Ottawa’s Best Fall Hikes
The Nation’s Capital boasts beautiful scenery all year long, but Fall is when our city really gets to show off! There are few places better to see a spectacular display of seasonal colours than the Ottawa area. In fact, it’s so popular it’s known as Fall Rhapsody and attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year! There are many places to see the changing leaves, but as long-time veterans of the city, we’ve got the inside scoop on some of Ottawa’s best fall hikes. Here are some of our favourite spots to experience fall colours in Ottawa.
Ottawa’s Best Fall Hikes in Gatineau Park
Famous for its fall colours, visitors come from far and wide to view the changing leaves in Gatineau Park. With approximately 180 kms of beautiful hiking trails, the Park is a prime destination for outdoor activities and stunning views. Because it’s so popular, the park can be very busy during peak season, so plan to go early before parking lots fill up or visit during the week. While there are many trails and vantage points in the park, these 3 trails all offer
Pink Lake Trail
Among the many beautiful sights in Gatineau Park, Pink Lake stands out for its turquoise waters and lookout that overlooks the lake. The Pink Lake Trail is a 2.3-km loop around the lake, which has several sets of stairs and interpretation panels along the way. The trail is classified as Intermediate and takes approximately an hour to walk. The views all the way along the trail and from the lookout are some of the best in the park!
Luskville Falls Trail
Luskville Falls is located on the western edge of Gatineau Park in the town of Pontiac. The 4.2 km trail is classified as difficult and will take about 2 hours and 30 minutes to hike. The trail features two lookouts offering stunning view of the Ottawa Valley and leads to a fire tower built in the 1940’s. The Falls are spectacular at any time of the year, but the fall colours make it one of Ottawa’s best fall hikes.
King Mountain Trail
The King Mountain Trail is 1.9 km loop that leads to the top of the Eardley Escarpment, 240 m above the Ottawa Valley. The Escarpment is over 30 kms long and divides the Canadian Shield and the St. Lawrence Lowlands. The trail features 10 lookouts, and a series of interpretation panels providing information about the forest environment along the trail. The views of the valley from the top of the escarpment are breathtaking.
You can also visit the First Geodetic Survey Station National Historic Site on King Mountain where the first geodetic station (survey tower) in Canada once sat.
Ferguson Forest Centre
Ferguson Forest Centre offers 1100 acres of multi-use green space containing a tree nursery, 800 acres of forest with 22 kilometers of trails, an arboretum, a dog park, disc golf course, and park spaces. The nature trails wind through a beautiful hardwood forest, with views of fields, waterfront and parkland. The Maple Trail is 3km long and boasts beautiful fall colours along with the opportunity to see local wildlife
Mer Bleue Trails
Located in the Greenbelt just east of Ottawa, Mer Bleue conservation area includes 3,500-hectares of northern boreal landscape. The site offers more than 20 kms of trails for hiking and just over a kilometre of scenic storytelling boardwalk. If you continue hiking on the forest trail, you’ll discover a sandy escarpment and amazing views of the bog and surrounding landscape.
Calabogie Peaks Resort Chairlift Ride
Experience the fall colours in a whole new way on the Calabogie Peaks Fall Colours Chairlift Ride. Located just over an hour from Ottawa the ride runs select weekends in September and October. The lift will take you 780 feet up Dickson Mountain and you can hike back down the mountain and get some great shots of the magnificent views. If you prefer a more leisurely route, you can also ride the chairlift back down the mountain. Tickets are $20 per person and allow unlimited rides for the day.
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