Gatineau National Park - Fall Rhapsody and The Motorcyclist.
Well, the summers over but you are not quite ready to stop riding (at least, you better not be because the autumn offers some of the finest riding going). The hot and humid days are behind you and cooler riding lies ahead. The daylight is shorter, and the mornings can be crisp, as can late afternoon, but what’s in between is “sweet”. I usually end up removing layers of clothing as the day progresses and re-layering as the day ends. I also swap my gloves, starting with warmer gauntlet style gloves to shorter gloves that allow my hands to breath a bit more. I do not like cold hands and for me, cold hands can ruin the ride.
One of the things that makes autumn / fall riding “sweet” is the annual change in the trees summer green to the many fantastic shades of reds, oranges and yellows which create a landscape that makes the eyes want to soak it all in, and having you want to just continue riding.
A popular, and I mean popular place to take this all in is the Gatineau hills just north of Gatineau, Quebec, but especially Gatineau National Park (Parc Gatineau) during its celebrated Fall Rhapsody. The traffic during this time is probably greater than any other time as thousands upon thousands come out to see the vibrant colours throughout the park. There is a multitude of walking trails one can take or in my case, sticking to one of the main roadways through the park.
I started my ride to the Gatineau Park by checking out Bates Island which is in the middle of the Ottawa River, and part of the link between Gatineau (Aylmer) and Ottawa via the Island Park Drive / Place Samuel-de-Champlain. This small park affords some interesting views of the cities of Ottawa and Gatineau because, as I mentioned before, you are in the middle of the river.
One of the things that makes autumn / fall riding “sweet” is the annual change in the trees summer green to the many fantastic shades of reds, oranges and yellows which create a landscape that makes the eyes want to soak it all in, and having you want to just continue riding.
A popular, and I mean popular place to take this all in is the Gatineau hills just north of Gatineau, Quebec, but especially Gatineau National Park (Parc Gatineau) during its celebrated Fall Rhapsody. The traffic during this time is probably greater than any other time as thousands upon thousands come out to see the vibrant colours throughout the park. There is a multitude of walking trails one can take or in my case, sticking to one of the main roadways through the park.
I started my ride to the Gatineau Park by checking out Bates Island which is in the middle of the Ottawa River, and part of the link between Gatineau (Aylmer) and Ottawa via the Island Park Drive / Place Samuel-de-Champlain. This small park affords some interesting views of the cities of Ottawa and Gatineau because, as I mentioned before, you are in the middle of the river.
One has to ride around a good number of geese and black squirrels before you can exit on the connecting bridge, and head toward Gatineau. Make sure you are riding in a lane marked with the green arrow (the centre lane changes throughout the day to accommodate the transit buses). Make a right onto Ch d’Aylmer which becomes Boul Alexandre-Tache and continue until you come to the Gatineau Park entrance at Prom du Parc de la Gartineau. The speed here is a newly posted 30km/h for the first little bit because of pedestrian traffic crossing the road. You need to make a stop at Rue Gamelin which used to be a street but is now a walking / bicycling trail (and emergency vehicles ). 100 metres later and you have the park visitors centre. If you are unsure what the park has to offer, or where can you go to enhance your visiting experience, I suggest taking the time to visit here.
Continue up Prom de la Gatineau (maximum speed 60 km/h) and you will go past a number of turn-outs or look outs, depending on what you want to call them). Shortly after passing Lac Pink, you will come to a fork in the road (vs a spoon in the road). Turn left here toward Champlain Look Out and The MacKenzie King Estate. Follow this route as it continues to climb up the height of the Gatineau Hills as it becomes Boul de Plateau and Prom Champlain Parkway. The road is twisty and invites the rider to have fun, but remember the speed limit is only 60 km/h and there are plenty of bicyclists on the road, not to mention other vehicles.
Finally, you will get glimpses of the Ottawa Valley through the trees, and the scenery is tremendous. The first Look-out at the valley is the Huron Look-Out, which points in the direction of the city of Ottawa. In the summer it is hard to make out the city because of all the humidity, but in the fall, with the humidity gone, the view is much better.
