Best Fall Family Photoshoot Locations in Montreal (2026 Guide)
Every September my inbox does the same thing. It goes quiet for about two weeks, and then all at once, every mom in Montreal remembers that the leaves are about to turn and that she has not been in a photo with her kids since last October.
I get it. Fall here is short. We get maybe three good weeks of colour, the light goes gold and low and forgiving, and then one windy Tuesday takes it all down.
So this is my honest guide to fall family photo locations around Montreal, Laval, the South Shore and the West Island. Honest because I have split it in two: the places I have actually photographed families in fall, and the ones sitting at the top of my wish list for this season. I would rather tell you which is which than pretend I know every trail on the island.
If you are looking for the warm-weather version, my summer family photoshoot location guide covers lavender fields, tulips and beaches.
Quick Takeaways
Peak colour in and around Montreal usually lands in mid-October. Higher ground like the Laurentians and the Eastern Townships turns earlier, often in the first half of October.
Book for late September through mid-October. Late September gives you warm greens with the first pops of gold. Mid-October is the full show.
Golden hour gets earlier fast. Sunset moves from roughly 6:00 p.m. in late September to just before 5:30 p.m. by Halloween, and once the clocks change on November 1 golden hour lands in the middle of the afternoon.
Some spots need a reservation or an admission fee, especially orchards, farms and nature reserves. I flag those below.
Overcast fall days are secretly gorgeous. Wet leaves are the richest colour you will ever shoot on.
👉 Want help planning the rest? Read my Complete Family Photoshoot Guide for Montreal.
At a Glance: Comparing the Best Fall Photoshoot Locations
How I Actually Choose a Fall Location
Here is the thing nobody tells you about the famous photo spots. They are famous, which means on a sunny October Saturday there are forty other people standing exactly where you want to stand, and half of them are watching you.
That matters more than most people realize. A mom who feels watched does not relax. A four year old who feels watched performs instead of playing. And the whole point of the way I shoot, child-led and unposed, is that you forget I am there long enough to actually be yourselves.
So I choose quiet. You will notice Mount Royal is not on this list, and that is on purpose. It is beautiful and it is also the most photographed hill in the province in October. I would rather take you somewhere with fewer people, more room, and no audience, and let you have an actual afternoon with your family that I happen to be photographing. If you want the longer version of why I work this way, it is here.
Part One:
Fall Locations I Have Photographed and Love
Apple Orchard and Pumpkin Patch Family Photos Near Montreal
1. Verger du Flanc Nord (Apple Picking, Mont-Saint-Hilaire)
Apple season overlaps perfectly with early fall colour, and an orchard solves the problem every parent quietly worries about, which is what their kids are supposed to do for an hour.
Rows of trees, ladders, baskets, and that big weeping willow by the lake. The kids are genuinely busy. They are picking, carrying, eating, negotiating for one more apple. I am just there catching it. I seriously love this place so much, it is fun and extremely beautiful!
Mid-September through mid-October is the window. Call ahead, because orchards fill up on weekends.
Where: Mont-Saint-Hilaire, South Shore
Drive from Montreal: About 45 minutes
Best for: Families with kids who need something to do
Best feature: The giant weeping willow by the lake
Best time of day: Late afternoon
Entry fee: Orchard entry plus u-pick baskets, check current rates
Peak window: Mid-September to mid-October
2. Quinn Farm (Pumpkin Patch, Notre-Dame-de-l'Île-Perrot)
Pumpkins, hay, tractor rides, and small children absolutely losing their minds with joy.
Quinn Farm is properly set up for this. They have a photographer policy, they allow family sessions during farm hours, and both the photographer and the family reserve online and pay admission in advance. Sessions run inside their 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. hours, so this is a daytime shoot rather than a golden hour one, which honestly suits families with babies and early bedtimes better anyway.
Where: Notre-Dame-de-l'Île-Perrot, west of the island
Drive from Montreal: About 35 minutes
Best for: Toddlers and preschoolers, and families with early bedtimes
Best feature: The pumpkin field and the tractor ride out to it
Best time of day: Daytime only, the farm closes at 5 p.m.
Entry fee: Admission for everyone including me, reserved online in advance
Peak window: Late September through October
Citrouilleville in Saint-Zotique is genuinely a fun location and my own kids love it, but it's a full day out rather than a session, and the crowds on weekends are not what I want for your photos.
Best Montreal Parks for Fall Family Photos
3. Parc Maisonneuve
Big skies, wide-open fields, and long rows of mature trees that go completely gold. This is my pick for families with a kid who simply does not stop moving, because there is room to let them run. Nobody is asking a three year old to sit still on a log here.
It is large enough that even on a busy weekend we can find a quiet corner, which is not true of most city parks in October.
Right next to the Botanical Garden if you want a more manicured look, though that comes with an admission fee and considerably more people.
