Dog-Friendly Chalet in the Eastern Townships: A Guide

Dogs are welcome at La Villa Foresta, and the house means it: they get their own beds and their own treats. Outside the house the picture is mixed. Some parks want a leash, some say no, and one beach has a rule you should read closely. Everything below comes from the official pages as they stood in September 2026.

At the house

The listing says dogs are very welcome, with treats and beds waiting.

What I cannot tell you: whether there is a pet fee, a limit on the number or size of dogs, or a fenced yard. None of that is stated, so check the house rules on the Airbnb listing, add your dog to the booking, and ask the host if anything is unclear. Until you know otherwise, assume no fence. The house is among the trees and there is wildlife about, so keep a long line handy at dusk.

Trails where leashed dogs are allowed

Drive times are approximate and from Coaticook. Winter roads and border waits change the math.

Parc de la Gorge de Coaticook, in town. The park's rules say pets are allowed but must be on a leash at all times, campground included. They are prohibited in the rental shelters, the ready-to-camp tents and on the Foresta Lumina site.

Parc Harold F. Baldwin (Mont Pinacle), Baldwin Mills, about 15 minutes (13 km, 8 miles). The park's FAQ says dogs are permitted as long as they stay on a leash for the whole hike, and asks you to pick up and use the garbage cans. The trails close during freeze-up and thaw, so check before you go in late fall or spring.

Tomifobia Nature Trail, from Ayer's Cliff, about 25 minutes (25 km, 16 miles). Nineteen flat kilometres on an old rail bed beside the river. The municipality's page says dogs must be on a leash. It is free.

Mont Hereford, East Hereford, about 35 minutes (37 km, 23 miles). Tourisme Coaticook's page on visiting with a dog (in French) says the whole Mont Expérience Hereford site is open to visitors with a dog, and its winter page says leashed dogs are allowed on the snowshoe trails.

Where dogs are restricted or not allowed

Lac Lyster beach. The City of Coaticook's page (in French) says no animals in the swimming zone, and that animals may not be left loose. It does not describe a dog beach or a dog swimming spot, so do not count on a swim for the dog there.

Foresta Lumina. No dogs on the site, per the park rules above. Check the house rules on the listing before planning to leave a dog alone that evening.

Plein Air Coaticook. Tourisme Coaticook's winter trail page says dogs are not allowed on this cross-country ski network.

Québec national parks (Sépaq). Sépaq allows dogs only in designated sectors of each park, on a leash and under supervision, and never on supervised beaches. It publishes the list of authorized places park by park, including Mont-Orford (about 45 minutes from Coaticook) and Mont-Mégantic (about an hour and a half).

Anywhere else, look for the official page, and if it does not mention dogs, call.

Crossing the border with a dog

This part is for you if you are driving up from New England, or planning a Vermont day trip with the dog. The border between Vermont and Québec is an international one, and the dog has paperwork too. We cannot give customs advice. What follows only points to the official sources.

Coming into Canada, the rules are set by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and applied at the border by CBSA officers. The CFIA's page on travelling with your dog says the requirements depend on the country you come from, the dog's age and the purpose of the trip, and its import tool walks you through your case. For personal pet dogs, the CFIA asks for a valid rabies vaccination certificate, in English or French, issued by a licensed veterinarian, that clearly identifies the dog. The CBSA's page on travelling with animals says to carry the physical original documents.

The United States has its own entry rules for dogs, run by the CDC. For dogs that have only been in low-risk countries over the previous six months, the CDC's page on bringing a dog into the U.S. asks for a CDC Dog Import Form receipt, a microchip, a minimum age of six months and a dog that looks healthy. Pet food crossing the border has its own rules, so check that too. For the humans in the car, the general entry rules are on the CBSA and U.S. CBP sites, and they differ by citizenship.

All of this can change. Read the pages the week you travel.

For the rest of the group

The reunion guide covers what the house offers people. The home page has the photos.

Useful links

• Parc de la Gorge de Coaticook: rules and regulations
• Parc Harold F. Baldwin (Mont Pinacle)
• Tomifobia Nature Trail (Municipality of Ayer's Cliff)
• Tourisme Coaticook: the region with your dog (in French)
• City of Coaticook: Baldwin park and Lac Lyster beach (in French)
• Sépaq: dog access and rules
• CFIA: travelling with your dog
• CFIA: bringing animals to Canada
• CBSA: travelling with animals
• CDC: bringing a dog into the U.S.
• CBSA: travellers
• U.S. Customs and Border Protection: travel