Our Dog Sledding Experience in Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean

I’m back with an article about one of the standout activities from the fifteen days we spent in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region last February: dog sledding in the hills above the village of La Baie. If you’ve been following our adventures, you may remember that the year before, Mélanie, the kids, and I had already tried dog sledding in the Laurentians, and we absolutely loved it. Take a look at that article if you’re interested—it will give you a sense of what our first experience was like.

Today, I’d like to tell you about an experience that, in my opinion, surpassed the first one. I don’t usually like making direct comparisons, especially since we were with a different operator in a completely different setting. Still, this time we spent 1.5 hours dog sledding through an extraordinary landscape with a small provider that genuinely deserves more recognition.

If you’re visiting the area, I wholeheartedly recommend giving this dog sledding adventure a try. During those 15 days, we also enjoyed several other memorable activities. For another winter outing that feels a little different, read our article about ice fishing on the Saguenay Fjord. It was a fascinating experience with the kids, even though we weren’t exactly lucky with the fish! That wasn’t really the point, though, and we still had a wonderful time together as a family.

After about an hour’s drive from where we were staying, we arrive near the village of La Baie, at the end of the Saguenay Fjord. The GPS coordinates provided with our Manawa booking make the location easy to find. Before getting into the details, a quick word about Manawa: it’s an online activity-booking platform we’ve used and recommended for years, and we’ve never had any problems or unpleasant surprises.

We arrive at around 9 a.m., after spending the final ten minutes driving along snowy country roads through an almost magical landscape. It is a beautiful, peaceful approach to the site.

The first thing that strikes us when we arrive is the warm, informal welcome from the owners, with the entire kennel and all the dogs right there in the snow. It feels worlds away from the larger facility we visited the year before in the Laurentians, with its restaurant and numerous tourist amenities. Here, everything is simpler and more family-run, which we immediately appreciate. The owners greet us and explain exactly how the outing will unfold.

It is 9 a.m. The sky is still overcast, although it looks as though it may clear, and the temperature is bitterly cold. A light wind is blowing, which feels slightly intimidating when you know how fast a dog sled can travel and how sharply the cold can bite once you are moving. The owner takes us over to the dogs and explains the basics of driving a sled before leading us onto the nearby trails.

Mélanie rides with the two kids in the guide’s sled because she doesn’t really feel like driving, while I set off alone with my own team. Another couple is there as well and follows behind me. The whole experience feels far less formal, less touristy, and much less business-focused than what we had encountered before. There is an almost homey atmosphere—apart from the 40- or 50-degree difference from Guadeloupe, of course, haha.

While we get ready, the kids wait in a simple little room with an electric heater to keep them warm. Meanwhile, the owner goes over the controls with me again: how to steer left and right, how to brake, and how the braking system works.

I even get to help harness the dogs to the sled, which immediately makes the experience feel more personal. The clouds begin to break, and by the time we leave at around 9:30 a.m., patches of blue sky and beautiful light are appearing. Snow is still falling, and the landscape looks remarkable. We feel incredibly lucky to be there. What strikes me first is that 6 to 8 inches of snow fell the day before, and we head straight into a forest blanketed in fresh snow. Best of all, our sleds are carving the first tracks through it.

It reminds me of being younger and heading off-piste after 8 to 12 inches of fresh powder had fallen overnight. I ride in second position, with the other couple behind me, while Mélanie and the kids lead the way in the guide’s sled. By around 10 a.m., the early-morning light and clearing blue sky make the landscape feel even more special. Several times that morning, I catch myself thinking, “Wow, how lucky are we to be experiencing this?”

As I said after our first experience, dog sledding is simply exhilarating. It feels a little like snowboarding through powder, with the pace changing constantly depending on the terrain. The sled moves more slowly on flat ground, but on some of the steeper descents you have to brake to keep the dogs from building up too much speed. It would be easy to lose control if you were not paying attention, especially since you also need to lean from side to side to help steer—rather like riding a motorcycle, says the guy who has never actually ridden one, haha.

Those first 30 minutes through untouched forest, without another person in sight and with blue sky opening above us, feel almost unreal. At around 10 a.m., we gain some elevation and reach a broad, completely snow-covered plateau. It feels as though we are looking out over the entire region. This is the kind of experience I would recommend to anyone who enjoys even a little excitement, especially when it comes with scenery like this.

A few of the descents look genuinely intimidating when you first approach them. Thankfully, the braking instructions were clear, because the dogs do not naturally slow to a stop. At times, you have to press down on the brake mechanism at the back of the sled to control the pace without bringing the team to a complete halt.

There are also several fairly steep climbs. As we had learned the previous year, this is when you need to help the dogs, since the sled can be quite heavy. You step off the runners and jog behind it while pushing. It adds a physical element to the outing, but it is genuinely fun.

