I'm writing this review about the cross country ski area and cafe, which we enjoyed this past…read moreweekend. We have never visited this location except in winter (this is our second time, both times in the month of Feb). First, when it snows, and when the weather stays cold, you cannot beat the 124-mile groomed cross-country trails of Gatineau Park! Starting at the Relais, there is parking, equipment rentals, indoor bathrooms and a cafe serving surprisingly good food and beverages. Just outside there is a fire pit where you can sit and warm up. And they have plenty of indoor tables for eating. Second, regarding the trails, there is something for every level skier here. There are lots of fairly open and flat trails, some hills, some trails in the woods, some with twists and turns. My husband and I (who have skied here before) are intermediate to advanced skiers, and we have really enjoyed being able to ski for hours and experience lots of different environments. The trails are well marked and groomed for both classic and skate skiing. And they also have maps available. Third, during our most recent visit, we were with friends who had never xc skied before. We had called earlier in the week to get help with reserving equipment through the website, and the people we spoke to were very helpful, friendly and patient. Upon arrival, skis, boots and poles were waiting. The only downside was that the skis for our one friend were nearly 3 feet taller than she was. When I asked why they had given her such long skis they said that it was because of her weight. I know that longer skis help to distribute your weight, but as my friend was a total beginner, I felt that shorter skis would be more advantageous to her learning, so we asked for a swap and luckily they could accommodate us! And I was right - the shorter skis were the ticket. She easily took to the technique and skied for 3 hours with us! She also fell down a few times, and easily got back up - something I'm not sure she could have so easily managed with really long skis. Fourth, the skis you can rent here have a manual binding system, so you have to position the toe of your boot against the binding, then twist the lever to snap the binding on. I have never seen bindings like this and we found it very challenging to get our friends into (and out of) their skis. Our friends reported that the boots were very comfortable. Fifth, the Relais cafe is GREAT. On the day we visited they had two kinds of chili (one veggie and one meat), brownies, croissants, cookies, wraps, sandwiches and a variety of hot beverages. We ordered two hot cocoas, an herbal tea and a coffee, a grilled cheese with bacon, a BLT wrap, and two bowls of chili, and all of it was piping hot, tasty and great portion sizes. Last thing to note: on the busy Saturday that we visited, the entire place was being run by very young people. At the check in, there were two boys who may have been teens or very early twenties who were on their phones and seemed unable/unwilling to help us; there was one young man running between the ski equipment room and the cafe - he seemed very capable, friendly, multi lingual. In the cafe there were several young women - at every order they seemed to need to consult each other; there was a lot of giggling, but they got all the orders correct. There was no person monitoring to ensure that all the skiers had paid for day passes, nor was there anyone bussing or cleaning tables, or taking care of the restrooms (which were both a mess with paper toweling all over the floor and low toilet paper). We also did not see any ski patrol on the trails. I noticed all of this because it was totally different the last time we visited (Feb 2020), when there were numerous employees attending to folks and skiing the trails, visibly identifiable as ski patrol. In any event, for independent and capable skiers, who just want to park, strap on skis and hit the trails, ski for hours, and then warm up with a cocoa or snack, this place is absolutely fantastic! BUT please support the park system and buy your day pass!

Kiddo had lots of fun doing the clip and climb part of the gym. Lots of different options and each…read morewall had three levels of difficulty to make things more challenging (I.e. only the red holds)

I signed my teen son up for a week of advanced rock climbing camp. He was put with an 8 year old…read moreand told to climb walls for young children. Meanwhile my son is an advanced climber (climbs Fridays with Coyote Rock. He hated camp! We called to see if some thing could be done -THERE WERE NO RETURN PHONE CALLS. The camp was $300 and could care less about their students and families. We signed up for a teen advanced (magma camp). They did not honor their online advertisement! Terrible!!!!!!!!! GO ANYWHERE ELSE!!!!!!!!

Really fun and chill place to hang out and get some exercise in. Staff are friendly and helpful…read morewith signing in.

This place is always so much fun. The facility is huge, so the walls, bouldering areas and routes…read moreare diverse with a wide range of difficulty levels. For first timers wanting to climb the rope routes, they have to come with a partner and take a free introductory belaying course. The staff are incredibly helpful and pleasant to train with. For people wanting to pay a little less and avoid rope routes, they can opt for the bouldering routes scattered throughout the gym. My favourite is this cave like area, even if I'm usually not experienced enough to get through its routes. This isn't just a place for adults to get fit or hang out with friends. I actually see a lot of young children with their parents. I think rock climbing is an excellent activity that kids naturally take to and it also helps develop their confidence, fitness, problem solving skills and trust of their parents if they're belaying on the roped routes. The prices are fairly high if you only go casually and have no gear. The day pass is $12 + $7 for full equipment rental. However, if you go often, the membership prices are: 1 Month Membership $65 3 Month Membership $175 6 Month Membership $300 12 Month Membership $450 The location is a hassle to get to if you travel by bus.

