:Forest Folk

Another offering by the father of landscape architecture, Frederick Law Olmsted, the 1876 Mont-Royal Park is his only creation outside of the United States. It features trademark twisting paths that lead gently to the top of 765-foot Mont-Royal. The mountain, from which the city takes it name, was climbed by Jacques Cartier in 1535.

At the summit, reached via Douglas MacArthur Bridge from Jefferson Avenue, are
views of downtown Montreal and across the St. Lawrence River into New York’s
Adirondack Mountains. You can leave the wide paved trails and explore dirt paths in
the upper regions of the park that pass through light woods. At the base of the
mountain are plenty of grassy lawns to sprawl with your dog.

About one-half hour north is Chemin de la Presqu’le. Long ago, “Chemin de la
Presqu’le” was the name of the horse and buggy road that linked Mascouche and
Repentigny. To commemorate the road that led citizens to Repentigy lands recessed
between Assomption river and the Saint-Lawrence, Jean-Marie Desrosiers decided
to give the same name to the vast network of trails he created in Le Gardeur in
1978.

The Presqu’le Trail boasts a network of four well-marked, pleasing hiking trails
ranging from a little over a mile to about 3 miles. Since the early 1990s, dogs have
been welcome on the park trails and can even be walked without a leash.

The canine hiking is at an easy clip on the flat trails along the Le Gardeur section,
however the hike becomes more challenging along the undulating loops that meet
the Mascouche section. Small ponds provide a spot for dogs to cool off but also
bring squadrons of mosquitoes. Bring plenty of insect repellent for you and your
dog - the females get so hungry for a blood meal that hikers are not charged
admission in summer.

The dog-friendly park is located in Le Gardeur and reached from Highway 40 or
640, Exit 97.

Doug Gelbert is the author of over 20 books, including The Canine Hiker’s Bible.
To subscribe to his FREE Newsletter on hiking with your dog and receive a copy
of Rules for Dogs in 100 of the Most Popular National Park Service Lands, visit
http://www.hikewithyourdog.com In the warmer months he leads canine hikes
for hikewithyourdog.com tours, guiding packs of dogs and humans on hiking
adventures. Tours, ranging from one-day trips to multi-day explorations, visit
parks, historical sites and beaches.