Whenever life gets too busy, or I just want the white-collar of nature to take over my busy brain, I try to find a trail or secluded area that has running water. Fortunately for us, Ottawa has 6 immediate options for Waterfalls and their surrounding area is just as gorgeous. Here are Hikes and Trails with Waterfalls near Ottawa.
When To Visit Waterfalls in Ottawa
Pretty much any time of year, you are guaranteed to see something amazing. But if you have the luxury of waiting until optimal viewing times, I highly recommend Spring or Late Fall. Spring will have the melting snow runoff, whereas late fall is near the end of the heavy rain season.
Either way, the falls are amazing to see throughout the year and offer a little something different each time.
Don’t forget to join our Ottawa with Kids Facebook group. We are all in this together.
Disclosure: THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS. TO WHICH I EARN A SMALL COMMISSION, AT ZERO COST TO YOU! FIND MORE INFO IN OUR PRIVACY POLICY.
Waterfalls Near Ottawa You Need To Visit
Rideau Falls
Located at 50 Sussex Drive, the Rideau Falls is a short walk from Rideau Hall. Known in French as Chutes de la rivière Rideau, taking its name from the French word Rideau, meaning curtains. Directly adjacent to the falls is Tavern on the Falls, where they serve hot dogs, tacos, and drinks. The surrounding area, Green Island, hosts many Canadian War monuments such as Remember Flanders and The National Artillery Monument. The parking nearby is reserved for the Government buildings in the immediate area but Street parking within the neighbourhood of Rideau Hall is permitted and grants excellent access to other areas.
Princess Louise Falls
Located along St. Joseph Boulevard, Princess Louise Falls is amazing to look at, but difficult to locate. The main access is directly on the side of the road, with zero Street parking. The local stores have also reserved their parking lots for customers only, naturally. The neighbourhoods surrounding the falls do allow for Street parking but that would require you to walk the unmarked trails, which only lead you to the top of the falls. So you might be asking, “How to get to Princess Louise Falls?” Simple; be a customer and walk.
Not far up the road is a strip mall, an intersection of Old Montreal Rd and Trimm Rd, with a Starbucks, or further up Trimm Rd and Taylor Creek Dr is a Tim Hortons. Park there, order a coffee for the journey and walk along St-Joseph Blvd. A solid 15-20 minute walk, you will see and hear the waterfalls before you find the entrance.
Princess Louise Falls is great any time of year, and magical during Winter with all of the surrounding ice and snow, but Summer Time can mean the waterflow is rather thin. Spring and Fall are the best times to visit, but the ground can be muddy or slippery.
Carbide Wilson Ruins
Located in Gatineau park, the Carbide Wilson Ruins are a 3.5km round trip hike that leads to these magnificent ruins. During your hike, you will come across Meech Lake. They are accessible for viewing from this point, but a short Trek in the opposite direction starting from the parking lot, will lead to the beach of Meech Lake.
Gatineau Park is unlike the trails within Ottawa. The park is closed to traffic during the winter and only certain days during the summer. Public transit from City Hall and the main park building are available. During the winter, the park is officially closed to traffic, only available to the outlying hikes designated for cross-country skiing or snowshoeing. When googling Gatineau park, they are listed by Trail number and parking number, so Carbide Wilson Ruins is Trail 36 and parking lot P11. Parking fees may apply.
There are public tables at the beach, and washrooms available in the sparking lot area. There are no food vendors within the park, but small towns on the outsides. Le Gourmand, at 1620 Chemin Pink, is my cousin’s food truck and serves the best poutine and burger you will ever find.
Hogs Back Falls
Also known as Prince of Wales Falls, Hogs Back Falls is located just north of Mooney’s Bay and is the point when the Rideau Canal splits from the Rideau River.
Parking and washrooms are free of charge, and open from May to Mid October (parking extends to Dec 1 weather permitted). they are open 7am to dusk (10pm at the latest). There are picnic tables available. Due to limited parking, the NCC asks guest to respect the amount of time you are visiting. The trail itself is among the easiest, with most of it being stroller or wheelchair accessible. The trail reaches Colonel By Rd before turning around and heading back to the parking lot, for a total of 1.4 km round.
