Mont-Saint-Bruno National Park
Mont-Saint-Bruno National Park is a provincial national park on the south shore of Montréal, in Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, in the administrative region of Montérégie, in Quebec.
Understand
[edit]This park includes Mont Saint-Bruno, one of the Monteregian hills, whose summit is at 218 m (715 ft) altitude. This park is recognized for the richness of its fauna and flora. It has five lakes, an orchard, a historic mill and 35 km of mechanically maintained trails (27 km in classic and 8 km in skating).
It is possible to practice hiking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and downhill skiing. The park is accessible year-round. The park has two heated relays for a break. The park offers evening skiing in January and February, on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays until 21:00. The park offers ski equipment rental at the discovery and visitors centre; reservation is required at ☏ +1-800-665-6527 at least 24 hours in advance.
- Cross-country ski trails in the park
All of these trails start at the park's service center. Only trails 2, 4 and 8 are recommended for families.
| Circuit number | Length | Degree of difficulty | Estimated duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8.7 km (5.4 mi) | Difficult | 75 min |
| 2 | 3.2 km (2.0 mi) | Easy | 30 min |
| 3 | 6.2 km (3.9 mi) | Difficult | 60 min |
| 4 | 4.0 km (2.5 mi) | Easy | 45 min |
| 5 | 7.7 km (4.8 mi) | Difficult | 75 min |
| 6 | 8.1 km (5.0 mi) | Very difficult | 75 min |
| 7 | 9.3 km (5.8 mi) | Difficult | 90 min |
| 8 | 1.7 km (1.1 mi) | Easy | 20 min |
Park users can view the winter trail map at: HERE.
More than 200 species of birds frequent this park and about forty species of mammals coexist in this protected territory.
The park is visited by approximately three quarters of a million visitors each year, making it the third most visited park in the province. Parc du Mont-Saint-Bruno shares its administrative center with the Boucherville Islands National Park (Parc national des Îles-de-Boucherville) and the building is located there, about ten kilometers west of Parc du Mont-Saint-Bruno.
- 1 Mont-Saint-Bruno National Park Information Center (Poste d'accueil du parc national du Mont-Saint-Bruno), 330, rang des Ving-Cinq Est, Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, ☏ +1 450-653-7544. Protected territory.
Geography
[edit]This park has five lakes: Seigneurial, du Moulin, des Atocas, des Bouleaux and à la Tortue. These lakes form a hydrographic slope which drains on the south side into the Moulin stream. The latter flows towards the southwest, in particular by crossing the Lac du Village in downtown Saint-Bruno, to join the Massé stream which flows on the west bank of the Richelieu River.
The Lac Seigneurial lookout offers a beautiful view of the surrounding forest, especially when the leaves are in full color in the fall.
The eastern boundary of the park corresponds to the intermunicipal boundary with Saint-Basile-le-Grand. Part of the northern zone of the park extends into Sainte-Julie. The southwestern limit is backed by the urban area of Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville.
Get in
[edit]By car
[edit]- From Montreal (32 km, time: 26 min. Take the Samuel-De Champlain bridge (east); continue on Highway 10 (east); take Highway 30 (north); take the Montarville climb (towards the east); take Rang des Ving-Cinq (north); take Chemin St-Gabriel (east) to the park reception desk (Services Center).
- From Quebec City (232 km, time: 2 hr 26 min). Take Autoroute 20 (westbound) to Sainte-Julie; take Rang des Vingt-Cinq (to the south); take Chemin St-Gabriel (east) to the park reception desk.
By bus
[edit]RTL users can use line 299, the Shuttle SkiBus of the Réseau de transport de Longueuil (RTL), which will take them to Parc national du Mont-Saint-Bruno on Saturdays and Sundays in winter, from January 8 to March 6. Departure from the Longueuil-Université-de-Sherbrooke metro station. For information on the SkiBus Shuttle: HERE.
Get around
[edit]
The encounter with wild animals is frequent in this park: deer, raccoons, squirrels, and birds.
See
[edit]- 1 Vieux-Moulin (Old-Mill) (between Lac Seigneurial and Lac du Moulin), ☏ +1 450-653-7544. Old stone water mill used to grind grain built in 1761. It was restored without its operational components in the 1970s. It serves as a stopover for skiers and hikers. Today, it offers a tea room.