After about an hour, I start to lose feeling in my hands. The owner had offered me a pair of gloves made from a material I could not identify, but they already felt cold and damp, so I was reluctant to put them on. He, on the other hand, seems completely unfazed by the temperature—a solid, rugged local who clearly grew up with winters like these. I can assure you, though, it is seriously cold.

After an hour, the cold is beginning to settle in. We stop for five minutes in a slightly more sheltered spot at the edge of the forest, and the kids come over to see me. Everyone is still happy, but they are freezing—especially Téo. At that point, I can understand why the experience is becoming much less enjoyable for him.

Later, he tells us that he loved the beginning of the ride, but enjoyed it far less once the cold took over. He was bundled up carefully, and all of us were wearing several warm layers, so we were not quite sure what more we could have done. Still, passengers remain almost completely still in the sled, which makes it much harder to stay warm.

A quick aside about winter gear: as we did the previous year, we rented our clothing from Tucque & Bicycle Expérience with Emilie, who is lovely. We were able to rent everything we needed for the full fifteen days. Our article on the subject may be useful if you are planning a similar trip, especially since renting saves you from buying a large amount of winter clothing you may rarely use again.

We set off again after the short break. In the back of my mind, I hope the kids will manage to warm up, although sitting still for an hour and a half in the wind is clearly difficult for a 6-year-old. I try not to dwell on it and continue enjoying the ride. The trail leads us deeper into the forest through some beautiful sections where we feel completely alone. We do not meet another person—only snow-covered fir trees surrounding our narrow sled trail. It is memorable in every sense.

At one point, the forest suddenly opens onto a completely frozen lake. The fir trees disappear and we find ourselves crossing a huge, white expanse that feels almost like an enormous frozen swimming pool. We pass a house on the shoreline and immediately think how peaceful life there must be. For about five minutes, the route takes us directly across the lake. The ice is buried beneath several feet of snow, including 6 to 8 inches of fresh powder, so the ride remains soft and enjoyable. Once again, we are making the first tracks through the snow.

Even I begin to feel cold after more than 1.5 hours on the sled, despite being dressed properly with almost no skin exposed. I am wearing a beanie, ski goggles, and a neck gaiter pulled up to my nose, leaving only the smallest patch of skin uncovered. Even so, the cold is intense. After five minutes on the lake, we plunge back into the forest for the final stretch of this remarkable 1.5-hour ride, completing a loop that brings us back to the starting point.

I return absolutely thrilled, and Mélanie has also loved the experience. The kids, however, are thoroughly chilled and immediately rush inside, shedding layers as quickly as possible so they can stand in front of the heater.

We spend another half hour talking with the owner and helping him unharness the dogs and return them to their places. He clearly has a heart of gold. Of course this is his business and his livelihood, but it never feels as though profit is his main motivation. What comes through most strongly is how much he loves what he does, and we genuinely appreciate that passion.

Once Téo has warmed up, at around 11:30 a.m., the owner even offers to take him for a short snowmobile ride. Téo had not been able to join Mélanie and Louis when they went snowmobiling earlier. This time, the owner takes both boys out for about five minutes, and Téo is delighted. It is a thoughtful way to end the morning, and I wholeheartedly recommend the experience.

Here are a few practical details to help you plan your own outing.

You will first need to reach Canada, most likely via Montreal or Quebec City, with Quebec City being the closer gateway. To explore Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean independently, renting a car is generally the simplest and most comfortable choice. As on many of our trips, we used DiscoverCars to compare offers from several rental companies and found a very good rate for a car picked up at Quebec City airport. Comparing the available options should help you find the one that best suits your itinerary.

From Quebec City, allow around 2.5 hours to cover a little over 220 km; you can view the full route here.

We were staying in a HomeExchange property more than an hour away, but there are several appealing places to stay nearby, particularly in La Baie. These three are worth considering:

• La Grange aux Hiboux: Its peaceful waterfront location, beautiful fjord views, welcoming atmosphere, and breakfast-inclusive rates make it an appealing option.
• BATTURES Hotel Fjord Saguenay: A quiet 4-star hotel in La Baie overlooking the fjord, with a restaurant, free parking, and comfortable rooms.
• Bois Rond Expérience: Wooden cabins tucked into the forest provide a peaceful, immersive stay in nature, with everything needed for an authentic getaway.

You can also use the map below to browse additional accommodations in the area.

That brings us to the end of this article. I hope you enjoyed reading about our outing, although words can only go so far in capturing what dog sledding actually feels like. It was a genuinely memorable experience, and I wholeheartedly recommend it.

See you soon! For another beautiful but much calmer winter activity, read our article about snowshoeing in the Monts Valin.

Written by Sylvain PONS

I had the opportunity to explore the beauty of this country I love on several different occasions and in different places (Canadian Rockies, the Island of Newfoundland for 1 month, Yukon and Québec)!

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