Soon, it will be spring again! Oh to have the warm sun beaming down again, to not need a winter jacket or boots, with bare pavement and long days.
I’m feeling a hunger for a nice, long, scenic ride. With the rivers full, and Ottawa’s waterfalls at their most splendid, this is a good way to get out and get back in the saddle.
This is an 94km bike ride that tours the best rapids, rivers, and waterfalls in Ottawa. Starting downtown, it hits the Ottawa river, the jock river, then follows the Rideau river from Manotick (the Long island locks) to Hog’s Back falls, back to the Ottawa river’s Remic Rapids, Chaudière falls, goes along the Ruisseau de la Brasserie to Leamy Lake, and finally back to Ontario and the Rideau falls. Pack a lunch and enjoy a picnic along the way.
Last April we had a long, cold and rainy spring. When finally we got a break with a day of warm sunshine, I grabbed my friends Alex and Heather (who had been putting in very long days at the office) and we did this ride, and I made the video below.
The route sticks to bike paths as much as possible. If you want the detailed directions, I’ve prepared a route in Strava, or you can use this .gpx file. Enjoy!