph. You’ll capture rosy cheeks, bright smiles, and the glittering city in the background. Bonus: Les amis de la montagne offer guided snowshoeing tours at night.

Rentals: Yes

Lachine Canal

The lovely Lachine Canal is the perfect place to hear the satisfying crunch of snow underfoot as you trek alongside the waterway. Featuring a 15-kilometre groomed winter path that links the boroughs of Lachine, LaSalle, Le Sud-Ouest, and Ville-Marie, this walkabout is a total keeper.

Rentals: No

Parc La Fontaine

Watch the magic of a Montréal winter unfold around you at this popular Plateau park. People skate, slide, and stroll around its twinkling pond and under its beautiful snowy boughs.

Rentals: Yes

Parc Maisonneuve

You can log quite a few kilometres at this much-loved 63-hectare park, whether you loop around it once or many times. The terrain is mostly flat, but it’s a way to stretch your legs in the outdoors. And after snowshoeing, visit the Jardin Botanique de Montréal.

Rentals: No

Parc Angrignon

Easy metro access (get off at Angrignon station) makes this 97-hectace park in Montréal’s southwestern quarter a perennial favourite. It offers three kilometres of snowshoeing trails, classic cross-country and skate-skiing trails, a pond and wooded enclaves for an outdoor escape.

Rentals: No

Parc Frédéric-Back

From limestone quarry to landfill to environmental gem, Parc Fréderic-Back is a sprawling urban oasis on a 192-hectare site in the city’s Saint-Michel neighbourhood. Trek to your heart’s content on seven kilometres of snowshoeing trails. The white spheres (biogas-capturing wells) on its snowy swaths give this park an intriguing lunar look. Very fitting, because its environmental ambitions are out of this world.

Rentals: On weekends

Parc Jean-Drapeau

Another easy metro ride (hop off at Parc Jean-Drapeau station) will get snowshoers to another prized piece of parkland just off the island of Montréal. From shoreline vistas to small summits, you’ll have a blast taking in the flora, fauna, and fresh air. The backdrop includes visuals like the Biosphère, outdoor sculptures, and a historic fort.

Rentals: Yes (visit Patin Patin)

Parc-nature de l’Île-de-la-Visitation

The borough of Ahuntsic-Cartierville is home to a grand linear park that hugs the Rivière des Prairies riverbank and includes a small island called Île-de-la-Visitation. Trees, birdwatching, and the calm of the water will make your snowshoeing day spectacular.

Rentals: Yes

Parc-nature de la Pointe-aux-Prairies

Head east to enjoy the expanses of this 261-hectace riverside park in the city’s Rivière-des-Prairies and Pointe-aux-Trembles neighbourhoods. It offers 6.7 kilometres of snowshoeing bliss that includes the chance to walk among tall grasses and maybe even spot a white-tailed deer.

Rentals: Yes

Parc-nature du Bois-de-l’Île-Bizard

This park on Île-Bizard on Montréal’s northwestern tip is certainly worth the trip. Get your nature fix on 12 kilometres of snowshoeing trails that include wooded enclaves and glittering snowscapes.

Rentals: No

Parc-nature du Bois-de-Liesse

This grand park offers over 10 kilometres of snowshoeing trails in an idyllic setting. Get out and enjoy a forest filled with rare maples and other wildlife, pristine powder, and fresh air.

Rentals: Yes

Parc-nature du Cap-Saint-Jacques

Spanning 330 hectares, this massive park is Montréal’s largest, welcoming outdoor enthusiasts to trek 12 kilometres of snowshoeing trails. Cross-country skiing also available. Additionally, the park boasts a sugar shack and two heated chalets.

Rentals: Yes

Parc-nature du Ruisseau-De Montigny

This linear park features over three kilometres of snowshoeing fun that includes sweeping views of the Rivière des Prairies waterway. A definite mood-booster! 

Rentals: No

Neighbourhood parks

The Ville de Montréal’s initiatives to keep people active in winter include the addition of equipment rentals in the following neighbourhood parks: Parc du Père-Marquette, Parc Joseph-Paré, Parc Lafond, Parc Beaubien, and Parc du Pélican.

Rental places

You can rent skis and skates at outdoor stores such as La Cordée or Poubelle du Ski. The latter offers a wide range of services and equipment rentals for winter sports, including cross-country skiing, snowboarding, ice skating, and field hockey, for both men and women. Equipment includes helmets, gloves, skis, snowboards, and ice skates for all types of winter sports needs.

Thanks to the Parc Actif program, you can also borrow snowshoes, toboggans, spikes and walking poles from some of Montréal's public libraries.