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!!

One day, I came here, to the wrong park but it was a great error. I think I was mesmerized by the…read moredocked boats and pulled in. Lots of parking. Nepean Sailing Club. I didn't go in but I don't think it's private. Well kept. Beautiful pathways. Lots of benches for sitting and gazing out at the vast water. Friendly cyclists. Lots of geese. I took my dog the whole way in a big C shape and came back. Great exercise. Loved it here and I'll return. I have to find more friends with boats...

Dick Bell Park is a beautiful park by the Ottawa River. There's a marina there and the Nepean…read moreSailing Club is there too. There's a good length walking path, lots of open green space for picnics on the grass, or they have a few actual picnic tables as well (some even have charcoal grills where you can cook your food). There is a very high concentration of commemorative park benches in this park. More than I have seen in any other park in the city. (as an aside, I looked up the commemorative park bench program in Ottawa, and for around $3500 you can purchase a commemorative park bench, chose your text on the plaque, chose it's location in any municipally-owned park, you donate it to the city, and the city will maintain it in perpetuity. I think this is a beautiful way to remember a loved one. However, Dick Bell Park is apparently full and cannot accommodate anymore commemorative benches. I guess it is a popular location). Lots of people fish at this park. It's very picturesque as it's by the water and in the summer you can see lots of boats in the water. I've never been there at sunrise or sunset, but I'm sure the view would be spectacular at those times. There's free parking on-site.

At the end April 2022, my husband and I went to Black Rapids Park in hopes of having a picnic…read morethere. Unfortunately, they still had the picnic tables all in a pile and chained up, so we couldn't use them. The park was covered in goose poop, so we didn't want to eat on the grass and ended up eating in the car, lol. Parking is not free at this park, you have to pay. The parking lot is owned by Indigo Parking and it's $1.25 an hour with a 4 hour maximum. The parking lot is also fairly small, so it fills up quickly. If the parking lot is full, there really isn't anywhere else you can park so you'd be out of luck. The turn to get into the parking lot and thus the park is marked, but the road is small, not even 2 full car widths, so it's easy to miss. I missed it first time around and had to double back. Also since the road in is narrow, if someone is coming in and someone else is coming out, the person coming out has to back up. I don't know who designed this place, but I'm not all that impressed with the entrance/exit layout. So as you can see, this park and I did not start off on the right foot, lol. It is pretty, if you disregard all the goose poop and the loud geese walking around. The rapids are cool and there are sections of the park that are picturesque. I personally would be reluctant to bring small kids here because I feel that it's pretty dangerous there if you are not careful. You can fall in the water. Not all sections are adequately fenced off for my comfort level. However, I am a stickler for safety. But I realize that nature is inherently dangerous, so I guess there is some risk to experience its beauty. Glad I got to see the park and the rapids, but I likely won't be back.

I had no idea this place existed until our photographer, Jamie from Hello Lovely Ottawa, suggested…read moreit for our maternity shoot! We were there last summer in June. We weren't the only ones there for a photoshoot either, as we saw a pregnant woman and her partner with a photographer, as well as another couple who seemed to be taking engagement photos. Great location for them! We met Jamie in the parking lot and had no idea what the park would be like, but when we walked down into the park area, it opened up to this huge green space that we didn't expect. There's lots of open green space and small hills, some picnic tables, a few paths in between the trees, and locks where a few people were fishing. It was so beautiful and peaceful at during the "golden hour" at sunset on a weekday, and no mosquitos or any other bugs really, maybe because it was a little windy. I'm not sure what it would be like on weekends during the day, when I could see a lot of families playing and picnics happening. I completely forgot about this park until now, so I can't wait to go back with our babe when the whether is nice! In the meantime, enjoy a few photos of my husband and I screwing around during our photoshoot lol (Just two weeks before our little guy decided to introduce himself to the world!)

I am not much of an outdoorsman. In fact, I am not even much of an indoorsman either. Anyhow, my…read morelack of outdoor skills, knowledge or comfort came to light when I met my sister-in-law's boyfriend. He is the epitome of outdoors - he lives up in the mountains of Washington State, drives an atv, hunts, rides horseback, owns bear repellant and can fish any body of water for his survival. I spotted Green Drake Outfitters one day as I was cruising along Wellington Street and decided to stop by to buy something/talk to the staff to acquire some sort of woods credibility (the opposite of street cred). Green Drake Outfitters (a green drake is a kind of fly they make lures of for fly fishing - some sort of outdoor sport) sells all kinds of fishing gear - the hats, these gloves for holding the fish tight as you wrest the hook from its mouth, vests to store your hooks, hip waders, all sorts of camoflage gear, etc. The prices? I have no idea if they are high or not, but the staff assured me they were middle of the road. Speaking of the staff, they seem very knowledgable - well, they were quite willing to spend time educating a city boy like me about all things outdoors - mostly for their own entertainment, I am sure! Anyhow, if you are interested in fishing or outdoor adventuring, then go to Green Drake Outfitters.

