Brewer Park is really popular all year round. It's located right off of Carleton University,…read morebetween Bronson and Sunnyside, on Brewer Way, right next to the Ottawa River. It's used quite a bit for sports, as it has numerous soccer and football playing fields, baseball diamonds, a basketball net, a hockey arena and speed skating oval in the winter, and is close to Brewer Pool for indoor swimming. It also has bike paths, play structures, a pond, and even a mini waterpark, which makes it particularly fun for kids and families. I always see children playing here with their family, friends, and pets, as well as Carleton students that live so close by. The first time I visited Brewer Park was in the fall for House of Paint, an annual graffiti festival, with live art, DJs and MCs, breakdancing, and BBQ. It takes place at the legal wall under Dunbar Bridge, and the festival is eco-friendly, community-supported, and unique.

I can't believe there aren't more reviews for this excellent park! I came here when I worked in…read morechildcare, and it was a kid's paradise. It might even be my favourite place to bring kids in the city, especially on a hot day. There's an awesome two tiered splash pad here, along with 4 or 5 awesome play structures (which are accessible). There's tons of room for kids to run around, and there's also some other cool features to explore like the community garden, pond, and legal graffiti wall. They have public washrooms and they're fairly clean. This is a fantastic place to bring the little ones, but the House of Paint hiphop festival is also a ton of fun for adults.

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!!

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!)

My parents came to visit me for the weekend for the Tulip festival. We had a picnic at this park…read moreand it was fantastic! Great sunny weather and lots of people. The trees were green and the tulips were out. It's a large area where you have enough space to have privacy. There is lots of shade as well. This was not my first time and won't be my last.

The park is very peaceful and quiet. It is beautiful and has many different flowers. It also has a…read morewonderful view of the Parliament Hill, Ottawa River and the Canal. It's nice to go for a walk/run along the river or go for a picnic and enjoy a laid back and relaxing time. It's a must-see in Ottawa.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Lovely waterfalls, available parking, not too crowded, it's a beautiful place to visit! Give it a goread more

So this Covid-19 Pandemic that we are currently in has made me even more introspective than usual…read more I have been contemplating a lot about how precarious life is and admittedly this has caused me a great deal of anxiety. Coincidentally, around this time, I discovered a poem, thanks to my sister-in-law, by Wendell Berry called "The Peace of Wild Things." There's a line in the poem that talks about how wild things "do not tax their lives with forethought of grief." This line really resonated with me because it made me realize that I do spend a large portion of my life worrying about and anticipating loss. So I thought that maybe if I spent some time closer to wild things they would impart some of their peacefulness onto me. I discovered the existence of the Fletcher Wildlife Garden online, and decided to pay it a visit. I can't say that I had any epiphanies there, but the Garden is beautiful and perhaps for some fleeting moments, I was able capture a sense of tranquility. There is 90 minutes free parking in their private parking lot. The parking lot separates 2 sides of the Garden. On one side the paths are wider and the area is better groomed and landscaped. This side looks more like a park you would expect to find in a metropolitan city. You can have picnics on this side. On the other side the area is more feral and treed. That side looks more like a wooded hiking trail. I was hoping to see some frogs, butterflies and unusual birds, but I only saw squirrels, chipmunks, ducks and Canada geese. Apparently, there are coyotes in there. Thankfully, I did not encounter any. If you looking to be closer to nature without living the city, I would recommend checking out Fletcher Wildlife Garden. It wasn't too busy and the space is vast, so it's easy to physically distance from other people. No guarantees that you will find serenity or clarity in these trying times, but you will see nature in its beauty and maybe capture some pretty photos for your screensaver or background ;)

I love the Ornamental Gardens. You can visit this place throughout the year (I never tried during…read morewinter) and see different plants and vegetation. This is a small collection of British gardens that are a perfect escape from the city inside the city.accsisable by car, foot or bike..and FREE.

Gorgeous views of Ottawa and Quebec (across the river). The walk to Nepean Point is an ideal stop…read moreon a walk through Parliament Hill, visit to the National Gallery of Canada, etc.). Bring your camera: it's one of the best spots in town to take pics (especially panoramic ones) and the statue of the point is kind of cool too. I probably should know "who" it is and his significance in Canadian history...

Cool park to sit and relax and get a great view of the Ottawa River and Gatineau. Nice views of…read moreParliament, too. It's just next to the National Gallery, and a few blocks from ByWard Market. No playground, just a big, grass-covered hill. It's a great spot to watch fireworks from!! Also, you'll spot lots of wedding parties taking photos here on the weekends.