I love a good hike, but I don’t always want to drive 2 hours, hike, and then drive home for 2 hours. That’s why I found the best hikes an hour or less from Montreal!
North America
La Malbaie in the Charlevoix region is the perfect place for a weekend getaway from Montreal. It’s a quintessential small Quebec town to visit. Along the north shore of the St. Lawerence river, it’s a bit over a 4 hour drive from Montreal (about 2 hours past Quebec City).
Alfred Kelly Nature Reserve is one of my favourite spots to hike near Montreal. There are 15 km of free hiking trails that you can discover, I’ve barely even scratched the surface!
The West Island of Montreal is, you guessed it, the west part of the Island. It’s filled with nature, unbeatable sunset views, and unique shopping experiences.
Visiting McGill’s Morgan Arboretum is a perfect way to spend a day surrounded by nature. It’s 245 acres of land filled with walking trails in the summer, cross country skiing in the winter, and don’t even get me started on the beautiful array of colours you’ll see in the fall!
The main highlight in Yamachiche is the nature park. Right off the highway, there’s a nature reserve that you can walk around and explore. It’s a true Québec hidden gem that’s definitely worth the trip to.
Did you know there are, not one, not two, but three lavender fields near Montreal!? Now you don’t have to plan a trip to the South of France to get a taste of the beautiful purple fields… although, who’s ever complaining about visiting the South of France!?
Les Chutes de Plaisance is part of the Plaisance national park in Quebec and it’s a historical site. It makes a wonderful day trip to nature. It’s also the perfect excursion if you’re staying at the Chateau Montebello for the weekend.
Tremblant is the perfect summer escape from Montreal. The main attraction here is the ski hill in the winter, but that doesn’t mean you can’t visit in the summer months. This was my family’s go to spot for summer vacations for years!
A true Montrealer is its own unique breed; different from Canadians and Quebecois. But don’t worry we still religiously say ‘sorry’ and ‘eh?’. So, if you’re thinking about visiting the city, or maybe even moving, here’s everything you need to know to fit in.