Featured Trail -- Bois de Liesse (Montréal, Québec)
July 6, 2012
The trails in the Bois de Liesse nature park are located in the eastern portion of the city of Montreal. There are about 12.5 km of trails to offer you a full day of hiking with stops at the Rivière des Prairies, lunches at the many shaded picnics, a fun and educational interpretive site, and two welcome centres. The trails themselves not at all challenging and are well marked and lined with logs or rocks.
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| Resting along a Log-Lined Gravel Trail |
Ten Reasons to Hike the Bois de Liesse Trails, Montréal
1. Location! Location! Location!: The nature park is located just a few minutes north of Highway 40, the Transcanda Highway, and not even 25 minutes from downtown Montreal. Once you exit off of the 40 at the exit for Boulevard Henri Bourassa, you have fewer than 2 km to go. More than the proximity to the city, is the proximity to residential areas.
The suburbs of Dollard-des-Ormeaux, St Laurent and Pierrefonds border the park, so driving or even walking there is super bonus. If you have children and are in this region, I highly recommend Les Bois de Liesse. It is a fun and free opportunity for adventure.
2. Public Transit Access: The bus 215O from Metro Cote Vertu and 215E from Centre Fairview in Pointe Claire get you to Rue Douglas-B.Floreani, a short walk from the SW trail head.
The bus 208E from Centre Fairview in Pointe-Claire gets you to the SW trail head on Sunnybrooke Blvd.
The bus 68 from Pierrefonds or from Cartierville stops near the corner of Boulevard Gouin and Highway 13 to give access to the north trail heads.
This park is so centrally located, I wish I lived in Montreal just to take advantage of it all.
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| Woodpecker Interpretation on the Sentier des Attraits |
3. Access to Trail Heads and Parking: The suburbs of Dollard-des-Ormeaux, St Laurent and Pierrefonds border the park, so parking is a breeze on neighbourhood side streets (you can also park in one of the many Bois de Liesse paid parking lots). I would suggest parking near Sunnybrooke Blvd in Dollard-Des-Ormeaux. Check the map (see below) for more residential side streets and parking access near the trail heads.
4. The Sentier des attraits: One of the neatest things about the park is that it serves to educate younger crowd by providing on-trail interpretations on the 'Sentier (Trail) des attraits'. At the stations on this trail, one gets audio or audio-visual info on forest foxes, trees, woodpeckers, and more. It is a must-see for school-aged children or adults. On this side trail, there is even a gazebo structure with comfy seats for relaxing under the trees. Talk about neat-oh!
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| Resting Spot and Interpretive Segment on the Sentier des Attraits |
5. Diversity of Flora: I am always interested in the unique plants that grow in any region I visit. One tree that I had never encountered is the Black Maple. This native maple is so plenteous that there is a whole section of the park dedicated to it. You can see them in abundance along the 'Sentier des érables noirs' (Black Maple Trail).
6. Centres d'Acceuil/Welcome Centres: There are 2 welcome centres off the trails with parking access, trail-head access, washrooms, picnic areas, concession bars, and first-aid access. The staff are all bilingual -- French and English. Check the map (see below) to see how well-located they are.
7. Access to the River: If you are hiking in the NE sector of the park, you are never far away from the trails that lead to the Rivière des Prairies. There are clearings and lookout spots where you can see the river, the island of Laval, and the bridge that takes you there. This is a great spot for skipping rocks as long as the boats haven't ruffled the water.
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| Our Lunch and Rest Stop near the River just off of Gouin Blvd. |
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| Log Trail |
8. Picnic Areas and Resting Spots: Not only are there benches along the trail, especially in the NW sectors, there are several picnic areas to help you with your impromptu picnics. This is great if your children's appetites or energy levels are unpredictable. The tables and grassy spots were in very good condition when I was there in July 2012.
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| Gravel Trail Lined with Cement |
9. Trail Conditions and Terrain: The terrain is primarily flat, making it suitable for all fitness levels. But, with the trail system being more than 12 km, parents with higher fitness levels will enjoy the distance. There are fine gravel trails, dirt trails, boardwalks over a few of the wetlands, and even paved paths that run beneath the highway. Trails are well marked and lined by log stumps or rocks. It is very difficult to find one self lost for having gone off the trail.
There are many warning signs for poison ivy (l'herbe à la puce) when it appears on the trail. Watch out for them.
See http://hikingbootsandacarrier.blogspot.ca/2012/05/leaves-of-three-let-it-be.html for more on how to identify poison ivy.
10. Options for Short or Long Treks: Because there are so many access points or trail heads, there are many options for long and short hikes. For example, if one wants a medium distance hike, say, about 5 km, I would recommend hiking only the Érablier noirs, Pic-bois, and Bois Franc sectors.
If you have anything to add to this feature on Bois de Liesse trails, feel free to comment.
As well, if you have questions that I might be able to answer, leave your questions below. Happy Hiking!
Links for Bois de Liesse:
Info (French): http://ville.montreal.qc.ca/portal/page?_pageid=7377,94551572&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL&id=72&sc=1
Info (English):
http://ville.montreal.qc.ca/pls/portal/docs/page/grands_parcs_en/media/documents/summer_calendar2012.pdf (go to page 17)
Trail Map: http://montreal2.qc.ca/rep_parcs/media/documents/application/pdf_doc_carte_ete_bdl_id5.pdf
Trail Map: http://montreal2.qc.ca/rep_parcs/media/documents/application/pdf_doc_carte_ete_bdl_id5.pdf
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