If you like to beat the winter by spending time outdoors, Parc Jean Drapeau is offering a full slate of free activities for the upcoming season.
For the rest of the winter, the Société du parc Jean-Drapeau (SPJD) will offer a “one-of-a-kind playground” in the middle of the Saint Lawrence River.
Free activities include sliding, skating, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, and fat biking.
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One of the park’s key features is the impressive “Skaters’ Trail,” a 500-metre-long ice-covered refrigerated path that will light up at night and winds throughout Parc Jean-Drapeau.
There is also a new sliding hill that offers families the chance to zoom down a steep incline while taking in breathtaking views of downtown Montreal from the other side of the river.
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All three of the park’s cross-country ski trails are “beautifully maintained” and offer skiers a variety of different routes. The Île Sainte-Hélène hill has both 300 metres of skiable landscape (for beginners) and 800 metres of a more treacherous trek for the advanced class. A third 5.4-kilometre-long trail on Île Notre-Dame accommodates more experienced skiers who are “seeking to get away and go on a trail interspersed with public art displays, heritage buildings and abundant nature.”
Locker rooms and waxing tables are available on-site.
Parc Jean-Drapeau also has a climbing wall made completely out of ice, where climbers can tackle a seriously cool experience.
Snowshoeing offers paths that are full of wildlife and Montreal’s picturesque winter atmosphere, where visitors can take a “reflective and memorable walk,” says the SPJD.
Bird feeders have been set up near wooded areas in the Biosphere and can attract nuthatches, chickadees, and woodpeckers for fans of winter bird-watching.
The parc will be renting out equipment all winter (skates, skis, bikes, snowshoes) which will be free for Montreal residents under the age of 17. The park also has food concession stands, hot drinks, and outdoor heaters.
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Parc Jean-Drapeau also has restaurants serving coffee, hot chocolate, and snacks at the Ste-Hélène Bistro-Terrasse during weekends and some public holidays along with an indoor area (at the Aquatic Complex) to offer a warm refuge.
Weather permitting, Parc Jean-Drapeau is expecting to launch its full line of free winter activities on December 23 and will be open every day until March 5, 2023.
Check out the following individual activity pages for more information, schedules, and conditions, which will be updated daily.
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