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.

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!!

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.

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!)

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.

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!!!

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.

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 a nice wooden bridge over the Ottawa river. Has lots of signs around explaining the history…read moreand build process. There's a walkway along the water where many people chill or have picnic. The parking lot is across the street, a minute walk from the spot. But there are no signs for the guests to know.

The original Wakefield Bridge was built over a century ago, in 1915 and was one of the first…read morebridges to link the two shores of the Gatineau River. The bridge was completely destroyed by fire 70 years later. Ten years later, the new covered bridge was built and a few original pieces were kept from the original bridge-like the pillars that support it. We made a mistake and drove all the way down to the bridge. Luckily we stayed only short time, so we didn't bother anyone, but you should probably park on Chemin Du Vieux-Pont and walk downhill towards the bridge. The bridge is around 90 metres long and its main structure is made of Douglas fir logs, while the exterior and the floor are covered with pine planks. It is closed to traffic, only pedestrians and bicycles can cross it. It was breathtaking.

Barnabe Park is a community park in Orleans. It's just a block away from Cardinal Farm Park and has…read moresimilar amenities, but is a bit bigger. It has 2 play structures, one for smaller kids and one for bigger kids. It has big kid swings and baby swings. It has a basketball court and also lots of open green space. It has a few picnic tables as well. There are lots of trees around, so lots of shade for those really hot days. There's a small parking lot with free parking too.