Ottawa Parks
Discover beautiful parks and green spaces in Ottawa for walking, picnics, and outdoor activities.
Andrew Haydon Park
A waterfront park on the Ottawa River in Nepean, featuring a splash pad with pirate ship play structure, bandshell for summer concerts, scenic ponds with fountains, and a direct connection to the Ottawa River cycling pathway. Free admission and parking.
Bate Island
A small island park on the Ottawa River near the Champlain Bridge, popular for kayaking, river surfing, fishing, and watching the Champlain Rapids.
Britannia Beach
A sandy Ottawa River beach with supervised swimming, connected to the 60-hectare Mud Lake Conservation Area — one of Canada's premier birding sites with 248+ species recorded. Free admission and parking.
Bruce Pit
Ottawa's most popular off-leash dog park — a large, fenced area with wooded trails, open grasslands, and a community atmosphere. Part of the NCC Greenbelt trail system.
Commissioners Park
The home of the Canadian Tulip Festival, with over 300,000 tulips across 26 flower beds along the shore of Dow's Lake. Free to visit year-round.
Confederation Park
A 2.6-hectare downtown park adjacent to the Rideau Canal, home to Winterlude's Crystal Garden with ice sculptures and winter activities. In summer, it hosts the Ottawa Jazz Festival. Features a historic fountain from London's Trafalgar Square and a 20-metre Kwakiutl totem pole.
Conroy Pit
One of Ottawa's largest off-leash dog parks with 5 km of wooded trails through dense forest. Unfenced but spacious — perfect for dogs with good recall who love exploring.
Dominion Arboretum
A 26-hectare arboretum on the Central Experimental Farm, home to over 1,700 species of trees and shrubs. Free to visit, with scenic lookouts over Dow's Lake and the Rideau Canal. Connected to the canal pathway network.
Gatineau Park
A 361-square-kilometre conservation park just 15 minutes from downtown Ottawa. Home to over 165 km of hiking trails, beaches, lakes, and the Mackenzie King Estate. Free to enter; parking fees apply at some lots in summer.
Hog's Back Falls
A series of 18-metre waterfalls on the Rideau River, created during the construction of the Rideau Canal in the 1830s. Part of the UNESCO World Heritage Rideau Canal system, with locks, walking trails, and picnic areas. Spectacular frozen ice formations in winter.
Jacques-Cartier Park
A 22-hectare waterfront park in Gatineau across the river from Parliament Hill, home to Winterlude's Snowflake Kingdom — North America's largest snow playground. A major venue for Canada Day celebrations with views of the Ottawa skyline and fireworks.
Major's Hill Park
A downtown park overlooking the Ottawa River, Parliament Hill, and the Rideau Canal locks. One of Ottawa's best spots for spring tulips, summer festivals, and views of the city's landmarks. Free and open daily.
Mer Bleue Bog
A 3,500-hectare conservation area in Ottawa's Greenbelt featuring a boreal bog ecosystem normally found much farther north. The 1.2 km boardwalk trail crosses a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance, home to carnivorous plants, orchids, and spotted turtles. Free admission and parking.
Mooney's Bay Park
One of Ottawa's most popular parks, combining a supervised sandy beach on the Rideau River with one of Canada's largest playgrounds, an international-standard athletic facility, and winter cross-country skiing. Free admission.
Petrie Island
A 291-hectare island with two Ottawa River beaches, over 7 km of nature trails, and Class 1 wetlands with 450+ plant species and 130+ bird species. Kayak rentals available in summer, ice fishing and cross-country skiing in winter.
Rideau Canal
A UNESCO World Heritage Site and the world's largest naturally frozen skating rink in winter. Perfect for walks, cycling, and boating in summer.
Rideau Falls
Twin 11-metre waterfalls where the Rideau River drops into the Ottawa River, divided by the 12-acre Green Island. The falls gave the Rideau River its name — Samuel de Champlain thought they resembled a curtain (rideau in French). Free to visit year-round with walking paths, monuments, and river views.
Rockcliffe Park Lookout
A panoramic lookout over the Ottawa River and Gatineau Hills in the historic village of Rockcliffe Park, designated a National Historic Site in 2023. The adjacent Rockcliffe Rockeries bloom with daffodils and flowering trees in May. Connected to the Ottawa River Pathway.
Stony Swamp
The most ecologically diverse sector of Ottawa's NCC Greenbelt, with over 40 km of trails through wetlands, forests, beaver ponds, and an abandoned quarry. Features the popular Jack Pine Trail with boardwalks and the off-leash Bruce Pit dog area. Free admission and parking.
Strathcona Park
A 6-hectare riverside park in Sandy Hill on the banks of the Rideau River. Features the Lord Strathcona Fountain (1909), a popular playground, summer wading pool, Odyssey Theatre performances, and the Adàwe Crossing bridge connecting to Overbrook. Free year-round.
Vincent Massey Park
A 28.9-hectare riverside park along the Rideau River, popular for picnics, barbecues, and family outings. Features sheltered picnic areas with electrical hook-ups, a playground, wading pool, and direct connection to the Capital Pathway cycling network.
Westboro Beach
Ottawa's most popular urban beach on the Ottawa River, with supervised swimming, sandy shoreline, kayak and paddleboard rentals, and a year-round restaurant.