The best hikes from bus stations around Montréal

The eastern tip viewpoint at Parc des Rapides offers one of the closest, safest vantage points to the powerful Lachine Rapids on the St. Lawrence River. From this shoreline lookout, you can watch fast-moving currents, standing waves, and seabirds that gather in the churning water, with clear views toward the Champlain Bridge and Île des Sœurs. Connected by Chemin des Berges, the paved path leads to benches and small observation areas where you can pause and take in the sound and force of the rapids.

Verdun Beach, just behind the Verdun Auditorium, has a beautiful sandy shoreline and a calm, buoy-marked swimming area protected by a rock dike. During summer (mid-June to early September), the beach offers amenities including changing rooms, showers, washrooms, a children’s playground, drinking fountains, and accessible pathways down to the water. It's it an ideal spot for families, hikers, and cyclists on Chemin des Berges to take a break and relax.

Arthur Therrien Park is a large riverfront green space set along the St. Lawrence River, with open lawns and paved paths that connect directly to Chemin des Berges. The park includes a seasonal outdoor pool, sports fields, tennis courts, a skate park, playgrounds, picnic areas, washrooms, drinking fountains, and bike racks. Its shoreline setting offers expansive views over the river toward the Lachine Rapids, making it a popular recreational hub and a scenic stop along the waterfront route.

The cross was erected on Mount Royal in 1924 and is a Montreal landmark. The 30-meter-high cross is visible for kilometers when illuminated. It commemorates January 6, 1643, when Paul de Chomedey de Maisonneuve, the founder of Montreal, carried a wooden cross to the summit of Mount Royal after the colony survived a flood. Ten stories about the cross on Mount Royal can be read in a newspaper article: https://www.montrealgazette.com/news/article560997.html Nevertheless, the cross is also controversial; indigenous groups are demanding its removal as a symbol of colonization. Source: https://hauntedmontreal.com/haunted-montreal-blog-82-the-haunted-cross-on-the-mountain.html (Visit June 13, 2025)

A telecommunication mast stands at the highest point of the mountain, at 233 m. The Mount Royal Cross is located below the summit, to the east. This location was chosen that the cross is visible from the city.

The Chalet du Mont Royal dates to 1931. This large building, designed in the French Beaux-Arts style, boasts a spacious interior with murals depicting the history of Montreal under the French regime. Today, the building houses a visitor center with an information kiosk, a snack bar, a souvenir stand, and restrooms. (Visit June 13, 2025) https://www.mtl.org/en/what-to-do/culture-arts-heritage/chalet-du-mont-royal

The Monument to Sir George-Étienne Cartier was created by George William Hill after he won the tender in 1912. After some delay, the monument was erected in 1919. The monument consists of 18 bronze figures, with the figure of Sir George-Étienne Cartier towering above all the others. Below his figure, two standing groups of statues represent the four provinces that joined the Confederation in 1867. https://artpublicmontreal.ca/en/oeuvre/monument-a-sir-george-etienne-cartier/

The history of Mount Royal Park began when Jacques Cartier named the mountain in 1535, which led to the city of Montreal being named after it. In the mid-19th century, the City of Montreal acquired the land to create a park. The design of the park was entrusted to renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted (of New York's Central Park fame) to ensure that the mountain's natural character was preserved for public enjoyment and to create urban green spaces. Mount Royal Park was officially opened on May 24, 1876. https://www.lemontroyal.qc.ca/en/history-of-mount-royal Frederick Law Olmsted's book Mount Royal, Montreal (1881) describes in detail the design for Mount Royal Park. (Reprinted: November 21, 2009)