Preserving Mount Royal views should not be an afterthought as Montreal prepares to redevelop a huge area near downtown that serves as an entrance to the city.
Lookouts
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It’s tempting to wander off the path to get a better view from a ledge or steep secondary paths. But beware: hikers have been known to slip and fall down the precipitous slope that runs along the Escarpment Path, an often-overlooked 700-metre trail on Mount Royal that offers one of the best cityscape views.
You can drive up and park near the nature reserve and bird sanctuary on Mount Royal’s western peak, but part of this trek’s appeal is getting close to the stately Westmount mansions that line the public stairs above The Boulevard.
For Frederick Law Olmsted, getting there was half the fun. That’s clear from his writings and from the gently sloping, meandering 6.6-kilometre pedestrian and bike road on Mount Royal that bears the landscape architect’s name.
The lookout at the top of the Outremont Summit in Montreal’s Tiohtià:ke Otsira’kéhne Park gives visitors a view of northwestern Montreal. On a clear day, you can see Lac des Deux Montagnes.
This video and these photos give you a feel for Mount Royal’s Escarpment Path.
Many lifelong Montrealers have never been to Mount Royal’s second major lookout. That might be because it’s not as easy to find as the premier lookout – the Kondiaronk Belvedere, in front of the Chalet, near Smith House.
Here’s what it’s like to wander around Tiohtià:ke Otsira’kéhne Park in Outremont.
As part of my Montreal Gazette series about hiking Mount Royal, I walked up to the Outremont Summit in a park the city recently named Tiohtià:ke Otsira’kéhne (pronounced djodjâgué otchira’guéné). The summit and park are not easy to find.
Here’s a map I created to help you find and enjoy the Escarpment path (sentier de l’Escarpement).