Dow's Lake is a man-made lake on the Rideau Canal. It's the site of many fun activities and there…read moreare several restaurants there with beautiful views of the water. You can rent canoes, kayaks, and pedal boats/paddle boats in the summer. In May there's the Tulip Festival which is technically in Commissioner's Park, but this park surrounds Dow's Lake. In the winter when the lake freezes over, you can skate on it, and it's connected to the Rideau Canal, so you can skate for a pretty good distance. There are 3 restaurants at Dow's Lake. Over the years they have changed, but currently the restaurants are Lago, Umbrella Bar, and Mexi's (aka Mexicali Rosa's). There's a paid parking lot nearby ($3.50 per 30 minutes up to a maximum of $14), or street parking ($0.25 per 6 minutes) a bit further away, or free parking on residential streets in neighbouring Little Italy (3 hour limit as per by-laws).

Dow's Lake Pavilion is a short distance away from the airport and Ottawa's downtown core. I like…read morethat you can escape from your daily routine to this picturesque area without doing a road trip. There are canoes and pedal boats that you can rent. You are required to sign a waiver, wear a life jacket, and put down a $20 deposit. You can use cash, and debit and credit cards, except for American Express. Sadly, Amex doesn't seem to be as widely accepted as it used to be. There are lockers where you can store your belongings when you are on the water. I recommend coming with what you truly need. I parked in the lot across from the Pavilion. Parking is $3.50 for 30 minutes, to a maximum of $14. I paid by credit card, which was great. I didn't risk parking on the street, but I know that I can now. It's cheaper that way, but you do have to be cognizant of the time. You can also dine here after a fun time out on the water. We ate at Mexi's. You have the option of dining in the restaurant or sitting out on the patio. I missed the tulip festival. Perhaps I'll plan my vacation and take them in next time. (254)

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!

Gatineau park is truly a gem that we have here locally. I've been a couple of times on many of the…read moretrails and they never disappoint!!! I always pick a different trail and hike for about 4 hours. It's wonderful to see people of all ages enjoying themselves. There was a notebook where people from all around the world could write into which was amazing!!! Recommendation: read about the trail first. A few spots are quite elevated and may be difficult for some people.

More nostalgia for me…read more Back in town and hadn't seen this place in over 40 years. I had forgotten its location but the big giraffe out front... this is where I used to mininputt as a kid with people no longer with us. I love that the new owner of about 10 years had kept the integrity of the mini putt area. The same little barn, humpty dumpy, church on the putt putt greens... Original, just maybe fixed up a bit. 34 acres. Long driving range. New tavern with drinks and snacks. Food truck. A putting area. Wow. My dog was welcome and we had a nice time at the tavern outer area. Serene. I'll go back. This place has great vibes for me.

I drop by the 19th tee at lunch now and again when the weather is nice. It's very easy for me to…read moreaccess and if you buy a booklet for buckets it's a pretty good deal. Nothing spectacular for a driving range but it has everything that you need from a range. The guys there are always helpful and friendly and it's a great way to kill some time or relieve some stress :) The 19th tee also offers lessons, has demos from companies and has sales multiple times a year!

I can't recall how I bookmarked this place, but I think Air Canada had it as something to do while…read morein Ottawa. I'm glad we found it for our drive to Montreal. This is a great interpretive walk to do on a nice day. We learned a lot about the local unique eco system and enjoyed a peaceful quiet walk through the bog. While we didn't see much wildlife other than a couple of frogs, this was great. Even our 4 year old enjoyed doing the loop and looking at the signs and learning about this place. Parking lot can be rough, especially after the rains.

We were in Ottawa and looked for some nice trails that are between Ottawa and Montreal. This hike…read morewas PERFECT. Its a short (2-3 Km) and very easy hike (mostly wooden deck) that tells the wonderful story of the bog. The night before mosquitos killed us at the campground so it was good to see that in this open area, slightly windy we had no flying monsters. The signssay no dogs, BUT the sign does also say (and also the site) that you can bring a dog on a leash. We brought our dog but I will double check it to be sure next time. If you are looking for a lovely,easy and scienic trail you just found it !

Very fun trail easy to do whether you are a beginner or seasoned hiker (there are levels to it)…read more You don't have to go to the tippy top to enjoy your hike. Always available parking in my experience. I love seeing it around spring time when the falls are open and snows are melting! Just be careful as you come up not to slide. Enjoy!

Apparently the most difficult hike in Gatineau Park! Beware as the rocks are quite large. Bring…read morelots of water and perhaps some snacks, and good quality running shoes! The view at the top is stunning of the escarpment, and worth the climb! There are also waterfalls on the way which is beautiful.