Kayaking - Lac Philippe

Kayaking is such an enjoyable sport. Thanks to the abundance of lakes and rivers in the Ottawa-Gatineau region, there is no shortage of places to visit and discover. Kayaking is also an easy sport to get into and is less difficult than it may appear to be. What does help is lakes that are free of powered boats. One such place is Lac Philippe in Gatineau Park.

Located about 35 minutes from downtown Ottawa and Gatineau, Lac Philippe is a large lake, featuring two beaches, pedal boat, kayak and canoe rentals, and campgrounds. If you are coming with your own kayaks or wish to rent, the best place to park is by following the signs for the boat launch, shortly after passing the first beach. From here, you are able to park quite close to the water and the launching point is not busy or crowded.

Immediately you can see the vastness of the lake, which seems to extend indefinitely. On this visit, we decided to head to the left, in the direction of Breton Beach.

Passing a well-built beaver lodge.

The lake has several points for you to stop and enjoy the nature. A small island is also present in the lake, definitely an inviting location to visit, just be sure to bring some shoes.

With a lake this pristine and enjoyable, it is extremely difficult to stop kayaking and call it a day. Yet the day does eventually end and it becomes time to head back to shore.