About us
The Gault Nature Reserve, owned by McGill University since 1958, is a research station located at Mont-Saint-Hilaire (QC) that protects more than 1,000 hectares of natural habitats.
Outdoor activities
We welcome you 365 days a year on our hiking and cross-country skiing trails.
Trail map
Our trail network is 25 km and 4 summits overlook Lac Hertel.
Opening hours (trails)
April 16 to August 31
Opening
Closing
A scientific legacy
Teaching and research are essential activities at the Gault Nature Reserve.
Monitoring presence and activity of mosquito species of concern at Gault Nature Reserve
2025 Gault Research Award
Master's project of Krista Kueviakoe, a McGill student co-supervised by Mette Bendixen and Lars Iversen. This project started in 2025.
Projects funded by the Gault Research Awards
Long-term changes in the forest and the impact of white-tailed deer
2025 Gault Research Award
Master's project of Micah Pavlidis, a McGill student co-supervised by Catherine Potvin and Frédéric Guichard. This project started in 2024.
Detecting heat stress in fish using environmental RNA
2025 Gault Research Award
Doctorate project of Liz Weller, a McGill student supervised by Melanie Cristescu. This project started in 2025.
Combined effects of road salt and eutrophication on aquatic ecosystems
2025 Gault Research Award
Master's project of Catalina Claus, a McGill student supervised by Gregor Fussmann. This project started in 2025.
Ramifying effects of goldfish invasions on pond ecosystems
2024 Gault Research Award
Doctorate project of Emma Schubert, a McGill student supervised by Anthony Ricciardi. This project started in 2024.
Estimating streamwater age at the Gault Nature Reserve
2024 Gault Research Award
Master's project of Liya Miliya, a McGill student supervised by Geneviève Ali. This project started in 2024.
Environmental RNA as a non-invasive tool to monitor heatwave impacts on Cypriniformes communities
2024 Gault Research Award
Master's project of Simone Miklosi, a McGill student supervised by Melania Cristescu. This project started in 2024.
Decay and DNA repair of fecal indicator bacteria under sunlight radiation in natural lake water
2024 Gault Research Award
Doctorate project of Greyson He, a McGill student supervised by Stephanie Loeb. This project started in 2024.
Adaptation to multiple simultaneous stressors in freshwater bacterioplankton
2023 Gault Research Award
Doctorate project of Akhil Sanjay Kholwadwala, a McGill student supervised by Rowan Barrett and Jesse Shapiro. This project started in 2023 at LEAP.
Quantifying the form and function of aquatic plants in Southern Quebec
2023 Gault Research Award
Doctorate project of Lindsay Trottier, a McGill student supervised by Lars Iversen. This project started in 2023 at Gault Nature Reserve and Wilder and Helen Penfield research station.
The direct and indirect effects of white-tailed deer on black-legged ticks
2023 Gault Research Award
Master's project of Kari Hollett, a McGill student supervised by Virginie Millien. This project started in 2021.
Monitoring the effects of herbicides on bacterioplankton
2022 Gault Research Award
Master's project of Emma Derrick, a McGill student supervised by Jesse Shapiro. This project started in 2022 at LEAP.
Using drones and thermal imagery to estimate white-tailed deer overpopulation on Mont Saint-Hilaire
2022 Gault Research Award
Undergraduate project of Savannah Bissegger O'Connor, a McGill student supervised by Tim Elrick and Jeffrey Cardille. This project started in 2021.
Assessing the impact of surrounding microbial community interactions on rhizobium following herbicide stress
2022 Gault Research Award
Undergraduate project of Maxime Guglielmetti, a McGill student supervised by Rowan Barrett. This project started in 2022 at LEAP.
The effect of contaminants on mercury buildup in aquatic food webs
2022 Gault Research Award
Doctorate project of Maude Lachapelle, a McGill student supervised by Irene Gregory-Eaves (McGill University) and Zofia Taranu (Environment and Climate Change Canada). This project started in 2021.
Finding common ground: How hikers influence white-tailed deer space-use patterns in a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve
2019 Gault Research Award
Master's project of Frédérique Truchon, a McGill student co-supervised by Virginie Millien (McGill University) and Martin-Hugues Saint-Laurent (Université du Québec à Rimouski). This project started in 2018.
Meeting and lodging
Gault has meeting rooms and lodging to suit whatever your group needs, whether for conferences, nature field courses, training or informal meet-ups. You can rent just one of our lodgings, multiple lodgings, or all of them at the same time for a single visit.