Finally, after 21 km from the beginning, you reach the top at Champlain Look-Out. The view from here is inspiring, and lets you look at the side of the Gatineau Hills (part of the Canadian Shield), and the Ottawa Valley, both on the Quebec side and Ontario side, not to mention the river winding through these flatlands itself. The colours – just fantastic. Now you realize why so many people take the time to come here.
Continue up Prom de la Gatineau (maximum speed 60 km/h) and you will go past a number of turn-outs or look outs, depending on what you want to call them). Shortly after passing Lac Pink, you will come to a fork in the road (vs a spoon in the road). Turn left here toward Champlain Look Out and The MacKenzie King Estate. Follow this route as it continues to climb up the height of the Gatineau Hills as it becomes Boul de Plateau and Prom Champlain Parkway. The road is twisty and invites the rider to have fun, but remember the speed limit is only 60 km/h and there are plenty of bicyclists on the road, not to mention other vehicles.
Finally, you will get glimpses of the Ottawa Valley through the trees, and the scenery is tremendous. The first Look-out at the valley is the Huron Look-Out, which points in the direction of the city of Ottawa. In the summer it is hard to make out the city because of all the humidity, but in the fall, with the humidity gone, the view is much better.
Finally, after 21 km from the beginning, you reach the top at Champlain Look-Out. The view from here is inspiring, and lets you look at the side of the Gatineau Hills (part of the Canadian Shield), and the Ottawa Valley, both on the Quebec side and Ontario side, not to mention the river winding through these flatlands itself. The colours – just fantastic. Now you realize why so many people take the time to come here.
After soaking in the colours and the view, it is time to start the descent back to the beginning of the park, or is it? There are other sites to see, such as Meech Lake and the MacKenzie King Estate, or Lake Pink, or the trails or….. You get the idea. Again, remember on the journey back down the speed limit is 60 km/h. I stress this because the temptation to have a “leaning good time” is hard to resist, but do resist. The roadway is busy, and you want to make sure the reputation of motorcyclists in the park is not tarnished, at least, by you.
The Gatineau National Park is truly a gem worth visiting, and it will take more than one day to take it all in if you want to do it right. If you just want to ride, then on the way out, turn left at Prom du Lac-Fortune, then right onto Ch du Lac Meech which will eventually bring you into Old Chelsea and some very fine quaint eating establishments where you will not be disappointed.
When you leave, you have a choice of taking the Aut de la Gatineau (Autoroute 5) back to Gatineau, or venture a little farther along Ch d’Old Chelsea and hit Route 105. Turn right to Gatineau, or turn left to Wakefield (but that’s another story).
Overall, the trip to Gatineau Park, and the Champlain Look-Out is a worthwhile trip that will have you do it more than once, and in different seasons, especially during Fall Rhapsody.
To watch a video clip of a trip up to the Champlain Look-Out during fall Rhapsody, check out my video on You Tube at the following site:
https://youtu.be/kvW9BXe8f2A
The Gatineau National Park is truly a gem worth visiting, and it will take more than one day to take it all in if you want to do it right. If you just want to ride, then on the way out, turn left at Prom du Lac-Fortune, then right onto Ch du Lac Meech which will eventually bring you into Old Chelsea and some very fine quaint eating establishments where you will not be disappointed.
When you leave, you have a choice of taking the Aut de la Gatineau (Autoroute 5) back to Gatineau, or venture a little farther along Ch d’Old Chelsea and hit Route 105. Turn right to Gatineau, or turn left to Wakefield (but that’s another story).
Overall, the trip to Gatineau Park, and the Champlain Look-Out is a worthwhile trip that will have you do it more than once, and in different seasons, especially during Fall Rhapsody.
To watch a video clip of a trip up to the Champlain Look-Out during fall Rhapsody, check out my video on You Tube at the following site:
https://youtu.be/kvW9BXe8f2A