The Eco-Classroom Weekend: A Family Nature Getaway in the Laurentians
Some of the best lessons happen outside. For families who want an active, outdoors vacation and a real way to pass on a love of the environment, our treehouses are a hands-on eco-classroom. We are near Mont-Tremblant, an easy weekend escape from Montreal and Ottawa. Here the learning is not a program, it is simply how a stay works.
A Weekend That Teaches Without Trying
Our treehouses are completely off-grid, so the stay teaches by creating an experience that requires active participation. Your kids help haul water from the dock, feed the wood stove, and manage what the family uses. Nothing plugs in and there is no running plumbing, so everyone notices how much electricity and water living really takes. It is the quiet start of an environmental habit, and it lands better than any lecture. In the tradition of back-country refuges, you leave the treehouse and the forest as you found them, which is where Leave No Trace becomes something children practice rather than memorize.
Learning Built Into the Day
Our family eco-friendly lodging sits inside Parc Éco-Laurentides, a 2,000-acre protected park, so educational nature activities for kids are right outside the door:
- Track animals and read the forest along 36 km of trails, some with information panels.
- Walk the 1 km boardwalk over the lake, accessible to strollers, to watch birds and the wetland ecosystem up close.
- Visit the small interpretation centre, which has facilities for families and school groups.
- Let the kids burn off energy on a small 500-metre obstacle course (hebertism course).
- Add canoeing and swimming in summer or snowshoeing in winter, so the lessons change with the seasons.
Comfort Without the Clutter
This is basic comfort with no superfluous luxury, which is exactly what an eco-minded family is after. Our treehouses are insulated, heated by a wood stove, cooled with fans, furnished with comfortable beds, and equipped for cooking. Each one sleeps up to six, so a family of four fits with room to spare. Full bathrooms, hot showers, and drinking water are at the reception, and a small selection of supplies is on hand if you forget something. Families stay with everyone from babies to teens, and dogs are welcome too, so you can bring the whole crew, dogs included.
Screens Off, Together
Because the treehouses are off-grid and Wi-Fi is only available at the reception, the digital detox happens on its own. No notifications, no screens competing for attention, just a family on the dock, around a table, or by a fire.
A Short Escape From Montreal and Ottawa, in Every Season
Les Refuges Perchés is in the Laurentians, open all year, near Mont-Tremblant, close enough to Montreal and Ottawa for a short weekend, or a long weekend from Toronto. Come canoe, hike, and swim in summer, then return to snowshoe or ski in winter. Many families make it a tradition, and a multi-season spot makes that easy.
Reserve Your Treehouse
Choose one of 20 unique treehouses. Our calendar fills up fast, especially on weekends and in peak season. We recommend reserving in advance to choose your treehouse and your dates. Questions before you come? Write to us at [email protected] or (819) 681-4994.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Les Refuges Perchés a good fit for families with children?
Yes. Families stay with us with everyone from babies to teens. Each treehouse sleeps up to six, the walk in is short, and full bathrooms, showers, and a few supplies are available at the reception.
What can children learn during a stay?
Plenty, without it feeling like school: hauling water, feeding the wood stove, and Leave No Trace teach resource use. The trails, the wetland boardwalk, the fishing lakes, and our interpretation centre make the local ecosystem easy to explore.
How far is it from Montreal or Ottawa?
We are in the Laurentians near Mont-Tremblant. By car, it is about 1 hour 30 minutes from Montreal and about 2 hours from Ottawa, close enough for a short weekend getaway, or a long weekend from Toronto.
Can we come in winter with kids?
Yes. The treehouses are insulated and heated by a wood stove, and we are open in every season. Families snowshoe and cross-country ski right from the door.
