Great places to walk your dog

photo by Kelly Longtin

Fall is my favorite season.  The weather is cool enough so you don't get all hot and sticky or have to worry about the dogs overheating and best of all no bugs. The other great thing is you can get some incredible pictures with all that lovely colour that is around.  We are very lucky to live in the country where we have so many places to walk our dogs very close.

Ferguson Forest Centre
Here you can find all kinds of trails and water map of all the trails.
access right in town.  Ferguson Forest is over 800 acres bordered by County Rd 44, Hwy 43, the Rideau River and the Kemptville Creek.  Usually when it is windy I walk in the forest trails and when the bugs are bad I stick to the gravel roads.  Especially on a sunny afternoon it is possible to meet some other dogs and owners walking but usually me and my dogs have it all to ourselves.  Here you can find a

Baxter Conservation Area

photo by Kelly Longtin

On the shores of the Rideau River there is over 5 km of trails and once the summer is over a great place to take your dog for a swim.  Well maintained trails with boardwalks built over the wet areas.  Baxter can be found just south of Kars off of Dilworth.

Robert Graham Trail
Just south of South Mountain between County Rd 22 and County Rd 1 can be found this very peaceful 6.5km trail.  Walk through some lovely pines and enjoy the quiet.

photo by Kelly Longtin

Cardinal Waterfront
If you drive down to Cardinal and park at the legion you can walk on the point the whole time enjoying a great view of the St. Lawrence and the ships going by.  It is always fun to see the dogs reactions when a diver all of a sudden emerges from the water in full diving gear.  Usually takes a minute before dog realizes it's a person not a creature from the dark lagoon :).

I know sometimes it is so much easier to sit on the couch or deal with the million things you have to do.  Instead get up and go for a walk you and your pooch will thank you.