Dreaming of a dog sled ride? No need to go all the way to the Far North: our mushers will take you on a tour of the Jura mountains.
Okay, but what’s a musher? Also known as a team driver or dog leader, a musher is a driver of a snow sled pulled by a pack of dogs. The first traces of mushing date back over four thousand years, to the wild tundra of Siberia. There, the nomadic Chukchi tribe developed the art of mushing across the great desert and icy plains, and it has now reached us across the centuries and continents. Today, dog sledding is a successful tourist activity. It can be found in some of France’s mountainous regions, notably the Jura, home to some breathtaking scenery. But did you know? The term « mushing » has its origins in the French word for « to walk ».
Do you love contact with animals and thrills? Embark on a unique experience! Here are 13 places to go dog-sledding in the Jura.
1. La Pesse
Photo credit: Julien Carnot par Flickr
Situated opposite the highest mountain in the Jura, the Crêt de la Neige, the commune of La Pesse offers a privileged setting for mountain activities. Hiking, cross-country and Nordic skiing, snowshoeing… and dog sledding! The Eisbar et Cie sledding school offers this unique experience, allowing you to discover the wild landscapes and rich diversity of La Pesse’s surroundings.
2. Premanon
Photo credit: Flickr – Nicolas Buffler
Come to Premanon and experience mushing with the Sentiers Nordiques team. Sophie Tissot is a professional musher, mountain guide and cross-country ski instructor. With her dogs, she offers a variety of activities:
- dog sledding ;
- initiation to carriage driving ;
- ski joering: dog-drawn skiing;
- cani raquettes: snowshoeing, pulled by a dog;
- two- to three-day trek in the Jura mountains with dogs.
Children and people with disabilities also have the opportunity to enjoy this experience.
Premanon offers typical Jura landscapes, between forests and plains, and a real polar atmosphere in winter – which is why it is home to the Polar Worlds Space.
3. Septmoncel and Septmoncel les Molunes
These two communes are not far from Saint-Claude, in the heart of some of the most beautiful scenery in the Jura: rugged roads, mountains, waterfalls, canyons and more. The perfect place for a dog sledding trip. Contact Mushing Adventures or Chalet des Sibériens, two companies offering a variety of activities with mountain dogs: dog sledding in the Jura, carriage driving, cani-hiking, etc.
4. Morbier
Photo credit: Pixabay, by Fotomaker
If you’re a cheese lover, Morbier is sure to ring a bell. This small town lies in the heart of the spruce and fir forests that carpet the Haut-Jura mountains. By appointment, Free Sled offers sleigh rides, as well as an activity specially designed for children: the baby sleigh park. This is a fun and safe way for children aged 3 to 7 to discover the world of mushing.
5. Longchaumois
Photo credit: Julien Carnot via Wikimedia Commons
Not far from Morbier, Longchaumois is a small village surrounded by fields and forests. Staying here in winter gives you the chance to take a dog sled ride in the Jura, thanks to the Loups de l’Étoile Polaire kennel. All winter long, these magnificent huskies will take you along the snow-covered trails of the surrounding area. Here, the rides are shorter than elsewhere (two kilometers), but the prices are very attractive: a good way to get your first ride! The activity is also accessible to children aged 4 and over.
6. Les Moussières
Photo credit: ilisgar via Wikipedia
A small village perched at an altitude of over 1,000 meters, Les Moussières is an ideal place for dog sledding. The 14 dogs of the Des Chiens et des Hommes team will lead you through the mountain trails for an experience that’s sure to remain etched in your memories. Here are the activities on offer:
- one or two-hour walk in the snow-covered mountains ;
- initiation and improvement in carriage driving ;
- trek in the Hautes Combes, with nights in a yurt or tepee.
7. Foncine le Haut
Photo credit PxHere
In Foncine le Haut, you can get in touch with Too Mush, which offers dog sledding in the Haute Vallée de la Saine, an area renowned for its gorges and waterfalls. The team offers two-day raids, rides, introductory driving lessons and karting, so that children and people with disabilities can enjoy the incredible complicity of sled dogs. Off-snow, you can try cani-hiking, cani- mountain biking and cani-trotinette! The resort is listed among our top 10 ski resorts in the Jura!
8. Bellecombe
Photo credit: RAS via Wikimedia Commons
Daniel Mellina is one of France’s leading musher. He lives with his 50 dogs at Bellecombe and offers a variety of activities in the heart of the Haut-Jura nature park: walks, introductory carriage driving courses, 2 to 5-day itinerant raids, off-snow activities… But also activities designed for school outings or corporate seminars. A great place to observe the great complicity between the dogs and the breeder, and to discover the beauty of the Jura mountains.
9. Prenovel
Photo credit Nicepik
In Prenovel, Terre et Neige invites you to discover the Grandvaux region on board a sleigh. Close to the ski slopes, you can also enjoy the following activities:
- family sleigh ride ;
- SLED DRIVING ;
- dog-drawn karts, except during winter;
- cani-rando.
10. Ponthoux
Photo credit: Matthias Meyer via Pexels.com
Ponthoux is a small hamlet where you can go dog sledding in the Jura. In this magnificent setting, Flavien de Antartica will take you on board a sled in the company of his dogs, and at the same time offer you a guided tour of the region. You’ll have the chance to drive the sled and, outside snowy periods, to go cani-randoing, to board a wheeled sled or a dog-drawn scooter.
11. Mijoux
Photo credit: Shutterstock / Gillmar
Located at the gateway to the Jura mountains, the commune of Mijoux attracts many tourists every year thanks to its ski slopes. Here, you can also enjoy an unforgettable experience with sled dogs, through QimmiQ Aventure. Whether you simply want to let yourself be carried along and enjoy the scenery, or prefer to try your hand at driving a dog team, you’ve got a great day ahead of you. What’s more, dog sledding in Mijoux is also an opportunity to take a ride at night!
In summer, Qimmiq Aventure offers cani-rando and cani-trotinette.
12. Lajoux
Photo credit: VentDuSud via Shutterstock
Adjacent to Mijoux, Lajoux is the highest village in the Massif du Jura. In winter, it is completely covered in snow, offering a landscape that seems to come straight out of a fairy tale. Adults and children alike can enjoy their first dog-sledding experience in this magical atmosphere. The approach taken by Sibériens de la Valserine, which offers this activity, is resolutely educational: a great way to learn more about the world of mushing.
Rates
To give you an idea, here are the prices for dog sledding in the Jura – they vary depending on the school you choose:
- dog sled ride (1 hour, adult rate): between €60 and €80;
- dog sled ride (1 hour, child rate): between €35 and €55;
- learning to drive a carriage (half-day, adult rate): between €105 and €155;
- initiation to carriage driving (half-day, child rate): between €80 and €155;
- initiation to carriage driving (one day): between €190 and €255;
- trek (several days): between €400 and €700.