How To Pick Your Trail
Gatineau Park has over 200 km of hiking trails, just across the Ottawa River from Kanata. These are the 9 best Gatineau Park trails (IMO), from short lookout loops to a full-day hike to Lusk Cave.
The question I get asked most is “What trail should I do?” If you’re going to pile the kids in the car or convince your friends to make the drive, you want the right trail for your group. It saves you the meltdowns and the extended piggy-back rides that come from picking the wrong one.
So I’ve split these Gatineau Park Trails into easy, moderate, and difficult, with what to expect on each one.
Short on time? Here are the best Kanata trails for a quick walk closer to home.
The Best Gatineau Park Trails – Easy
These are the easiest Gatineau Park trails, good for kids and a short outing.
Trail #1 (Chelsea)
This is a beautiful, wide-track trail perfect for young kids, strollers, etc. I personally like this section of Trail #1 because it’s super easy to access, has ample free parking, and has picnic areas at both ends!
You can also park at the Penguin Picnic area; however, I definitely encourage you and the kids to walk it! Alternatively, park at the Penguin end of this section and continue west on the #1, which rises steadily and passes the Skyline Trail (featured below).
King Mountain
King Mountain is undoubtedly one of the ‘best bang for buck’ of the Gatineau Park trails… Short – under 2km – with some relatively easy climbing (some stairs involved), lots of greenery, and a spectacular view from the top!
It’s definitely a favorite for many people… which means it can get pretty busy on weekends and holidays. Still, it’s worth it for the relative immersion in nature:)
Lauriault Falls Trail
One of the benefits of all this rain has been how full the streams are in Gatineau Park! This makes for awesome waterfalls, and there’s none prettier than at Lauriault Falls. Don’t stop exploring there, though… Be sure to do the 3 km loop, as you’ll be rewarded with an amazing lookout onto the valley of farmland west of the park.
Several parking options are available, but in my experience the 2nd parking lot off Promenade Champlain is usually less busy. From there, do the loop counter-clockwise.
The Best Gatineau Park Trails – Moderate
Pink Lake
Pink Lake trail is one of the most heavily trafficked trails in the park, from young families to the seasoned trail runner… It’s only a short trail @ 2.1km and easily walked in 30- 45 min; however, I’ve put it in the ‘moderate’ category because of all the stairs – Definitely a good thigh burner!
The best part about this Gatineau Park Trail is how close you stay to the water’s edge and the amazing color changes of the lake depending on the angle of sunlight. I particularly love this trail in mid-to-late October as the viewing platforms provide the most spectacular scene of fall colors. 🙂
Healy Shelter/Trail 70
Healy Shelter Trail is a bit longer @ 7.4 kilometers; however, it is almost entirely flat, mostly wide and hard-packed trail. It features several marshes, a small lake, 2 cabins complete with picnic areas, camp toilets, and a cabin for escaping the rain (or flies!)
In other words, perfect for the whole family, or you can leave the kids at home, bring a picnic with a bottle of wine, and enjoy the peace and quiet… Either way you win!
This trail is also popular with mountain bikers and would be a great beginner mountain bike trail, especially for kids!
Skyline Trail
This 5.5km trail has several incredible views facing southeast back toward the city, giving the trail its name. Keep these lookouts in mind as a reward for the relatively steep start to the trail that will get your heart rate up a bit.
The easiest access point is from the P7 parking lot off Kingsmere Rd; however, take a close look at the map (snap a pic and save to your phone to be safe) – to access the trailhead for Skyline/Trail #6 you need to follow trail #30 before jumping onto the #1 for ~100m.
The Best Gatineau Park Trails – Difficult
These trails have steep climbs and rocky descents, which are hard on knees and hips. If your legs give out on the way down, these squat exercises build the strength and mobility that make steep trails easier.
Lusk Cave Trail
Open mid-May to late October. Water in the cave can be a metre deep, so bring a flashlight and spare shoes.
Make sure to pack your headlamp and old sneaks because clambering through Lusk Cave is one of the quintessential experiences in Gatineau Park. Don’t worry, it’s not as scary as it sounds and is appropriate for most kids 8+.
For the best day trip, do this: Park at Parent Beach just inside the park gates ($3 per 30 minutes, up to $16 a day) and leave your picnic and swimming stuff in the car. Hike the full length of Lac Philip and cut up to the caves and explore. It’s about 4km in, and you can choose to do one of the shorter loops back (~8.5 km), or make it a more challenging hike and do the full loop like this screenshot:
The best part is the cool, refreshing Lac Philip is waiting for you, and there’s plenty of space to set up a picnic and enjoy the afternoon!
Luskville Falls
Although it’s a short one, the Luskville Falls trail is one of the more difficult in Gatineau Park due to its steep ascent. The climb is definitely worth it (who doesn’t like a good sweat?!) for the amazing panoramic views along the way up.
At the top, there’s lots of exposed rock to rest on, have a snack, and take in the view. You can also continue along to the Luskville Fire Tower, although it’s a bit underwhelming to be honest… Take it or leave it:)
From the same parking lot, there’s also a shorter, easier walk (heads northwest) suitable for strollers, etc so if you have kids of various ages, you can divide and conquer as appropriate.
Wolf Trail
I saved the best for last… My favorite trail in the park because it has a bit of everything while still being super easy to access. Challenging ascent, lots of streams and small waterfalls, amazing views (the only trail to my knowledge where you get both an east- and west-facing view!)…
Not to mention it shares a parking lot with one of the small beaches on Meech Lake, so you can have a delicious swim in the refreshing water to soothe your likely wobbly legs:)
There’s also a bunch of different options to turn this into a full-day hike by tagging on any number of trails.
Have a favourite among the Gatineau Park trails that I missed? Let us know!
Dr. Michael Gibson has committed himself to helping others to live the best life possible. After graduating with a Bachelor of Kinesiology from the University of Western Ontario, he received his Doctor of Chiropractic Degree and Masters of Science in Chiropractic Sports Science from Life University. He is the co-creator of Life By Design, and co-owner of Synergy Wellness Group. His passion for empowering families runs deep. After experiencing the loss of his sister due to illness, Michael’s purpose became reaching and teaching as many as possible the foundational principles of an extraordinary life. Since that time, he has passionately pursued and been successful in living out his dream. He maintains a busy family chiropractic practice, a full speaking schedule, and finds time to implement the principles and practices of Life By Design in his own life.
