When Ottawa gets coloured by peak autumn weather…

I visited Ottawa two weeks ago during autumnal equinox, the official arrival of fall in Canada. The weather was cool, the breeze was gentle and leaves were starting to change colour. We estimated that the peak time for fall colours would be two weeks from then (which would be right now).

Ottawa is very green (compared to Toronto), but then it is also a small city. A ten minute walk from downtown financial core will bring you to quiet tree-lined residential zones.

For a somewhat more outdoorsy experience, we went to Gatineau Park in Quebec which is just across the river from Ottawa. It’s a large (361 sqkm) forested area which is a designated federal park but not a national park (sounds complicated!) as a result of which the park has less protection from privatization and industry.

We hiked on the Meech lake Wolfe trail, also called P13 trail, which is a 8.5km loop and takes 2-3 hours to complete. The trail passes through a couple of lookout points and numerous hills, valleys and clearings. During peak fall, the views would be undoubtedly stunning.

↑ A covered bridge at Wakefield, one of the bilingual towns around Gatineau park. Ottawa as seen from the Peace tower

Clearly, the most beautiful part of fall was just around the corner. Enjoy the season!