Anne-Charlotte PasseraIf you are looking for activities to do as part of a short day trip from Montreal, why not head over to Mont-Saint-Hilaire, less than one hour away from the city?
Mont-Saint-Hilaire is known as the small house shaped mountain in the modern Abenaki language. The actual name of Mont-Saint-Hilaire was established in the early 20th century by settlers. However, it did have other names beforehand, depending on whose parish was running its surroundings.
It’s possible to enjoy Mont-Saint-Hilaire all year long through different activities. Although you can access Mont-Saint-Hilaire by train, you’ll need a car in order to be able to do the activities.
Hiking Mont-Saint-Hilaire
The Gault Nature Reserve owns the actual ‘mountain’ of Mont-Saint-Hilaire and the western half of the mountain is accessible to the public.
In order to access the public side, you’ll have to pay an entrance fee of $8 as an adult. It’s FREE for kids under the age of 17. An annual pass is also available.
What is interesting about this mountain is that the area surrounding it is one of the last remnants of primeval forests of the Saint-Lawrence Valley.
The best view
To enjoy a panoramic view of the Saint-Lawrence valley take the yellow trail up to the sugar loaf (pain de sucre). The trail is 5.4km long with an elevation of 281m.
I only took this trail once and it was memorable. My 4 year old Blondie Bear (at the time) had an epic meltdown in the middle of the trail and we hadn’t reached the hardest part which was the climb.
Nonetheless, we reached the top tearless, and enjoyed our packed sandwiches while admiring the view.
In order to enjoy this trail, bring snacks, water and wear comfortable shoes. Although part of the trail is doable with a stroller, I recommend you use a baby wrap carrier.
Moreover, to protect the wide variety of fauna and flora, you must stay on the trails, and dogs aren’t allowed there.
The yellow trail is best enjoyed from April to October.
Location: 422 chemin des Moulins, Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Quebec, J3G 4S6
Winter activities
The reserve is open all year long. During the Winter months, you can practice snowshoeing and cross country skiing on designated trails. You’ll have to pay an extra $5 fee for the skiing part if you’re not an annual pass holder.
Where to rent or buy equipment
Usually, in Montreal parks, you can rent equipment for FREE but it’s a little more complicated when you are outside the city.
One way to go about it and not spend a fortune is through Kijiji or checking out La Poubelle du Ski. They sell used and new skis and skates.
It’s possible to rent winter sports equipment for a whole season. Once the season is over, you can either return the equipment or buy it minus the cost of the rental Read more about their rental program right HERE.
Other places you could consider to buy equipment is at MEC or Decathlon.
Mont-Saint-Hilaire is also home to a number of rare minerals that are exploited by a quarry on the side of the mountain. Furthermore, the soil surrounding the mountain is ideal for the growth of apple trees.
Apple picking with the family
Mont-Saint-Hilaire has many apple orchards which draw thousands of visitors each year.
In fact, apple picking is THE family activity to do around Montreal in September. If you’ve never been, it’s something you should try with your kids. They’ll discover different types of apples and about the food notion from farm to table. It’s like going to the farmer’s market, except this time you are at the actual source.
There are plenty of apple orchards to pick from in Mont-Saint-Hilaire. The one that I’d like to recommend though is Domaine du Flanc Sud.
You only pay if you pick apples (per bag). Otherwise, you can just walk around the orchard, pet some ‘farm animals’ or try to find your way through a corn maze (FREE).
This is the perfect place to go with small kids. However, the best part is that dogs are actually allowed there. Nouki enjoyed apple picking as well! Note that dogs are not allowed in the cherry and blueberry fields which you can also do there.
Location: 920, CHEMIN DE LA MONTAGNE, MONT-SAINT-HILAIRE, QUEBEC, J3G 4S6
Walk like an Alpaca in Mont-Saint-Hilaire
Oddly enough, there is an Alpaca farm in Mont-Saint-Hilaire. I had heard that there were alpacas near the apple orchards of Mont-Saint-Hilaire, but I was not aware that there was an actual farm.
Last Fall, Blondie Bear, Big Boss and I decided to check it out. However, it’s an activity that can be enjoyed all year long. It must be gorgeous during Winter time when the trail has put on its white coat.
Due to the Pandemic, some activities are not currently available:
- guided tour of the farm; and
- yoga with alpacas.
Otherwise, you can take the daily or nightly walk by booking your time slot on their website HERE.
The walks lasts about 45 minutes and the trail is not very long. You’ll stop often to feed your Alpaca with food that will be provided in a little cup. It’s a slow walk. That’s why its an appropriate family activity to do.
If you have very small children, use a baby wrap carrier instead of a stroller as the trail can be muddy. In fact, it’s recommended to wear boots when you go there and possibly bring another pair of shoes.
