Belvédère Outremont - Montreal Viewpoint & Wildlife Sanctuary
A viewpoint on the north-west side of Mont-Royal, adjacent to Montreal's cemetery with view on University and Northern Montreal up to Olympic Stadium.
How to get to Belvédère Outremont
You can get there by a short walk from metro station Edouard-Montpetit. Walk goes upwards rather steep through a deciduous forest. Look out for mushrooms and forest flowers. Once arrived on top, your efforts will be honoured by a beautiful view on a large part of Montreal and surroundings.
Photos
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What to See Here
The main attraction of this place is to watch Turkey Vultures soaring in the sky on search of food and the possibility to see and photograph butterflies on the West slope of the park. The forest on the East side gives opportunities to see forest flowers and different mushrooms.
Butterfly species and flowers change over the months. Early spring there are Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) and Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma). In summer and autumn look out for European Common Blue (Polyommattus icarus), Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus) and Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) among other butterfly species.
Observed Animals by Season
| Species | Spring | Summer | Autumn | Winter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) | x | - | - | x |
| American Robin (Turdus migratorius) | x | - | - | - |
| Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) | x | - | - | x |
| Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) | x | - | - | - |
| Eastern Grey Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) | x | - | - | x |
| European Common Blue (Polyommattus icarus) | - | x | - | - |
| Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus) | x | x | - | - |
| Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides villosus) | x | - | - | - |
| Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) | x | - | - | - |
| Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) | x | - | - | - |
| Swainson's Thrush (Catharus ustulatus) | x | - | - | - |
| Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) | x | x | - | - |
"x" indicates the species was observed, while "-" indicates no observation. Lack of observation doesn't necessarily imply that the species is absent. Data is derived from our park visit journals.
Observed Flowering Plants by Season
| Species | Spring | Summer | Autumn | Winter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bird's-Foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) | - | x | - | x |
| Bitter Wintercress (Barbara vulgaris) | x | - | - | - |
| Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) | x | - | - | - |
| Canada Goldenrod (Solidago canadensis) | - | x | - | x |
| Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) | x | - | - | - |
| Common Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) | x | - | - | - |
| Common Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) | - | x | - | x |
| Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) | x | - | - | - |
| Large White Trillium (Trillium grandiflorum) | x | - | - | - |
| New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) | - | x | - | - |
| Yellow Trout Lily (Erythronium americanum) | x | - | - | - |
"x" indicates that the species was observed flowering, while "-" indicates no observation. The absence of observation doesn't necessarily imply that the species was not flowering. Data is derived from our park visit journals.
Photography Tips
Mainly a place for macro photography: Mushrooms, flowers and butterflies. Be aware though that in the forest there is low light and you may need flash for good results. Almost certainly, you will see Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) soaring above you during spring, summer and autumn. Carry with you a 400mm lens if you are interested in taking photos of this interesting bird. There are many other bird species around but we haven't found consistent good conditions for photography.