the beach is very nice and beautiful and they have the Best cafe with kind employees and yummy foodread more

Amazing amazing beach, would nit recommend for introverts. Really good place to socialise meet…read morepeople and experience hidden beauty of canada. There is a restaurant nearby make sure ti bring card or apple pay because they do not accept cash and you cant go into the restaurant without full clothes and you need ti wear something on your feet, there was a bar in it and you can have a beer from there oh and make sure to enjoy a kids grilled cheese or a grilled cheese it was super good. Make sure to go in summers only and be ready for cold water, bring volleyball or football, better if you bring friends with you or you can ask someone to play with you nobody will approach you to play. Here is the stuff you need to bring : Sport stuff (mainly ball), sunscreen, a small tent for shade, towel and a sheet, extra clothes and plastic bags to put wet clothes in, bring a flotie ( safe for kids ), not safe for dogs cause a lot of people there, cycle stands and lifeguards are available, bring water bottle the fountain dont work .

Good swim After a workout…read more I wouldn't go on summer weekend (too many people) Small but decent beach I don't know about the rest of the park, didn't care enough

Beautiful place to explore and learn about nature. A wonderful gem in the National Capital Region.read more

Great park!! This park was established as part of an effort to make Ottawa a greener, more…read morebeautiful city some years ago. The falls are a scenic spot for pictures and a picnic. This is also a prime spot for music festivals, concerts, and a nice walk through the woods on a fall day. This park is much cleaner than some others. It is also not quite as overrun with constantly pooping geese!

Hog's Back Park is a nice little park in the middle of the city. It's a great place for a picnic,…read moreor a bike ride or just to walk around. The falls are picturesque and since I am a romantic in my heart, I like looking at and reading all the love locks that are on the fence by the falls. I hope that all those people who placed the locks there are still happily together and still madly in love. Although I am ironically also simultaneously a cynic in my head, so I highly doubt that even half of those couples are still on speaking terms, lol. Cue music from Great Big Sea: "...how did we get from saying "I love you," to "I'll see you 'round someday?"..." Ok, ok, we can't end on that note...Cue music from Christopher Cross: "...I will take you forever, and there will never be anyone else in my heart but you..." Alright, talking about Love time is over, more about the park! There are lots of benches around and some picnic tables too. It's within walking distance to Mooney's Bay Park, which I don't like as much because it is much busier (likely because it also has a beach, which Hog's Back does not). There is free parking on-site but it can be hard to find a spot sometimes.

We love the new Canada-themed playground at Mooney's Bay. It's very well laid out, large, and…read moreaesthetically pleasing. Apparently each of the built play structures is a representation of a province or area of Canada, from West to East. You can see an orca climbing apparatus, a construction Peace Tower, canoe seesaws, and covered wagons representing the Prairies. Kids young and old will appreciate this unique spacial architecture. It's a great place to let them roam and run, while basking in a bit of Canadiana. Park for free across the main road (walk through the tunnel) on the Hogsback side.

So a lot of people like this park because it is always really busy. There's a beach, a big hill, a…read morefairly large children's playground with fancy stuff beyond the regular swings and slides, a snack bar and lots of open grass for picnics, frisbee games, etc. You can rent paddleboards too. It's walking distance from Hog's Back Park (which I personally like better because it's less crowded, even though there's less to do there). I have always hated crowds, even long before the Covid-19 Pandemic, so Mooney's Bay Park is not my jam, but I can see how people love it. If you like a park with lots of people and lots of things to do, Mooney's Bay Park might be right up your alley. There is some free parking on site.

I used to love taking my niece here No matter what time of…read moreyear 5 stars would have been reasonably clear But renovations have ruined it now, I fear Where children used to play in the sand Now sawdust and cedar chips cover the land Wanting to modernize, I understand Even the new Jungle Gym was poorly planned It takes up just so much more space And isn't ideal for kids young in age My nephew still small wanted to play But now I can't follow to keep him safe. Used to have a tall, big beautiful slide Replaced with a short one from narrow to wide It looks cool, but not practical if tried With 3 spaces at the end, but still only one at a time? Used to have more open space for kids to run And the water station in the sand pit is questionably dumb We'll hit up another park next time we come They've changed it all up, we just didn't have as much fun. ----------- Installment 26 poetry reviews So, for a nice hike with the dogs (off leash even allowed at points) this park is still an excellent waterview/access place for adults, teens and sports. But the kid's part of this park took a huge turn for the worse. I duno what they were thinking when they redesigned this big #parkFAIL. However, the splash pad area is still a good option for kids on a hot day. I'll give it 2.5 stars, generously rounding to 3, for still being a useful and pretty park in some respects but hafta dock them serious points for ruining the kid's park. Also Stanley Park/New Edinburgh Park ?? Figure out what it's called guys. It can't be both...can it??