Andrew Haydon Park
Special mention to Andrew Haydon park. While this isn’t a full blown waterfall like the others listed here, it still counts. The park is on the Ottawa River at Carlinl Ave and Holly Acres Rd, with a beautiful pond and water feature. The park is nestled next to the Nepean Sailing club, so you are able to see dozens of sail boats on the Ottawa River when you visit.
There are many Geese that nest at Andrew Haydon park so be mindful of your small children; Canada Geese are nicknamed Cobra Chickens for a reason. They are especially aggressive when their goslings are still small, mainly in Spring/early summer.
Chaudière Falls
Always driving by, never stopping to get a good look, Chaudière Falls is a tough waterfall to visit if you don’t live in the downtown core. At 4 Booth Street on Chaudière Island, north of the Canadian War Museum, Chaudiere falls only opens it’s doors to tourists during #OpenDoors; a once a year activity where most buildings offer free or modified tours of their normally paid-for or closed facilities. There is the option of a self guided tour visiting the outside of buildings and taking in the incredible views of Downtown and the falls all at once.
There is no immediate parking available for the falls, but city parking is available in the near by areas. When I do go, I plan to park at Remic Rapids (for free) and make the 8.2 km scenic route along the Ottawa River, to the falls, then back through Gatineau. There are a few landmarks that appear interesting, before crossing on the new pedestrian bridge Chief William Commanda Bridge, and returning to my car. Pack water and a few snacks; make an evening of it, or your cardio workout for the day. Another option is having dinner at Mill Street Brew and visit the falls afterward.
Waterfalls Near Ottawa
Chutes de Plaisance
Located 45 minutes from Ottawa/Gatineau, we still like to think this counts as a general Ottawa-area waterfall. Total walking path is 2km return, there is natural drop of 63 metres (more than 200 feet), a historical building with animation and plenty of look outs and picnic tables for everyone to enjoy. There is an entry fee (about $7 for adults and $3 for kids), though they are under new management and their website hasn’t been updated so this may change going forward.
Up the road from the falls, is Plaisance Provincial Park. There are many more trails and hikes to explore here but there is an entry fee for Plaisance Provincial Park. Parking is included in the fee. If you are not interested in a hike after the falls but do want to make the journey worth your while, I recommend Omega Park. Animals roam free while you drive the designated road, Omega Park is amazing all year round. You also get to feed the deer, cabin rentals are also available if you want to spend the night sleeping along side wolves.
Almonte River Walk
A scenic walk along the Mississippi River in historic downtown Almonte, Ontario. Home of Basketball’s own James Ney Smith, Almonte also hosts my top favorite ice cream The Almonte Ice Cream Shop. Start your hike at the Almonte Town Hall, and walk along the boardwalks. View the Mississippi river as it flows beneath the Train bridge, and around Kirkland Park. The whole thing is less than 1km long, and ends on Mill St. This is the perfect time to stop for Ice Cream, have lunch at The Barley Mow or continue the adventure in Pakenham/Mill of Kintail.
Parc Des Chutes Coulonge
Parc Des Chutes Coulonge is 1.5 hours West of Ottawa, on the Quebec side. Parking is included in your entrance fee. There are zip lining adventures available, as well as Yurts and Rock climbing, for those that are so inclined, at an extra cost.
The park itself was established in the early 1800s When Coureurs De Bois and Lumberjacks used the river to transport the timber to market. It was opened to the public in 1985. The park is a series of waterfalls and rapids, some reaching as high as 42 meters. Last I checked, there were plenty of picnic spots at the park entrance, as well as a small reception area with drinks and snacks. There was also a splash pad for little ones that we thoroughly enjoyed – though we were prepared for and thus wet children entered the vehicle; cooled and satisfied but wet.
YOUR THOUGHTS…
Please share your thoughts in the comments or reach out on social media…We would love to hear from you.