Cap Saint-Jacques Park
In the northwest corner of Montreal, far from downtown and close to the last remaining vestiges of rural life on the island, is a thumblike peninsula called Cap Saint-Jacques. It constitutes the major part of Cap Saint-Jacques nature park which, at 288 hectares, is the largest park on the island of Montreal. It's bounded on three sides by water: the Rivière des Prairies comes from the east and curls around it to spill into the Lake of Two Mountains on the west. Its southern boundary is Gouin Boulevard.
The park also has a second, smaller segment across the river on Île Bizard. Most of the interesting features, however, are on Cap Saint-Jacques proper, the other section just being a nice bit of green space with lake frontage.
Cap Saint-Jacques is a mostly unspoiled forested area big enough to have several roads within it, as well as a working organic farm and several old houses. It also has a beach in a shallow bay on the western side, the only natural sandy beach in the Montreal area and a good refuge on hot days, although it's prone to being closed occasionally when the water quality registers as not so good.
A satellite view of the general area is interesting, showing the park, with some long fields still plowed into it, the adjoining areas of Senneville that still show agricultural use, and Île Bizard with both golf courses and farms as well as intensively built-up areas toward the east. You can also see the greenery along the Chemin de l'Anse à l'Orme.
There's a lot of seasonal activity at the park: hiking, cycling, various kinds of boating, swimming at the beach in summer; cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in wintertime. There's also lodging for 80 people in a dorm-style guesthouse for groups.
Parc-nature du Cap Saint-Jacques
514-280-6784
Chalet d'accueil: 20 099, boul. Gouin Ouest, Pierrefonds
514-280-6871
Map of park in summertime
Map of park in wintertime
(PDF files, in French)
It's a haul to get to Cap St-Jacques from downtown by public transit. From Henri-Bourassa you'd take the 69 bus west till it stops on Grenet in Cartierville, and from there, the 68 bus which meanders through Pierrefonds and finally fetches up at the park gate. From Côte-Vertu metro, the 64 bus to the same Cartierville terminus, then the 68. Allow 1.5 hours at least if you're doing this from downtown. There might be ways of shortening the trip by taking the Deux-Montagnes commuter train to Roxboro-Pierrefonds and then changing to the 68, not that the train schedules are very pliable for leisure activities.
Driving, take the 40 west to exit 49 for chemin Ste-Marie and follow the signs, or just drive west on Gouin, ditto.