Where: Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, east end
Drive from Montreal: About 20 minutes from downtown
Best for: Kids who do not stop moving
Best feature: Long rows of mature trees that go completely gold
Best time of day: The hour before sunset
Entry fee: Free
Peak window: Mid to late October
4. Parc Angrignon
The lake is the whole thing here. It picks up the colour and doubles it, and the winding paths mean we can find pockets of good light without hiking anywhere.
I shoot at Angrignon Park year round and it is one of the easiest parks I know with a stroller. Benches everywhere, which sounds like a boring detail until you are nursing halfway through a session or someone needs a snack immediately.
Where: Sud-Ouest borough
Drive from Montreal: About 20 minutes from downtown
Best for: Strollers, newborns, and anyone who wants easy
Best feature: The lake, which doubles the colour
Best time of day: The hour before sunset
Entry fee: Free
Peak window: Mid to late October
Best Fall Photo Spots Near Montreal
5. Parc national des Îles-de-Boucherville
Twenty-five to thirty minutes from downtown and it feels like you drove two hours. Islands, river views, tall grasses gone gold, and that particular soft light you only get near open water.
This is the one I recommend when a family tells me they want to feel like they got away. There is space to walk, the crowds thin out fast once you are past the entrance, and kids treat it like an adventure rather than a photo session, which is exactly what I want. It is also stunning for maternity sessions, and you can see what Boucherville looks like at golden hour in this session.
It is a Sépaq park, so there is a daily access fee per adult. Worth confirming their current rules for photo sessions when you book.
Where: Boucherville, South Shore
Drive from Montreal: 25 to 30 minutes
Best for: Families who want to feel like they got away, and maternity sessions
Best feature: River views and tall grasses gone gold
Best time of day: The hour before sunset
Entry fee: Sépaq daily access fee per adult
Peak window: Early to mid-October
Part Two:
On My Fall Wish List This Year
These are the places I have been researching, scouting and quietly plotting. I have not photographed a family at any of them in October yet, and I am telling you that rather than pretending otherwise. If one of them calls to you, say so when you get in touch. I would genuinely love to be the one to shoot it first with you.
6. Morgan Arboretum (Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, West Island)
© Arboretum Morgan
If you want the version of fall that lives in your head, this is the one I want to try. The Arboretum sits at the western tip of the island and it is essentially a giant collection of trees, which means deeper and more varied colour than a regular city park. Sugar maples, oaks, birches, all turning at slightly different times, layering behind you.
It is quiet, which is the whole reason it is on my list. There is an admission fee and seasonal hours, so we would confirm before locking a date.
Where: Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, West Island
Drive from Montreal: About 35 minutes
Best for: Families who want the postcard version of fall, and shy kids
What I want to shoot there: Sugar maples turning at different rates, layered behind you
Best time of day: Afternoon into early golden hour
Entry fee: Admission, with seasonal hours
Peak window: Early to mid-October
7. Cap-Saint-Jacques Beach (Pierrefonds, West Island)
I know this park well in summer. It is in my summer location guide and I love it there. What I have not done is shoot it in October, and I want to, because in fall it becomes a different park entirely. The beach empties out, the forest behind it turns, and you get the softest sunset light of anywhere close to the city because you are looking straight out over open water.
Over 800 acres, a little forest to walk through, a working farm on site, and paid parking.
8. Parc-nature du Bois-de-l'Île-Bizard (West Island)
© Yves Kéroack
The underrated one. The boardwalk over the marsh in fall is all tall golden grasses and open water, and it would give us a completely different texture than a straight forest session.
Bring shoes that can handle a bit of mud after rain. Small park entry or parking fees usually apply.
Where: Île-Bizard, West Island
Drive from Montreal: About 35 minutes
Best for: Families who want something different from a straight forest session
What I want to shoot there: The boardwalk over the marsh, all golden grasses and open water
Best time of day: The hour before sunset
Entry fee: Small park entry or parking fee
Peak window: Early to mid-October
9. Parc de la Rivière-des-Mille-Îles (Laval)
© Parc de la Rivière-des-Mille-Îles (Laval)
For families in Laval or the north end, this is where I would want to go. River, islands, quiet trails, and far fewer people than the Centre de la nature, which is lovely but gets genuinely packed on a fall weekend. And I mean, imagine doing a photoshoot in one of those big wooden canoes on a lily pad bed, I have a photographer friend who has done sessions like that and it is MAGIC!
If you are in Laval and you want somewhere calm, this is the one I would suggest.
Where: Laval Drive from Montreal: About 25 minutes
Best for: Laval and north-end families who want quiet
What I want to shoot there: Quiet river trails with almost nobody else in frame
Best time of day: The hour before sunset
Entry fee: Varies by activity, check current rates
Peak window: Early to mid-October
Best Time for Fall Photos in Montreal
Fall books faster than any season I shoot, and it is the shortest. Roughly how it goes:
Mid-September: Still green with the first gold coming in. Warmer, easier for newborns and for babies who hate layers, and much less crowded.
Late September: My personal sweet spot. Enough colour to feel like fall, not so much that every park is full.
Early October: Colour climbing. If you are willing to drive toward the Townships or the Laurentians, they usually peak before the island does.
