Exploring the Laurentian Forest with Your Family
A forest that changes with every season
The Laurentian forest surrounds our treehouses with lakes, wetlands, mixed hardwood trees, and wildlife active year-round. For families, the forest floor becomes a source of small discoveries from the moment you arrive, tracks in the soil, birds in the branches, frogs near the water. Each season brings something different to notice.
Spring: the forest wakes up
Spring in the Laurentian forest begins with sound. As snow melts, ponds and wetlands fill with the calls of wood frogs, among the first amphibians to reappear after winter. Blue jays and black-capped chickadees return to the branches, moving quickly as they search for food and nesting spots. Along wet ground and forest edges, native wildflowers begin to emerge, including the iris versicolor, which blooms in late spring near wetlands. For families walking the trails around our treehouses, spring is when the forest starts moving again.
Summer: the most active season
Summer brings the highest level of wildlife activity in the Laurentian forest. Dragonflies circle above lakes and streams. Green frogs sit at the edges of ponds, until you get close. Butterflies move between flowers in sunny clearings. Beavers are active in quiet water; their lodges and dams built from branches and mud are often easier to spot than the animals themselves. For children, finding these signs turns a walk into a search for clues. Our treehouses are located a few steps from these habitats.
Fall: cooler trails, easier wildlife spotting
In fall, leaves change colour and cover the forest floor, and wildlife movement becomes easier to notice. Eastern chipmunks and red squirrels spend the season collecting seeds and nuts, moving quickly between trees with food stored in their cheeks. Red-tailed hawks glide above open areas searching for small animals. With cooler temperatures and fewer biting insects, fall is one of the most comfortable seasons for walking the trails around Les Refuges Perchés.
Winter: the forest becomes a tracking puzzle
In winter, the Laurentian forest is quieter, but not empty. Snow covers the ground and animal tracks appear along trails, near trees, and across frozen ponds. Small prints often belong to squirrels or chipmunks. Larger tracks sometimes belong to white-tailed deer. Snowshoe hares are especially interesting to spot in winter: their fur turns white, making them hard to see against a snowy background. For children, identifying these tracks turns a short walk into a nature investigation. Winter lets us add showshoeing and cross-country skiing to the menu at Refuges Perchés.
Turning a walk into a discovery game
Families staying at Les Refuges Perchés can turn any forest walk into a small exploration. Children can search for animal tracks, fallen feathers, or pine cones chewed by squirrels. Wetlands reveal frog sounds in spring. Tree trunks sometimes show holes made by woodpeckers. Bringing a notebook or drawing sheet makes it easy to record what you find and compare observations day to day. These small moments are often what families remember most.
What it feels like to stay above the forest floor
Imagine waking up in a treehouse and stepping outside to the sounds of birds calling, wind in the branches, and the occasional splash of wildlife near the water. At Les Refuges Perchés, the forest is not a backdrop, it is where your day begins. Families who enjoy watching wildlife and seasonal changes find that staying in a treehouse puts them closer to those moments than a traditional accommodation ever could.
