Beaver Lake (Lac aux Castors)

Worth an hour if the morning is clear and you want foliage without committing to a summit push. Walk the lake, then sit at the pavilion if it is open. Skip it in heavy rain; the point is the colour and the water. Colour timing for Oct 12-15 is unconfirmed, so treat it as a bonus, not the plan.

• On the editor's lead for fall colour reflections
• Pavilion with full meals listed on official site

Why maybePlausible and low-cost, but I could not confirm colour conditions, the street address, or Oct 12 pavilion hours.

chill/low key

Best fora slow morning walk, fall photos

No entrance fee found on sources read; not explicitly stated as free. Pavilion meals extra, menu prices not read.

Our estimate from posted prices, CAD, before tax and tip. Québec purchases carry the 5% federal GST plus the 9.975% Québec Sales Tax (QST, TVQ in French): 14.975% combined on taxable items. Tourisme Montréal: it is customary to tip restaurant servers, taxi drivers and hairdressers 15% of the bill, before taxes. Bellhops, porters and doormen generally get at least $2 per bag or service; coffee and food counters often have a tip cup by the register.

1. Mon 12Maybe10am to 7pmThanksgiving: holiday hours unconfirmed
2. Tue 13Open10am to 7pmThird-party hours
3. Wed 14Open10am to 7pmThird-party hours
4. Thu 15Open10am to 7pmThird-party hours

Thanksgiving MondayOfficial hours page lists no holiday hours or closures and says hours can change without notice. No explicit Oct 12 statement.

Hours from a third-party listing. Confirm before you go.

Probably, as an hour-long fall-colour stop if the weather is good. Evidence is thin.

Best time

Morning on a clear day (editor lead, unverified)

Time needed

45-90 min (estimate)

Cost

No fee found; likely free (unconfirmed)

Weather

Better dry or overcast-bright; avoid heavy rain. Not verified by a source.

This season

Colour peak timing for Oct 12-15 not confirmed.

Good forfall colours, easy walk

• Mount Royal Chalet, the other Café des Amis location on the mountain, for coffee and snacks (hours 9am-7pm per official page)

Beaver Lake, Mount Royal Park, Montréal, QC (street address not confirmed)

52 min walk (3.8 km) / 10 min drive, no traffic / 28 min by bike

From 216 Rue Young. Routes from OpenStreetMap data; transit times are in the maps app.

1. OfficialLe Mont-Royal (Les amis de la montagne): Café des Amis opening hoursaccessed 2026-10-08
2. From usEditor note (user provided): Editor lead (Mount Royal foliage reflections, mtl.org fall colours page); not independently readaccessed 2026-10-08