Dozens of Activities to Enjoy Winter in Mount Royal Park

From December to March, Les amis de la montagne invites sports, outdoor and culture enthusiasts to enjoy a variety of programs and events in Mount Royal Park.

The 2017-18 winter season includes new activities for children and adults to experience the best of what nature has to offer without leaving the city!

Seasonal highlights include:

 

• City Lights snowshoe excursions led by our expert guides, are offered in French and English on Friday and Saturday evenings in January and February, with hot chocolate, mulled wine or a chocolate truffle depending on the trek. Register here or follow snowshoe excursions on Facebook! 

• Cross-country skiing with the Club de ski de fond des Amis de la montagne for children and adults wishing to learn or hone their cross-country skiing techniques without leaving the city. Register here or follow the Club de ski de fond des Amis de la montagne on Facebook!

 

• Birdwatching activities invite bird lovers to come observe birds in Mount Royal Park or to take part in an official survey of the North American winter bird population. A special Christmas Bird Count takes place on December 16 and 17. Register here or follow birdwatching activities on Facebook! 

 

• Special Valentine’s Day snowshoes excursions offer an afternoon of family fun on February 11, as well as a special evening for couples and sweethearts on February 14, including an aperitif in the forest and a romantic fondue dinner at the Café des Amis in the Beaver Lake Pavilion with a magnificent view of the lake. Follow this event on Facebook!

 

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• Family snowshoe excursions take place every day during March Break, from March 3 to 11, at 10:30 a.m., to discover Mount Royal’s fauna and surprising history of mountain sports, with a break for hot chocolate in the forest. Follow this event on Facebook! 

• Musical and gourmet skating evenings, every Friday and Saturday night starting in January invite young and old to skate to the tune of a new musical genre every week and enjoy a special menu at the Café des Amis.

• Free daytime skating for all ages on the refrigerated skating rink located next to Beaver Lake, which is already open for the season! See our rental prices here!
   

• Snow tubing on specially reserved lanes by Beaver Lake... as soon as winter shows up! 

   

• The family drop-in activity Winter Traditions at Smith House explores the myriad facets of winter on the mountain, past and present, every Saturday starting January 7.
   

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• The exhibition “In the Footsteps of our Discoverers – The Remarkable History of Montréal” sheds light on the unique collection of historical paintings in the Mount Royal Chalet until January 7. Rallies, drawing contests and other activities for the whole family take place on December 23 and 24, December 27 to 31 and January 3 to 7, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Les amis de la montagne also offers an outdoor sports equipment rental service – skates, cross-country skis, snowshoes, snow tubes and more. Skate sharpening and cross-country ski cleaning and waxing are available on site as well. Our rental counter is located at ground level in the Beaver Lake Pavilion. Thanks to this service, park visitors can enjoy skating at Beaver Lake, as well as 22 km of cross-country ski trails and 3 km of snowshoe trails in the forest, all available free of charge.
 

Enjoy a Gourmet Break on the Mountain

The Café des Amis located at Smith House, the Beaver Lake Pavilion and the Mount Royal Chalet is pleased to serve delicious homemade soups, hot mains, sandwiches, salads and desserts, in addition to a selection of coffees, teas and hot chocolate, for the pleasure of skaters, hikers, skiers, snowshoers and other park visitors.