From the owner: Fly fishing equipment and accessories,read more

Near the casino, this is a perfect 5 km loop. It's typically clean and not overly crowded, which…read moremakes it a great spot for a walk or a run. In the summer you can rent paddle boards and kayaks for 20$ or free with the gatineau access card! Près du casino, c'est une boucle parfaite d'environ 5 km. C'est généralement propre et pas trop achalandé, ce qui en fait un excellent endroit pour marcher ou courir. Durant l'été la location de kayaks et paddlboard est à frais de 20$ ou bien gratuit avec la carte acces gatineau!

Beautiful views, and a decent walk. Really bummed those topiaries that are all over Google aren't…read morethere anymore, but it was a good time-if a gray day.

The Rideau River Nature Trail is a lovely little trail along the Rideau River in Old Ottawa East…read more It spans Brantwood Park, Springhurst Park and People's Park. It's very peaceful and beautiful. There are some rest areas with benches overlooking the river. There are also some informational signs along the way which provide education on topics like stormwater, fish, and historic sites. Lots of turtles nest in the area and there are signs to let you know which specific areas. There are also a few bat houses along the trail. It's an easy trail for fairweather walkers like me. It's not a real hiking trail for hardcore hikers. More for a leisurely stroll to spend some time with nature without leaving the city.

Vincent Massey Park is a great place for a picnic or outdoor party. This park has the most picnic…read moretables I've ever seen in a park. While my husband and I were there we saw numerous parties going on (Happy 40th Shelly! I don't know who you are, but saw your balloons and sign. It seems like your friends and family really care about you, so you must be a nice person, lol). It was a Sunday, so there was a church sermon going on as well. Since we are in the midst of the Covid-19 Pandemic, I think it's good that celebrations and gatherings are taking place outside, as this decreases the risk of spread, compared to indoor gatherings. However, we recently had a park BBQ in Ottawa that lead to a big outbreak of cases, so please still try to physically distance (even when outside) and not share food with people outside of your exclusive bubble of 10, as per Public Health recommendations ;) In addition to picnic tables, they have open green space as well as a path for walking, biking, rollerblading, etc. It's by the Rideau River, so you get a nice view of the water. I saw some people fishing in the river too. The only thing I'm not crazy about is that parking at this park is not free. You have to pay. There is the Vincent Massey Park Lot attached to the park. It's $1 per 30 minutes to a maximum of $8 (7am-10pm everyday). There is an adjacent Impark Lot, where you have to walk a bit further, and it's $1.50 per 30 minutes to a maximum of $10. However, on weekdays after 5pm and all day on weekends the flat rate is $3. So this is a better deal if you plan to stay more than 90 minutes during the evening or on a weekend. Needless to say, we parked in the Impark Lot ;) Vincent Massey Park is a great park right in the city.

Park was nice but what was terrible was leaving the parking lot! Firstly you have to pay to park…read moreand second if you are leaving in the evening when everyone decides to leave you are going to take about an hour just to leave. I would not come to this park again!

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!!!

We booked the Gatineau Hills 20-25 minute tour. Booking was relatively easy, filled a form out…read moreonline and they gave me a call to book. Payment was taken when we arrived for the tour. Tour location was at the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum and the booth is in the back corner. If you aren't planning to visit the museum, you can just let the admissions person know you're just there for the biplane ride and they'll let you in. The ride itself was cool and the pilot did some awesome twists and turns (he explained to us before ride what his plans were and confirmed if we were comfortable with the maneuvers). They also gave me a cushion as I was a little too short to see out the plane which was a nice touch.

My wife reserved a ride for us as a gift, since she knows I have a thing for biplanes. We had a…read moreblast. We did the river fly over and it was a real treat. When we arrived we met the woman at the desk who was very friendly. There was only one plane flying that day, instead of two, so we had to wait a little longer than our reserved time. Nice thing is we got to walk around the museum, so the wait was no bother at all. The flight lasted about 15 minutes and the pilot was a really friendly guy and consummate professional. Honestly the thrill of being in a biplane was worth it alone, and I loved when the pilot banked the plane sharply. Sure, I could have spent more time in the air, but I am not disappointed in anyway. Highly recommended.