Parc Regional de la Riviere du Nord

During wintertime, Parc Régional de la Rivière du Nord offers 14.4 km of winter trails, 17.2 km of cross country trails, a mini slope for sledding, and 19.3 km of snowshoeing trails in the forest. During summertime, it offers hiking and cycling trails, and nautical activities.

Why we love this park:

– Nearby Montreal, less than 45 mins drive
– Super nice scenery with the river rapids
– Simple trails, flat terrain, ideal for little hikers and beginners – circular and short trails
– Unique trails such as Sentier des Arts, a short trail with impressive wooden installations, Circuit Historique and Circuit Écologique – short trails with interpretation panels along the path

Petit Train du Nord cycling​​​ trail

Parc Linéaire Le P’tit Train du Nord is a multi-use recreational trail along Rivière du Nord from Saint Jérome to Mont-Laurier. The 232km corridor was originally a railway track which was operated by the Candian Pacific Railway from about 1890 to 1990. Today, Le P’tit Train du Nord Linear Park is used for biking and hiking during summertime and cross-country skiing & snowmobiles (at some parts) during the winter.  The trail is free of charge, offers mechanical bike equipment at designated areas, first aid & mechanical assistance via volunteers along the trail and accessible to beginners.

Clef des Champs Medicinal Garden

Clef des Champs is a beautiful garden (organic certified) with 150 medicinal plants planted on terraces of a mountain in Val-David. Open for only 5 weeks in the summer this garden has great views of the surrounding hills. Learn about the medicinal herbs with informative signs along the path, exploring the health benefits of these plants. Our kids liked the witch garden with toxic plants. We spent about an hour in the garden, including the playground, headed for lunch in Val-David, and continued on a short bicycle ride on the Petit Train du Nord which is located nearby.

Parc regional de Val David Winter Hike

Parc regional de Val David, located in the Laurentides offers a wonderful family winter hike (available also all year long). This round trail is about 3km. Trail letters are “D” and “C” starting from chalet d’accueil Anne-Piché in Secteur Dufresne Val-David. 

Why do we love this hike:

Beautiful scenery and viewpoints throughout the trail
Special large rocks on the trail
Informative signs along the way
Special tubing hill (part of the park)
Nearby Montreal – under 1h15 drive 
The park allows dogs! Check website for exact rules

Parc regional de Val David winter hike with amazing viewpoints

Parc regional de Val David, located in the Laurentides offers a wonderful family winter hike (available also all year long). This round trail is about 3km. Trail letters are “D” and “C” starting from chalet d’accueil Anne-Piché in Secteur Dufresne Val-David. 

Why do we love this hike:

Beautiful scenery and viewpoints throughout the trail
Special large rocks on the trail
Informative signs along the way
Special tubing hill (part of the park)
Nearby Montreal – under 1h15 drive 
The park allows dogs! Check website for exact rules

Village du Père Noël Santa Claus Village

A colourful theme park for young kids (designed mainly for 2-8 years old) with lots of activities; tubing (three options), treehouses, inflatables, train ride, slides and houses with different stations. This park is open mainly during the summer and is open briefly during the winter (until Jan 6th, 2019!). Super friendly staff dressed as elves will keep you entertained in each station. 

Verger Lacroix Apple Picking

A great orchard for apple picking is Verger Lacroix. The orchard is known for its apple cider (fire ciders, ice ciders and sparkling cider), which are sold at the large and nice boutique shop at the orchard with other local produce. The orchard is offering about 11 apple types for self-picking, two big playgrounds, hay to jump on, a tractor ride and a mini farm.

Richard Legault Apple Orchard

We saw Richard Legault Apple Orchard on our way to Oka beach. On the way back from a day at the beach, we decided to stop here and we didn’t want to leave the place. The orchard has a variety of 13 different apple types for self-picking, a massive playground and a mini farm where you can feed the animals.

Oka Beach​

Oka National Park has two sectors: the beach (detailed in this post) and Calvaire (a historic site sitting on the high hills of Oka). Oka Beach is located on the north shore of Lac des Deux Montagnes. Why do we like this beach? On the day we visited, although there were so many people, the long beach allowed us to relax and to enjoy the day in a not-too-crowded way. Shallow water is perfect for young kids, sandy beach, two playgrounds, lots of picnic areas and several lifeguard stations along the beach – on the shore and in the water!

Saint Adolphe D’Howard 6km loop trail

Part of the Laurentian Mountains, located between Saint-Sauveur and Mont-Tremblant, Saint – Adolphe D’Howard is the place for snowshoeing and cross country ski, if you are looking for a less crowded place with challenging hills. This place is one of the most organized outdoor space we have visited, in terms of signs along the way. Clear indications every 50 meters showing the trail you’re on and maps, simple junctions with signs how to head back to the starting point. This post is about our winter hike along the snowshoeing trail in the forest, 6km in total.

Lac des Femmes Loop trail near Mont Tremblant

If you are visiting Mont Tremblant National Park, head for this easy trail. It is about 3km long, loop shape and relaxed walk. Located near Monroe Lake, we were able to spot few animals – two deers, birds and a beaver swimming in the water.