Cycling the Ottawa River pathway : July 28, 2012

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Published on Saturday, 28 July 2012

Written by Shane

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Crossing the city of Ottawa is always a pleasure and enjoyable experience, thanks to the multitude of scenic pathways across the city.

This adventure takes us from Orleans in the east end to downtown Ottawa. We took the Ottawa River pathway, which starts at the northwestern edge of Orleans. This pathway is paved for the first half of the trip, traveling through nice wooded areas, as it crosses the green belt. As you go, the pathway meets up with the Rockland Parkway, and generally follows the same route along the river.

As you continue, the path then takes a turn down to the fine gravel section, that runs only meters away from the river itself. Very popular with the locals of the area, this is a great place to cycle, walk, run, or spend an afternoon in nature.

With the blue water, and the shores of Gatineau on the other side, framed with the Gatineau Park mountains, there is no shortage of sights to see.

The path overall is fairly easy to complete, with few slopes and hills. Once you arrive downtown, limitless choices are at your fingertips for how you can proceed. Among many choices, the two most popular are to continue past the Parliament, and then heading to the west end, to make the trip about 40-45km long, or heading south, along the Rideau River towards Carleton University and beyond.

Check back with us in a couple weeks, as we complete the second half of this trip, from downtown Ottawa to the west end, near Algonquin College.