Val-David – Léonidas-Dufresne Park

We were just wrapping up our 1-day summer vacation in Sainte-Adèle, and after an AMAZING breakfast at Restaurant Au Petit Poucet, we wandered into Val-David to check out if there were any parks. 
And of course there were! Right in the middle of town and just off the incredible P’tit Train du Nord is this little playground that has a great big-kid climber, teeter-totters, big and baby swings, and some cute ground level playthings for toddlers. 
Everything is on wood chips and spaced close together, and while there is no fencing, it’s set back from the road. 

We parked in the spaces on Rue de la Sapinière right near the converted train station (with bathrooms). And after poking around and reading a bunch of tourist info, we ran off to play. There are also a couple of picnic tables, porta-potties, and some green space. 
The big climber from Quebec-based Jambette is high and has some challenging ladders, a rock climbing wall, and slides; with cute additions like the steering wheel and binoculars. All three boys played on it, but the little one needed a big boost and a lot of help. I wouldn’t let him on without someone holding on to him because it’s really high. 

The toddler was much more comfortable with the ground-level Snail Play House, the super cute elephant slide and the two spring riders. 

There are TONS of restaurants around as well as bike shops and art galleries. We didn’t have too much time to explore but the two big boys were so excited by the thought of biking the P’tit Train du Nord, that they came back up the next weekend with their bikes (and stopped for breakfast again at Au Petit Poucet) and spent the day biking. They came back tired, sweaty, and with some great pictures! The Train du Nord network of trails is HUGE with a 232-km cycle path built over an old railway line from Bois-des-Filion to Mont- Laurier and you can access it from spots all along the route, and starting just north of Montreal.
p.s. If you want a beautiful spot for a picnic, walk a bit north and you’ll find Parc des Amoureux

p.s. There is a “book house-Livre service” in the park where you can leave or take a book. We always leave some books in the car in case we happen upon a park with one of these cute lending libraries. 

 

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