The cost
The daily walk cost $37.50 for 1 alpaca per 2 adults or a small family. If you are more than 2 adults, you’ll need to rent another alpaca.
In case you are worried, each alpaca only does 3 walks per day. They do need to exercise so these walks are beneficial to them.
As for the nightly walk, the cost is $40 and up. Don’t forget your lamp torch although the trail is somewhat lit.
About the Alpacas
Alpacas originally come from Peru and are not to be confused with lamas.
The alpacas are smaller in size and have a small face with short ears. Another noticeable difference is the hair. Alpaca’s hair is shaggy and the colour varies from white and yellow to brown and black. Alpaca’s wool is of better quality than lamas and is commonly sued in wool dryer balls.
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6 Wool Dryer Balls$ 49
In fact, alpaca wool is 5 to 6 times warmer than sheep wool. At the Alpagas du Domaine Poissant, they sell wool products from their alpacas and it is worth checking out.
Life of the Alpacas
The lifespan of an alpaca is 15 to 20 years and they need to live in a herd of at least 3. At the Alpagas du Domaine Poissant, they have more than 100 of them that live in four different enclosures.
The females and males both live in separate enclosures. One of the reasons is to keep the males from wanting to constantly hump the females. This could cause a miscarriage for female alpacas if they are already pregnant. The gestation period is 340 days!
The other two enclosures are for the youngsters from 6 months to 18 months and the ‘teenagers’ from 18 months to 3 years old.
Do you know how to tell if a female alpaca is pregnant?
If you bring the male with whom she mated with 2 weeks later and she runs away, spits, yells, that means she is expecting and want nothing more to do with the male. A mating session lasts between 30-45 minutes.
Location: 1235 Chemin de la Montagne, Mont-Saint-Hilaire
Get a massage with your child
Just like at Strom Spa in Montreal, you can get a massage with your child at the one in Mont-Saint-Hilaire.
It’s cheaper if you get one before 10h30 and is available every day.
The Strom Spa is located close to the apple orchards of Mont-Saint-Hilaire at: 641, chemin de la Montagne Mont-Saint-Hilaire (QC) J3G 4S6.
Outdoor movie experience
One of the few remaining outdoor drive-in movie theaters in Quebec is located in Mont-Saint-Hilaire.
This is such a fun experience to do with the family and the best part is that you can even bring your dog along to this one. Why would you bring your dog along? Well, especially if they are puppies, and because of the distance and duration of the activity, you might not want to leave home alone. Besides, if you can, why not? Give them some popcorn and you’ll see that they’ll enjoy the movie just as much as you.
The only set back is that the movies are only shown in French. For that, you’ll need to go to the Drive-In in Saint-Eustache, but dogs aren’t allowed there.
The last time we went to the Drive-In, we had folded our back seat, put a small mattress, and brought pillows. It was so comfortable and felt like we were laying in bed but under the stars. The idea came to me as we had a similar experience while we visited Caye Caulker in Belize.
Location: 800, chemin du Ciné-parc, Mont-Saint-Hilaire
Horseback riding
Another kind of activities you can do in Mont-Saint-Hilaire is to go horseback riding. It’s not something that we have had a chance to do here, but I found two places where you can do that.
Of courses, this type of activity is not really budget-friendly when you are a family. However, it can be a great experience and be part of a special gift.
A 1hr ride cost $50 and is available for children 6 years old and up. What’s great about this place is that you can go horseback riding even in Winter.
Location: 1101 Grand Rang, La Présentation, (Québec) Canada, J0H 1B0
Centre d’équitation Nouvelle France
The rides are 2 hours long and cost $85. Starting age is 10 years old and up. Offered from May to October.
Location: 1720, Rang de la Rivière Nord, St-Jean-Baptiste (Québec) J0L 2B0
Where to warm up in Mont-Saint-Hilaire
After your outdoor activities in Mont-Saint-Hilaire, head on over to the Cabosse d’Or.
Grab a cup of hot cocoa during the cold months, or some chocolate as they actually make their own there. Their museum is open for a tour on week-ends at 13h30.
It’s also a great place to hang out when the sun is shining to enjoy some homemade ice cream and sorbets.
They also have a miniature golf if you want to stay a little while longer in Mont-Saint-Hilaire (from May to October).
The cost is $6.50 for adults, $4.55 for kids (8-15) and $1.25 (7 and under).
Location: 973, Chemin Oziacs Leduc, Otterburn Park
For more ideas on things to do in and around Montreal, check out our past monthly articles: September, October, January or sign up for our newsletter and get a FREE little brochure about what to do all year long.
As you can see, there is something for everyone all year long. Mont-Saint-Hilaire is a great place to go to for some fun and unusual activities which the whole family can enjoy.
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