5 Easy Hikes Near Montreal, Trail by Trail

5 Easy Hikes Near Montreal, Trail by Trail

Updated October 2026. Trail distances, climbs and levels below come from the LGPO trail page (the "fiche") of each park, read on 26 October 2026, and are tied to a named trail, not to the park as a whole. Hours, operator ratings and safety rules come from the operator or government pages named in the text. Where a field is empty on a trail page, this page says "not listed".

Looking for an easy hike near Montreal means choosing one trail, not one park: the same park can offer a 1 km stroll and a 40 km network. This page describes five places, each through a specific short trail that fits an afternoon, with the figures to compare them.

To compare every trail in the area by estimated drive time from downtown, see Hiking near Montreal.

How to Read the Numbers

• Distance and climb: the figures of the named trail on the LGPO trail page. A dash on the trail page is shown here as "not listed".
• Level: the level given on the LGPO trail page ("Beginner" or "Intermediate"), and the operator's own rating when the operator publishes one. When the two disagree, both are shown.
• Time: calculated with Naismith's rule (see "How to Prepare"). These are LGPO estimates, not the operator's times. When the climb is not listed, the estimate counts distance only and the real time will be a little longer.

The 5 Easy Hikes

1. Parc du Mont-Royal: Chemin Olmsted (Montreal)

• Trail: Chemin Olmsted, level Beginner on the LGPO trail page
• Distance: 7 km on the LGPO trail page. The City of Montréal page for the park lists the Olmsted walking trail at 8.3 km, so allow for the longer figure.
• Elevation gain: 145 m (LGPO trail page)
• Naismith estimate: about 1 h 39 for 7 km and 145 m, about 2 h 08 to 2 h 28 with the beginner margin (LGPO rule of thumb). On 8.3 km the estimate is about 1 h 54 before the margin.
• Shorter options on the same page: Circuit des mangeoires (2 km) and Sentier de l'escarpement (1.5 km), both Beginner, climb not listed
• Dogs: allowed on the LGPO trail page; the City page does not state the rules, so check before you go
• Hours: the City of Montréal lists the park as open daily from 6 a.m. to midnight

The same trail page lists a 3-summit route of 11.3 km and 376 m of climbing, which is a bigger outing than the Olmsted trail. This is the city option: no drive out of Montreal.

2. Parc Michel-Chartrand: six short trails (Longueuil)

• Trails: all six are Beginner on the LGPO trail page. Distances: Sentier 2, 2 km; Sentier 4, 2.5 km; Sentier 3, 2.7 km; Coeur en mouvement, 3 km; Sentier 0, 3.3 km; Sentier 1, 5.4 km
• Elevation gain: not listed for any of the six
• Naismith estimate (distance only): 24 min for the 2 km trail, 36 min for the 3 km trail, about 1 h 05 for the 5.4 km trail
• Dogs: not allowed, per the LGPO trail page
• Access and parking: free access and free parking, per the LGPO trail page
• Families: the trail page marks the park as child friendly

The park is open every day of the year, per the LGPO trail page. LGPO found no operator difficulty rating to quote, so the level above is LGPO's own. Confirm hours with the City of Longueuil.

3. Parc national du Mont-Saint-Bruno: Grand-Duc and Seigneurial (Montérégie)

• Sentier du Grand-Duc: 3.5 km out and back; Beginner on the LGPO trail page and rated "F" (easy) by Sépaq; Sépaq lists 1 h. Climb not listed. Naismith, distance only: 42 min, about 55 min to 1 h 03 with the beginner margin.
• Sentier Seigneurial: 7 km loop along Lac Seigneurial; 60 m of climbing on the LGPO trail page; Sépaq lists 1 h 30 and rates it "F" (easy), while the LGPO trail page rates it Intermediate. Naismith: 1 h 30, about 1 h 57 to 2 h 15 with the beginner margin.
• Dogs: Sépaq marks the Seigneurial and Grand-Duc trails as open to dogs (rules at sepaq.com/animaux); the LGPO trail page also lists dogs as allowed
• Start: Sépaq gives the Centre de découverte et de services as the starting place for its trails
• Entry: not free, per the LGPO trail page; check Sépaq for current fees

Sépaq states that the durations and levels it gives are indicative and refer to the summer season. The Grand-Duc is the shorter of the two; choose the Seigneurial for a longer loop.

4. Parc des Chutes Dorwin: a network of short trails (Rawdon)

• Trails: eight short trails, all Beginner on the LGPO trail page, from 0.1 km (Sentier des Chutes) to 1 km (Sentier de l'Île)
• Elevation gain: not listed per trail
• Naismith estimate (distance only): about 12 min for the 1 km Sentier de l'Île
• Level: Tourisme Lanaudière gives the difficulty of the park as "Easy"
• Dogs: allowed on a leash, per Tourisme Lanaudière
• Season and hours: mid-May to mid-October, daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., entrance gate closing at 5 p.m., per Tourisme Lanaudière

This is the waterfall option, and a place for a slow walk rather than a distance hike: combine the trails on site. Check that it is open before driving out. Address given by Tourisme Lanaudière: 3102, 1re Avenue, Rawdon.

