This place was magical. Well kept, and beautiful. Hiking/walk/run for beginners…read more I did Jack Pine trail to Lime Kiln trail. I did about 7.7KMs in an hour ish. Well worth the visit

This place is a hidden gem and deserves a 6*…read more Since we were 2 adults and a 7-yr old, I reserved one Pedalo which can seat 2 adults and 2 children. We arrived at 9 am, enough time to watch a 10min compulsory video, which was well worth it, before we started our discovery expedition, scheduled at 9.30am. This, I find, is the best starting time, as you are not under the intense sun, and much less traffic on the water. Customer service was just impeccable, and not just at checkin, but everywhere we met other staff. We were provided with a guide book, a map, marker, a walkie-talkie and a life jacket. After that, it was just pure adventure going through the labyrinth, following directions and clues. The marsh comes alive with lots of snapping turtles, frogs and small fish. It was a learning expedition for the 7-yr old as for the adults for the entire journey padding away, enjoying the beautiful and peaceful scenery, which took us just over 2 1/2 hours. We had our lunch at one of the many picnic tables available everywhere. Happy to see that washrooms were very clean. This is definitely a place not to be missed.

Nestled in wetlands near Wakefield Quebec, Eco-odyssée is ingenious! In a nutshell, little…read morewaterways have been carved out of wetland and/or bog to create a maze. I am not a naturalist so maybe I am not using the correct terminology but bear with me as I try to explain... You rent a paddleboat, choose an adventure and off you go, trying to find your way back to the start. We had an absolute blast yesterday, even with the heat of the day. The paddleboats are equipped with little awnings to protect you from the sun. And don't worry, if you get completely lost (which we didn't), you can reach the crew via walkie talkie, which is included in the price. It takes about 1.5 hours to do the basic adventure. The rental for one paddleboat is just over $50 with the taxes and seats 2 adults or 2 adults plus 2 kids. This activity rates "mild" in my opinion and I am not much of a physical activity kind of a girl. Although we brought bug spray, we didn't use it at all: no mosquitos nor deer flies. But thank goodness we brought water, although we had to pace ourselves: there are no "pee brake" spots in the middle of the bog. I am totally gaga over this place. I think whoever thought of this is brilliant! Visitors to our region should be introduced to this activity. And when you are done, where better than to spend the rest of the day than in Wakefield? Boutiques, restaurants and a really awesome bakery. Only 30-35 minutes from downtown Ottawa. A must!!!

This is a very pretty area, a hidden gem in plain sight. You can see the falls from St Joseph…read moreBlvd., as you drive past over the bridge - but don't blink, or you'll miss it! It's hard to find an access point to actually walk around the park-like setting surrounding the falls, but with careful planning, you can do it! We ended up parking on a side street near an entrance, hiked around a bit, and took photos, but never made it to the bottom today. The falls are surrounded by trees, so surely this area would be beautiful in the fall when the colours change. I've been wanting to get the camera club together for an outing; maybe this fall will present an opportunity?

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

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.

If you want to mix it up and looking for a trail that has a "wild" feeling to it then this is your…read moretrail. This is a 6 KM round trip (actually you walk to the end, do a small loop around a pond and go back) that is not paved and you are walking a narrow path. While the path is not suitable for bikes (bikes are not allowed) We did walk it with an 8-year-old and a 3-year-old (most of the time on my back) so it is not that hard. In fact the hardest part were the mosquitos (BRING BUG SPRAY) The trail is marked pretty ok (some parts were a bit confusing) but you wont get lost, and there are a few side trail if you want a shorter/longer hike. Overall that was a wonderfull walk, very rustic at parts with beutiful scenary,highly recomanded (except the mosquitos)

I love going to Pink Lake during Autumn! My favorite season. The park is simply stunning…read more It's extremely busy on the weekend, so I do recommend going during the week if you can, otherwise it's a big struggle finding a parking space.

I absolutely love this trail! The views are gorgeous, the water is Crystal blue especially on sunny…read moredays. Very doable for any body type or age group (beginner or advanced) it's roughly 5km! Enjoy!!

I was looking for a new place to hike less than 1 hour away from Ottawa, this was about 40 min…read moredrive and based on the description seemed perfect..and it was. The park is filled with wildlife, we only saw a few deer, turtles, frogs and snakes but we were also with a bunch of very loud kids. The trials are very well marked both by marks you can spot so you won't get lost but the different trails are also color coded (and the marks) which makes everything easier. The trails are not long around 1-3 km so you can combine a few and the place is just magical filled with viewpoints, places to go into the river to cool down, swim or fish. BTW the trails are covered by the trees so its perfect even on a hot day. At the entrance, there is a parking lot (3$ a day self-paid machine), toilets and a couple of picnic tables. I highly recommend this place for kids or a short nature relaxation hike.

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.