- 2 Le Vieux-Verger (The Old Orchard), ☏ +1 450-653-7544. The Vieux-Verger is on the western slope of the mountain, near the park's Visitors' Centre and close to the parking lots. In the fall, users can pick apples there.
Events
[edit]Do
[edit]In summer
[edit]- Apple picking (Near the Service Center). In the Old Orchard of the brothers of Saint-Gabriel. The park occasionally offers interactive activities in this old orchard, led by a naturalist park ranger.
- Hiking. Network of trails totalling 30 km (19 mi).
- Bike. In the service roads of the park.
- Oversized tire bike (fatbike).
- Boat at Lac des Bouleaux. In the summer season, the park offers boat rentals (canoe or paddle board (SUP)) at Lac des Bouleaux.
The park offers various discovery activities according to various educational themes, including: life of the pond, the fascinating world of insects, family morning, and discovery kiosk. Consult the program online[dead link]; reservations for these activities are made at ☏ +1 450-653-7544.
In winter
[edit]
- 1 Hiking.
- 2 Snowshoes. The relief of the park's hills is varied and accessible to snowshoe enthusiasts, whatever their ability. Snow conditions may vary during the winter.
- 3 Cross-country skiing. The cross-country ski trails allow you to appreciate this enchanting winter setting in the wilderness, near the city. Enthusiasts can practise evening cross-country skiing on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from early January to early March (variable depending on the snow cover). The park is open to skiers, snowshoers, walkers and snow cyclists until 21:00. Skiers can make use of the heated relay and the waxing room.In collaboration with Le Grand Défi Pierre Lavoie and "La Petite Expé", the Energy Cubes slope offers a fun and playful formula to familiarize young people with cross-country skiing. This track has a learning platform to familiarize yourself with the equipment and the glide. Following this initiation, a loop of 600 m allows to continue the training.
- 4 Ski Saint-Bruno. Ski resort located in the park where you can go downhill skiing on 15 lighted and artificially snow-covered trails. In addition, the Ski Saint-Bruno sliding school is the largest sliding sports school in Canada with close to 600 instructors. This alpine ski centre is found in the central-northern part of the national park.
Buy
[edit]Eat
[edit]Drink
[edit]Sleep
[edit]The park does not have any accommodation.
Connect
[edit]Go next
[edit]- 1 Montreal Metropolis of Quebec, Montreal is a cosmopolitan, island and port city. Montreal is the economic, commercial and financial heart of Quebec.
- 2 Boucherville Islands National Park This national park is a protected area open all year round. Its territory covers many islands. Users can rent equipment for recreational tourism activities in all seasons, go camping and organize group activities. In this park, the deer population is part of the scenery.
- 3 Longueuil Longueuil has a network of 168 km of cycle paths; a bike path crosses the Jacques-Cartier bridge allowing the connection with Montreal. This city has various recreational parks with several hiking trails: Michel-Chartrand and de la Cité parks. Longueuil offers a host of recreational and tourist activities: hiking, biking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and municipal parks.
- 4 Sainte-Julie, Quebec Sainte-Julie is a city of great cultural, sporting and leisure activities. This city provides access to several recreational and tourist activities (hiking, cycling, and municipal parks with various leisure facilities)
- 5 Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville A city surrounded by nature with the Mont Saint-Bruno national park, its urban forest, its parks and its recreational tourism infrastructure. The national park is the third busiest park in the province. In all seasons, Saint-Bruno offers a variety of recreational tourism activities, including: hiking, biking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and downhill skiing.
- 6 Saint-Basile-le-Grand A residential village between the Richelieu River and the St. Lawrence River. Recreational tourism activities are mainly: hiking, biking, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing. The city has around twenty parks, several of which are accessible by the cycle path. The Parc de Montpellier has a magnificent body of water with a fountain.
- 7 McMasterville Nautical traffic on the Richelieu River generates recreational tourism activities. The main recreational and tourist activities are: hiking, biking, children's play areas, green spaces, parks, swimming pool, and sports facilities.