This is easily the best off leash park close to downtown. Far away from any traffic, this peninsula…read morestretches into the Rideau River, and provides ample room to chase balls, sticks, and other dogs, who come here in droves. Easily one of the more popular parks in the area, in the summertime it's not uncommon to see 20-30 dogs here at peak times, between 4 and 6pm, later when the summer sun is up late. Lots of regulars, and friendly people/dogs Even though the rules clearly block off the water from dog access, there's a gravel beach where dogs will swim and frolic in the water, seemingly without impunity. It seems to be a tolerated access point, and I've never had anyone have any issues in the 4 years I've used this park. Only issue I have ever had is with sharing the neighbouring bike path with cyclists. Many hardcore riders use this path, and can get upset when they are doing 60kph past the dog area and animals wonder into the lanes. Plenty of on street parking on Stanley Avenue, and also near the children's park at the east end of Stanley. Make sure to leash your dog from this lot and along the access path until you get out in the open.

Andrew Haydon Park is, in my humble opinion, a terrific spot! A group of likeminded crafting…read morefriends gets together here during the summer. I like the fact that there are washrooms available (essential!) There is a lot of parking available but to be honest, it gets crowded on those good days. I guess I've been lucky, always finding a spot. Good thing, too, as I'm coming from an hour away! There's a section that is covered, with picnic tables - this area always has people in it. Our group brings our own folding chairs and sits in spots under some trees, with views of the water. With a light breeze, it is quite nice here. Also, I love the waterfall area, although it's man-made (and sometimes smells like sulphur). I'm sure we will be back.

My dad used to take me here as soon as I learned how to walk. Special times…read more We used to get ice cream across the street at Dairy Queen afterwards which is now a gas station. Decades later, I met up with a friend and our dogs and walked the paths. Beautiful day to revive the memory of my dad, decades later. It's as well kept as I remembered it to be. Adored the waterfall. I'll come back here to sit and read, most likely. I remembered most, the wooden bridges to cross and all the critters on land and in the water. Geese, crayfish, minnows. I'm so glad this place is still here and thriving. Very peaceful. Heart warming.

Gatineau Park is beautiful, vast, and well-maintained. There are tons of paths of varying lengths…read moreand elevations you can take (which you should read up on before your walk). Seeing the fall foliage never ceases to amaze, and I got a lot of photos; some of them were even presentable. A lot of the trails are accessible by driving there. Parking is limited, however. As you can imagine, it gets much busier in autumn. Try to get there around sunrise. Hopefully, the shuttle to get there comes back, since it was mothballed during quarantine.

We stopped in for a short visit while in town and would love to come back to explore more…read more Admission and parking are free! We stopped by Meech Lake which looked like a lovely spot for kayaking. Fall colors were starting to appear in mid September. There are many trails described as varying levels of difficulty and varying lengths and so would be a wonderful spot for hiking!

The Ottawa River Pathway is a pedestrian and bicycle path along the Ottawa River. The scenery is…read morevery beautiful year-round, but especially in the autumn. The pathway is about 30km, but you can get on and off at certain points, so you definitely don't have to do the entire length. It's fully paved and not particularly hilly. Just watch out for goose poop along certain parts of the path during certain times of the year, lol. Goose poop aside, the Ottawa River Pathway is beautiful. It's great for getting some exercise, be it cycling, rollerblading, jogging, Nordic walking, power walking, or even taking a leisurely stroll, while admiring nature. Sunsets along certain parts of the Pathway are especially breathtaking.

This is a great little escape for the government workers in Tunney's pasture, to break away from…read moretheir computers for a few minutes of fresh air and R&R while they come outside for lunch or a walk or bike ride along the river. Be careful of the goose droppings on the grass, though. The cyclists using this path would rather the pedestrians walked on the grass, and the walkers would prefer if the cyclists used the grass! All of us are avoiding the droppings left by the Canada Geese that frequent this area. Also, look for the man who builds Inukshuk (if I've spelled that right?) For many years now, a man has been building amazing statues out of the rocks at the shoreline - they rocks balance on each other at seemingly impossible angles, threatening to drop at any moment, but seem to keep their balance! There was an article about him several years ago in the Canadian Geographic. It's been a pleasure to watch him work, and he's become something of a tourist attraction. It's May now, and I haven't seen him there yet this year, but maybe the water's too cold yet. Maybe he begins this work after the Victoria Day weekend.

This place is a kind of known hidden gen near Ottawa/Kanata. This park, which is open 24/7 365 days…read morehas a 2.5 km loop that has access to a small beach. The park offers some highlights year-round. In the summer you can walk about 200-300 m from the parking to a beach that is never crowded do some fishing/sunbathing/swimming. In autumn walk the small loop to see the change of colours but clearly, the best time is winter. In winter go to the beach and watch the wonderful ice structures, you will feel like you are in a frozen movie. On one side the frozen river seems to stretch all the way to Gatineau. people often drive on it with a snowmobile or XC skis. On the other side frozen waterfalls and ice castles for kids to play (very carefully with). The only downside is that the parking lot is closed during winter and you have to park near the side of the road. Be careful that your care doesn't slip to the ditch (happened to me once, luckily some good Canadians helped and we could go on with our hike). P.S this is a dog-friendly trail