All of which
makes the city a wonderful place to visit but Ottawa has evolved
well beyond it's role as the seat of government and has become one
of the countries finest cities to live in for people with an active
lifestyle. Theatre is growing, the restaurant scene is flowering,
while events and festivals abound. Along side the canals and waterfront
you'll find an exceptional network of pathways that are used by
outdoor enthusiasts of all stripes. These pathways play double duty,
allowing you to commute to work or leisurely ride about and explore
the city, all without involving your car. Commuters can access the
downtown core from almost all points of the compass. The trail system
also provides access to the wonders of Gatineau Park across the
river in Quebec and connects into Quebec's 5000km Route Verte network.
For the Ottawa
outdoor enthusiast Gatineau Park dominates the region even if it
isn't technically in Ontario (or Ontario for that matter). Located
just across Ottawa River in the Gatineau Hills (above what use to
be the city of Hull), the park offers a wide variety of outdoor
pursuit. Treckers, paddlers, cyclists, campers, skiers, boarders
and snowshoers are all welcomed by this wonderful park.
While Gatineau
may be the first word off of anybody's' lips when you mention the
Ottawa outdoors, it certainly doesn't stop there. The city is surrounded
by a greenbelt, which provides easy access to nature, hiking trails
and cross country ski facilities.
In the surrounding
region of Eastern Ontario, paddlers can choose from some of Ontario's
best canoe camping as well as some of the finest whitewater on the
continent. Algonquin, Frontenac and Bon Echo to name a few have
thousands of campsites available for canoe trippers. Whitewater
enthusiasts can heat to the Upper Ottawa or down to Calumet and
the world famous Rouge River.
Mountain bikers
can take advantage of Gatineau's trails in the summer as well as
the parks ski hills. Lift access is available in the park at Camp
Fortune and north of the city at the Calabogie Peaks resort.
South of Ottawa,
sea kayakers have an exceptional area to explore in the Thousand
Islands between Brockville and Kingston. St Lawrence Islands National
Park has a number of island campsites which are only accessible
by water. Contact the park for details.
Hikers and backpackers
haven't been left out with lots of trails available in Algonquin
and Frontenac Provincial Parks. Hikers can also take advantage of
the regions wealth of Conservation Areas.
Winter enthusiasts
can camp overnight in Gatineau Park at the Philippe Lake area or
can rent the Brown Lake Cabin. Algonquin has the option of camping
or renting one of the parks fantastic yurts. Days can be spent on
snowshoes or skies or even just doing a little winter hiking.
Finally boarders
and skiers have several hills and resorts to choose from including
Mont Ste. Marie (Gatineau, QC), Camp Fortune (Gatineau, QC) and
Calabogie Peaks.
Out
and About in Ottawa - A Photo Gallery
Out-There
- www.out-there.com
Adventure
Sports in Ottawa and Eastern Ontario
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