Parc d'environnement naturel de Sutton - PENS — Attraction in Sutton

The trails at Mt. Sutton are lovely year round, and offer a great range of options for novice to experienced hikers. They're well maintained overall, and it's clear great care has been taken to ensure trail conditions are consistent in all seasons.

That noted, the maps and trail markers provided by the park are infuriatingly difficult to follow. There are maps posted at major trail intersections around the park, but the orientation of said maps is constantly changing! Sometime North is at the top, sometimes at the bottom, making it that much more difficult to get situated on a location. WHY can't all the maps have the same orientation?! Moreover, trail closures are inconsistently marked throughout the park. On my most recent visit (October 20), I made note of five closed trails as indicated on the map at the PENS starting point. Every map I crossed that day had different trails marked as closed, and many of the trails that "were" closed looked visibly open, with no tape preventing access or signage indicating restoration was underway. It makes route planning extra arduous not being able to judge whether a loop is possible or if out-and-back is needed.

Moreover, on certain trails (Round Top and Lac Mohawk in my most recent experience), the trail markers themselves were missing. I am an experienced hiker who can read a map and still found myself lost at the end of the Lac Mohawk trail. Ended up needing to hike out the last 2.5kms on the road because the Lac Mohawk trail ended abruptly at the Mt. Sutton ski hill with no clear indication of where the path continued.

The park and the mountain are gorgeous, but Sutton is never my first choice of hiking destination near Montreal because the signage doesn't do the park any...

Did the Lac Spruce trail. This trail is absolutely wonderful! The views of the lake are amazing, and so are the streams and rapids along the way down. Please note that the trail is now one way, so you must do it in a clockwise direction. The trail is very easy to follow: just follow the signs to Lac Spruce and from there follow the signs to the 3 km long way to the entrance (Accueil sings). The trail itself is well maintained and very well marked. It has a gradual and not too steep steady incline. The way down is pretty easy with lots of stairs to help with the descend. Some spots were muddy but nothing too serious. Not a lot of bugs either. Restrooms and drinking water are available at the entrance. The fee for a day pass is 8 CAD per adult. Parking is on the road and it was pretty packed when we arrived around noon as this trail is quite busy. We found this lovely trails to be a great challenge for hiking...

Le PENS, situé dans les Cantons-de-l'Est au cœur du massif des monts Sutton, est un parc naturel offrant 52 km de sentiers balisés pour tous les niveaux. Créé en 1979, sa mission s'articule autour de trois axes : la protection de la nature, l'accès public contrôlé et l'éducation environnementale.

Les sentiers principaux comprennent : La Boucle du Lac Spruce (5 km, 2h, niveau intermédiaire) Le Dos d'Orignal (8 km, 3h, niveau difficile) Le Round Top (7,4 km, 3h, niveau difficile) Le Lac Mohawk (12 km, 5h, niveau intermédiaire) Le Circuit des Sommets (13,8 km, 6h, niveau difficile)

Le parc propose diverses activités selon les saisons. En été, les visiteurs peuvent profiter de la randonnée pédestre, de l'observation de la nature et d'activités guidées comme l'identification de champignons sauvages ou l'observation d'oiseaux, notamment la grive de Bicknell, une espèce rare et menacée. En hiver, les sentiers se transforment en pistes de raquette.

Le PENS joue un rôle crucial dans la préservation de l'environnement local, notamment à travers la Réserve naturelle des Montagnes-Vertes, un territoire protégé adjacent de 17 300 acres. Le massif abrite une riche biodiversité incluant des cerfs de Virginie, des lynx roux, des ours noirs et la salamandre sombre du Nord. La végétation est également diversifiée, avec des écosystèmes variés allant des forêts anciennes aux milieux humides.

Informations pratiques importantes : Réservation en ligne recommandée, particulièrement en haute saison Cartes des sentiers disponibles sur place Chiens interdits dans la Réserve naturelle des Montagnes-Vertes (incluant les sentiers du Round Top et du Dos d'Orignal) mais autorisés en laisse sur les autres sentiers Possibilité de participer à des activités guidées saisonnières

Le PENS représente ainsi une destination privilégiée pour les amateurs de plein air, combinant préservation environnementale et accessibilité au public, tout en offrant une variété d'activités et d'hébergements pour...