Mid-October: Peak on the island. This is the week everyone wants and the week I fill first. If your heart is set on it, book in August or early September.
Late October and early November: Bare branches, moody skies, deep browns and golds. Genuinely beautiful if you are not attached to bright orange. And after the clocks change on November 1, golden hour arrives around 4 p.m., which works beautifully for early bedtimes.
What to Wear for Fall Family Photos in Montreal
Lean into texture. Knits, wool, corduroy, a chunky cardigan. Fall is the one season where layers read as intentional rather than fussy.
Choose colours that live next to the leaves, not against them. Cream, oatmeal, camel, rust, olive, deep burgundy, soft denim. Skip bright red and neon orange, which will fight the trees and lose.
Dress mom first. Pick your outfit, then build everyone else around it. You are in the frame this time, and I want you to feel like yourself in it. If being photographed makes you nervous, here is exactly what happens during a session.
Skip logos and big patterns. They date a photo faster than anything else.
Bring an extra layer for the kids. October in Montreal can be sixteen degrees or four degrees, sometimes in the same week. A cozy blanket in the car has rescued more than one session.
For the full version of this, including how to get everyone out the door without losing your mind, see my complete family photoshoot prep guide.
A Note on the Weather
Every fall someone texts me the morning of their session asking if we should cancel because it is grey. Please do not cancel because it is grey. Overcast light is even, soft and endlessly flattering, and wet leaves are the most saturated colour you will shoot all year. The only thing I reschedule for is heavy rain or a cold that would make it miserable for the kids, and if that happens we simply find another date.
Ready to Book Your Montreal Fall Session?
Whether you are picturing apple baskets and muddy boots, a quiet walk by the river, or that particular gold light through the trees at the end of the day, fall is beautiful and a very short window to capture where your family is right now.
My fall dates are limited and mid-October always goes first, so if you have been meaning to do this, consider this your sign.
Tell me a bit about your family, and whether you are drawn to a park, an orchard or a pumpkin patch. I will help you pick the spot that fits your actual kids rather than the one that looks best on Pinterest, and I promise it will be somewhere you can breathe.
Sessions run 60 minutes and you will get around 80 edited images in a private online gallery with a print shop attached, because these belong on a wall and not just on your phone.
Book a Montreal fall family photography session, or get in touch and ask me anything. If we have not met yet, here is a little about me.
This is the season your kids will remember as the one where they got to jump in leaves while mom finally got in the picture too.
FAQs About Fall Family Photoshoots in Montreal
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It depends entirely on your kids. If they need something to do, an orchard or a pumpkin patch like Quinn Farm keeps them busy and happy. If you want scenery and space, Îles-de-Boucherville is my favourite. If you want easy and close with a stroller, Parc Angrignon. There is no single best spot, which is why I ask about your family before I suggest one.
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Usually mid-October on the island. The Laurentians and Eastern Townships turn earlier, often in the first half of October, because they sit higher. Colour shifts a week or two either way depending on the year, so I keep an eye on it and let my October families know what I am seeing.
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The hour before sunset, which moves fast in fall. Late September that is around 5:30 p.m., by Halloween it is closer to 4:45 p.m., and after the clocks change on November 1 it lands around 3:30 p.m. Farms like Quinn Farm are the exception since they close at 5 p.m., so those are daytime sessions. More on why that light matters here.
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Sooner than you think. Mid-October fills first, usually by early September. If you are reading this in August, you are in good shape. If you are reading it in October, message me anyway, because cancellations happen.
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They are my favourite season for toddlers. Leaves to throw, apples to pick, pumpkins to attempt to carry. All of that gives a two year old a job, and a two year old with a job is a two year old who forgets to be shy. Here is what I actually do to get natural photos out of small humans.
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Grey is not a problem, it is often better. Soft even light, saturated colour, no squinting. I only reschedule for heavy rain or genuinely miserable cold, and if that happens we find another date at no charge. If the forecast looks unworkable for weeks, an in-home session is a beautiful fall alternative.
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For most city parks, a small family session with one photographer is fine without a permit. Nature parks, provincial parks and private farms are different. Sépaq parks like Îles-de-Boucherville charge daily access, Quinn Farm requires an online reservation and admission for everyone, and some municipal parks ask photographers to book a session slot. I handle all of that as part of planning your date, so you do not have to think about it.
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Îles-de-Boucherville or an orchard, both for the same reason: soft, open backgrounds that let you be the subject instead of competing with the scenery. Fall is also a kind season for maternity because you can layer beautifully. See my maternity photography page and my guide to when to book your maternity session.
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Yes, and mid to late September is usually the sweet spot because it is still mild. Below about ten degrees I would rather bring the session indoors and do it at home, where the baby can be warm and you can be comfortable. More on timing in my guide to when to book your newborn photographer.
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All of my sessions are priced the same regardless of type, and current pricing is listed openly on my booking page along with what is included and how the retainer works. No packages to decode and no upsell at gallery delivery.
