Featured location
Gatineau Park
The capital's climbing playground: car-free parkways, 300 metres of gain to Champlain Lookout and forest trails that start ten kilometres from Parliament Hill.
Gatineau Park is more than 360 square kilometres of Canadian Shield forest, lakes and escarpment rising straight out of the city. Its three parkways are the region's rite of passage: smooth, winding tarmac that climbs from the Gamelin gate past Pink Lake to Champlain Lookout, closed to cars for long stretches of the week from spring to fall. Mountain bikers get a signed trail network, gravel riders get the wide shared-use trails and fire roads toward Lac Philippe, and everyone gets a lake to jump in afterwards. Most Common Empire hill days start here.
What the riding’s like
The Gatineau, Champlain and Fortune Lake parkways are the main event: about 20 km from the Gamelin entrance to Champlain Lookout with roughly 300 metres of climbing, none of it brutal but all of it steady, followed by fast, sweeping descents. The National Capital Commission closes the parkways to motor vehicles on weekday mornings and until early afternoon on weekends during the season, so check the current schedule before you go and expect walkers, runners and skaters during car-free hours. Off the pavement, ride only on trails signed for bikes: the wide shared-use trails suit a gravel bike, while the singletrack around Camp Fortune and the park's north end is proper mountain biking. Weather changes fast at the top, so carry a layer for the descent.
Points of interest
Worth a look on the bike or a reason to linger after the ride.
Champlain Lookout
ViewpointThe top of the classic climb, with the Ottawa Valley spread out below the Eardley Escarpment. The regroup spot for every sunrise ride and the photo everyone takes.
Pink Lake
NatureA rare meromictic lake, deep green rather than pink, with a boardwalk trail around it. Its lookout on the Gatineau Parkway is the first reward on the way up.
Mackenzie King Estate
HistoryThe former prime minister's summer estate, with gardens, follies built from architectural ruins and a seasonal tearoom, just off the parkway near Kingsmere.
Camp Fortune
TrailsThe ski hill turns into lift-served mountain biking in summer, and the Fortune Lake Parkway loops around it. A good add-on climb when the lookout is not enough.
Meech Lake
NatureThe long, narrow lake below the parkways, with a public beach at the far end of Meech Lake Road. The post-ride swim of choice for Chelsea and Old Chelsea riders.
Lac Philippe and Luskville Falls
NatureThe park's quieter north end: beaches and campgrounds at Lac Philippe, and the steep escarpment trail to Luskville Falls. The road along the base of the escarpment is a great ride in its own right.
Food & coffee stops
Where riders refuel — coffee, baked goods, and a proper post-ride meal. Tap a stop for photos and details.
Old Chelsea village
Café & bakeryThe hamlet at the park's Old Chelsea gateway has a bakery, cafés and a pub within a few hundred metres of each other. The natural start and finish for a parkway ride.
View stop →Mackenzie King Tearoom
TearoomA seasonal tearoom in the estate's Moorside house, mid-climb on the way to the lookout. Check hours before counting on it.
View stop →Ride ideas
Rides to, from, and around Gatineau Park to get you started.
The lookout climb
From downtown Ottawa across the river to the Gamelin gate, up the Gatineau and Champlain parkways to Champlain Lookout, and back the way you came. The region's signature ride.
Fortune Lake loop
Start in Old Chelsea, climb to the parkway junction and loop the Fortune Lake Parkway past Camp Fortune before dropping back to the village. Shorter than the lookout, with almost as much climbing.
Meech Lake out-and-back
Rolling road along Meech Lake from Old Chelsea to the beach at the end, then back for coffee. Quiet outside beach season, and the swim at the turnaround is the point.
Gallery
Scenes from the roads, trails and stops around Gatineau Park. Tap a photo to open the gallery.
Frequently asked questions
- How far is Gatineau Park from Ottawa?
- Gatineau Park is about 10 km from downtown Ottawa, in Outaouais, Quebec.
- What's the cycling like in Gatineau Park?
- The Gatineau, Champlain and Fortune Lake parkways are the main event: about 20 km from the Gamelin entrance to Champlain Lookout with roughly 300 metres of climbing, none of it brutal but all of it steady, followed by fast, sweeping descents. The National Capital Commission closes the parkways to motor vehicles on weekday mornings and until early afternoon on weekends during the season, so check the current schedule before you go and expect walkers, runners and skaters during car-free hours. Off the pavement, ride only on trails signed for bikes: the wide shared-use trails suit a gravel bike, while the singletrack around Camp Fortune and the park's north end is proper mountain biking. Weather changes fast at the top, so carry a layer for the descent.
- Where should cyclists stop for food or coffee in Gatineau Park?
- Popular stops include Old Chelsea village and Mackenzie King Tearoom — see the full list of food and coffee spots on this page.
- What's a good cycling route from Gatineau Park?
- The The lookout climb is a great start — a 50 km road ride. From downtown Ottawa across the river to the Gamelin gate, up the Gatineau and Champlain parkways to Champlain Lookout, and back the way you came. The region's signature ride.
- What is there to see in Gatineau Park?
- Highlights include Champlain Lookout, Pink Lake and Mackenzie King Estate.
Plan your ride around Gatineau Park
Open the interactive map to plot a route, then check the amenities and trails layers along the way.
Explore the routes mapMore featured locations
Local details change — confirm hours and openings before you ride, and always ride to the conditions you find on the ground.