{"id":857216,"date":"2026-08-14T01:10:18","date_gmt":"2026-08-14T01:10:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/857216\/"},"modified":"2026-08-14T01:10:18","modified_gmt":"2026-08-14T01:10:18","slug":"7-of-my-favourite-dreamy-spots-to-explore-around-ottawa-in-the-summertime","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/857216\/","title":{"rendered":"7 of my favourite dreamy spots to explore around Ottawa in the summertime"},"content":{"rendered":"

No shade to winter, but I honestly think summertime is when Ottawa<\/a> (and all the beautiful places around it) is at its absolute best.<\/p>\n

One of my favourite things to do every summer is hop in the car and spend the day exploring small towns<\/a>, lookouts, and hikes surrounded by nature<\/a> \u2014 and luckily for us locals, you never have to go very far.<\/p>\n

So, if you’re looking for places that feel a little magical this summer, here are eight spots near Ottawa<\/a> I’d recommend over and over again.<\/p>\n

1. Pink Lake<\/p>\n

Price: Free<\/p>\n

When: Daily<\/p>\n

Address: Gatineau Pkwy, Gatineau, Quebec <\/p>\n

Why You Need To Go: I mean… does it really get much dreamier than a turquoise lake<\/a>?<\/p>\n

Sure, I’d love it even more if Pink Lake was actually pink, but it’s still one of the prettiest hikes you’ll find near Ottawa<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The boardwalk and trail around the lake are beautiful; there’s a nice lookout over the water, and if you’re lucky, you might even spot a little snake, like I did.<\/p>\n

It’s only about a 15-minute drive from downtown Ottawa<\/a>, but even if you don’t have a car, you’re in luck! The Gatineau Park shuttle runs six days a week during the summertime and drops you off right at Pink Lake.<\/p>\n

NCC Website<\/a><\/p>\n

2. Eagle’s Nest Lookout<\/p>\n

Price: Free to visit; parking is about $5.<\/p>\n

When: Daily<\/p>\n

Address: Eagle’s Nest Lookout Trail, Greater Madawaska, ON <\/p>\n

Why You Need To Go: This is one of my favourite hikes near Ottawa, and as you’ll probably be able to tell from this list, I love getting outside.<\/p>\n

Eagle’s Nest Lookout is a little over an hour from downtown, but the drive to Calabogie is gorgeous and goes by super fast.<\/p>\n

The hike itself is nice, but the real showstopper is the lookout.<\/p>\n

You’ll get incredible views of the Calabogie forest and Greater Madawaska area, and if you’re brave enough, you can stand right on the rock ledge for some pretty unreal photos.<\/p>\n

Plus, if you’re already making the trip, there are lots of good places to eat nearby, or you could stop by Calabogie Peaks Resort for swimming, boating, and other fun summer activities.<\/p>\n

Township of Greater Madawaska Website<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Princess Louise Falls<\/p>\n

Price: Free<\/p>\n

When: Daily<\/p>\n

Address: St Joseph Blvd, Ottawa, ON<\/p>\n

Why You Need To Go: I definitely feel like Princess Louise Falls is a bit of a hidden gem. I didn’t even check it out until a few years ago, and now it’s one of my favourite spots in the summer. <\/p>\n

There’s a short walk through the woods before you reach the waterfall, and then you can hang out and relax for as long as you want.<\/p>\n

Technically, Orl\u00e9ans is a part of Ottawa, but it honestly feels like its own little area to me.<\/p>\n

Even better, it’s less than a 20-minute drive from downtown.<\/p>\n

CapitalGems Website<\/a><\/p>\n

4. Wakefield<\/p>\n

Price: Free to explore (activities vary)<\/p>\n

When: Daily<\/p>\n

Address: Wakefield, QC<\/p>\n

Why You Need To Go: Wakefield is one of the many locally loved day trips from Ottawa<\/a>, and it’s only about 30 minutes away.<\/p>\n

Most people I know visit for the Wakefield Mill. It’s an 1800s flour mill that’s now a luxury hotel with a spa, restaurants, swimming pools, and beyond.<\/p>\n

But that’s far from the only reason to visit Wakefield.<\/p>\n

You can walk across the covered bridge, visit the Fairbairn House Heritage Centre, or check out one of my personal favourite \u2014 \u00c9co-Odyss\u00e9e.<\/p>\n

Once you’re there, you can explore a huge water maze by pedal boat, kayak, canoe, or paddleboard, and it’s even prettier if you go around sunset, trust me.<\/p>\n

Outaouais Tourism Website<\/a><\/p>\n

5. Carbide Wilson Ruins<\/p>\n

Price: Free<\/p>\n

When: Daily<\/p>\n

Address: Gatineau Park, QC<\/p>\n

Why You Need To Go: Every time I visit the Carbide Wilson Ruins<\/a>, I feel like I’ve stumbled across a cool abandoned castle.<\/p>\n

The hike along Meech Lake is beautiful, but the ruins are definitely worth the trip on their own.<\/p>\n

You can actually walk inside them and explore, and the waterfall right beside the ruins makes the whole place feel even more magical.<\/p>\n

If you’ve never been before, I’d definitely recommend adding this one to your summer bucket list.<\/p>\n

NCC Website<\/a><\/p>\n

6. Mer Bleue Bog<\/p>\n

Price: Free<\/p>\n

When: Daily<\/p>\n

Address: Ridge Rd., Ottawa, ON <\/p>\n

Why You Need To Go: I’ll never get tired of Mer Bleue Bog. It’s located in Ottawa’s Greenbelt area and has one of my favourite boardwalks in the city.<\/p>\n

I think Mer Bleue is beautiful no matter what time of year you go, but summer is definitely one of the best times to visit.<\/p>\n

NCC Website<\/a><\/p>\n

7. Montebello<\/p>\n

Price: Free to explore (activities vary)<\/p>\n

When: Year-round<\/p>\n

Address: Montebello, QC<\/p>\n

Why You Need To Go: I absolutely love Montebello and think it makes such a great day trip from Ottawa. The village itself is magical, but there are so many things to do while you’re there.<\/p>\n

Of course, there’s Fairmont Le Ch\u00e2teau Montebello, which is apparently the world’s largest log cabin. I actually celebrated one of my birthdays there, and it felt like I was staying in a cozy little storybook.<\/p>\n

But if I had to choose my favourite activity, it would easily be Parc Omega<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Driving through the safari-style park and hand-feeding deer straight from your car feels like living out a Disney princess fantasy.<\/p>\n

And if you’re really looking to treat yourself, you can stay overnight in one of the cabins and watch wolves wander right outside your window.<\/p>\n

Outaouais Tourism Website<\/a><\/p>\n

The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"No shade to winter, but I honestly think summertime is when Ottawa (and all the beautiful places around…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":857217,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[194295],"tags":[49,48,20739,291912,296810,275902,275899,275901,243855,298124,298125,298123,298127,275900,298126],"class_list":["post-857216","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-ottawa","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-ottawa","tag-ottawa-activities","tag-ottawa-attractions","tag-ottawa-day-trip","tag-ottawa-day-trips","tag-ottawa-hidden-gems","tag-ottawa-hikes","tag-ottawa-hiking-trails","tag-ottawa-outdoor-activities","tag-ottawa-summer","tag-ottawa-summer-activities","tag-ottawa-things-to-do","tag-ottawa-weekend-activities"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/857216","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=857216"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/857216\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/857217"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=857216"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=857216"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=857216"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}