Long Lake

Yesterday afternoon we decided to take the dogs out to Long Lake, one of Nova Scotia Provincial Parks, to walk the dogs. We've been to Long Lake on a couple of occasions, twice shortly after adopting Scout and once when Kobi was a puppy. Normally we walk in down the path from the parking lot along the trail, but quickly get a little disappointed because of how short it is. The beauty of Long Lake, and also it's downfall, is it's more about trekking through the trails in the woods than it is about walking along a path. So if you want to explore and wander in the woods with your dog, Long Lake is the place for you. If you want to walk along maintained paths and not have to constantly watch for roots and puddle and rocks, than somewhere like Point Pleasant or Shubie Park in Dartmouth is the way to go.

This picture was from when we went when he was about 4 months old.

Because Long Lake is through wooded trails, it is much easier to explore if your dog is already capable of loose leash walking, or reliable off leash. Scout remained on leash the entire, but mostly because of his declining sight it's harder for him to navigate on his own. Kobi started on leash. We weren't comfortable letting him off leash around some of the other dogs there, also we wanted to be far enough in away from the road before letting him off. Because Kobi is still learning to walk off leash, trying to not let him pull in a stimulating new environment was tough. We also never let him completely off leash, we allowed him to drag his leash, reason being, Kobi and water are magnets. Even in the dead of winter, Kobi must go in water. We're starting to think getting him to swim so young wasn't the smartest choice. At one point I was taking a shot of a fallen tree with some incredible roots and Kobi slipped off through the woods, followed by splashing, he was in the water.

So if you're looking for an off leash adventure and don't want to walk the same old paths, Long Lake is the place to go. I'm hoping to go back there more when Kobi is a bit older and more reliable. Also do keep in mind parking is very limited at Long Lake. On an off day (weekday afternoon on a foggy/rainy day) the parking lot can get full leaving the only available parking along the side of St. Margrets Bay Rd. which can be nerve racking enough without dogs, but do use extra caution when getting them out of the car, being aware of the very close traffic.

Happy Walking!