5. Parc de la Rivière-des-Mille-Îles: island and marsh trails (Laval)

• Trails: thirteen short trails, all Beginner on the LGPO trail page. The longest are Île des Juifs (2.1 km) and Sentier riverain du CIN de Boisbriand (1.9 km); the shortest are under 1 km (for example Île Chabot, 0.7 km)
• Elevation gain: not listed per trail
• Naismith estimate (distance only): about 25 min for the 2.1 km Île des Juifs
• Dogs, parking: not listed
• Operator rating: none found, so the level is LGPO's own

Check the park's own site for access to the islands and for hours, since this page does not list them.

Place and trail	Distance	Elevation gain	Level (LGPO page)	Operator rating	Dogs
Parc du Mont-Royal, Chemin Olmsted	7 km (City of Montréal: 8.3 km)	145 m	Beginner	None found	Allowed (LGPO page)
Parc Michel-Chartrand, Sentier 2 to Sentier 1	2 to 5.4 km	Not listed	Beginner	None found	Not allowed
Mont-Saint-Bruno, Grand-Duc	3.5 km	Not listed	Beginner	Sépaq: F (easy)	Allowed
Mont-Saint-Bruno, Seigneurial	7 km	60 m	Intermediate	Sépaq: F (easy)	Allowed
Parc des Chutes Dorwin, Sentier de l'Île	1 km	Not listed	Beginner	Tourisme Lanaudière: Easy (park)	On a leash
Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, Île des Juifs	2.1 km	Not listed	Beginner	None found	Not listed

More Parks Worth Checking

These parks have approved LGPO trail pages. Pick a named trail on the page and compare it with the figures above before you go.

• Parc-nature du Cap-Saint-Jacques (Montreal): the trail page has no per-trail table yet.
• Parc-nature du Bois-de-Liesse (Montreal): the trail page has no per-trail table yet.
• Parc national d'Oka: Sépaq's visitor guide lists the Sentier du Calvaire d'Oka at 4.4 km, rated "F" (easy), starting at the Stationnement du Calvaire d'Oka, with dogs allowed. The LGPO trail page lists Le Calvaire d'Oka at 12.4 km, so confirm the length with Sépaq before you choose it.

How to Prepare

This section follows the rules in the free guide Before Your First Hike. Where a rule is LGPO's own, it is labelled.

Estimate your time with Naismith's rule

Naismith's rule, devised by William Naismith in 1892 and published in the Scottish Mountaineering Club Journal, is: allow 1 hour for every 5 km forward, plus 1 hour for every 600 m of ascent. For a beginner, multiplying the result by 1.3 to 1.5 is an LGPO rule of thumb, not a standard. Add breaks on top.

Water

• The US National Park Service (Grand Canyon hiking FAQ) advises roughly half a quart to a quart of water or sports drink per hour in heat, about 0.5 to 1 litre, and notes that the body absorbs only about one quart of fluid per hour.
• LGPO's rule of thumb for a start: 500 ml per hour of walking plus a 500 ml reserve, more in heat or on a long climb. This is LGPO's rule, not a standard.
• The Public Health Agency of Canada says it is best to avoid swallowing untreated water. LGPO's advice is to carry your water, or to treat surface water by boiling, filtering or chemical treatment.

Thunderstorms

Environment and Climate Change Canada says that if you can hear thunder, you are within striking distance of lightning, and to take shelter immediately, preferably in an enclosed building with wiring and plumbing, or an all-metal vehicle. Wait at least 30 minutes after the last rumble of thunder before going back outdoors.

What to carry

• Water, snacks, a layer (windbreaker or rain shell), sun protection, a charged phone and an offline map.
• Pack weight: roughly 10 to 15 % of your body weight on a day hike. This is the author's rule of thumb, not a standard.
• Shoes: trail runners suit easy, well-kept trails; low hiking shoes suit roots and rocks. Break shoes in before the real outing.

Before you leave, read the guide 7 essential questions to ask yourself before heading out. Check each park's official site for hours, fees and parking, since conditions change.

Season	Additional equipment	Points of attention
Spring	Waterproof footwear	Mud, snow patches
Summer	Sun protection, light long sleeves	Heat, insects
Fall	An extra warm layer, a headlamp	Shorter days, grippy soles for wet leaves

Respecting nature

• Stay on marked trails
• Pack out your trash
• Do not feed wildlife

Your Next Step

Pick one trail above, open the park's official page for opening days and fees, and use the Naismith estimate to plan your start time. If none fits your day, browse the approved trail pages for the Montérégie, Laurentides and Lanaudière regions on LGPO and compare the trail-level figures the same way.