Adventure and luxury in Fort Coulonge, Quebec

For a small and rather undiscovered town (at least among the road trippers I know), Fort Coulonge—about 90 minutes from Ottawa—has a lot to offer. History buffs can immerse themselves in the area’s logging past. Cyclists and paddlers can find amusements. Photographers can focus their lenses on a stunning waterfall, while daredevils try their luck in an adventure park. And if your tastes are more sedate, there’s a luxurious inn.

Parc des Chutes Coulonge

In the 1800s, this thundering cataract posed a serious obstacle to lumbermen, who built huge log slides to get around it. The last log drive in this area was in 1982, and a small museum on the site tells that tale.

The waterfall and canyon at Chutes Coulonge are a great spectacle. Photo by Laura Byrne Paquet.

Today, the site is popular with photographers and even more popular with thrill seekers, who come to Parc des Chutes Coulonge to try out the via ferrata (a system of cables and metal grab bars that lets you climb a sheer rock face), the obstacle course and the dizzying zipline over the canyon. Watch the video below to see how the park reduced some Ottawa Senators to quivering piles of jelly a few weeks ago. (To be fair, ziplines make me howl like a baby, so I shouldn’t cast stones at the Sens.)

Cycloparc PPJ

The Cyclopark PPJ is a 92-kilometre bike trail through the Pontiac region of the Outaouais, stretching from Bristol to l’Isle-aux-Allumettes. Much of it follows the rail bed of the long-gone Pontiac Pacific Junction railway, and a 20-kilometre section between Chutes Coulonge and Davidson is known as the Heritage Trail. The route is a mix of roadways, and paved and gravel off-road trails. Take my advice, if you cycle it: start at Parc des Chutes Coulonge and bike to Davidson, rather than the other way around, as you’ll be going down a fairly steep hill coming out of the park.

Esprit Rafting

If water sports are your thing, Esprit Rafting in Davidson (OK, technically not in Fort Coulonge, but close by) will be right up your alley. As well as a variety of whitewater rafting packages (see the video below for a taste), the company offers canoeing, kayaking and riverboarding. You can rent mountain bikes, too—Esprit will shuttle you to your departure point or pick you up when you’re done, if you like. After all that adventure, you can kick back with a beer and a meal on the huge patio overlooking the Ottawa River, and bunk down for the night in Esprit’s hostel or campground.

Spruceholme Inn

Not quite into hostelling or camping? Go upscale at the Spruceholme Inn in Fort Coulonge. Owner Jane Toller Pitfield—a descendant of the area’s big Victorian lumber family, the Brysons—has turned a family mansion built in 1875 into a gracious inn and bistro. She’s keen to point out that the inn is cyclist-friendly; after a day in the saddle, the eight-person hot tub may be a particularly appealing option. The rooms are spacious and several of the ensuite bathrooms are gigantic. I toured the place but haven’t stayed there (yet). However, I did have lunch and can vouch for the talents of the chef.

Innkeeper Jane Toller Pitfield (and canine assistant) welcome guests to the Spruceholme Inn. Photo by Laura Byrne Paquet.

The Spruceholme Inn lets you live like a rich Victorian…but with all mod cons. Photo by Laura Byrne Paquet.

My lunch of quiche and salads was a tasty way to fuel up for an afternoon of cycling. Photo by Laura Byrne Paquet.

Félix-Gabriel Marchand Bridge

The good news: Fort Coulonge is home to the longest covered bridge in Quebec (the second-longest one in Canada). The bad news: It’s currently closed for extensive repairs. You still may be able to get a decent photo of the 152-metre span, depending where you stand.

The Félix-Gabriel Marchand Bridge—usually called Pont Marchand—before it was closed for repairs in May 2014. Photo by Laura Byrne Paquet.

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If you go

Distance from Ottawa: 118km

Information: Pontiac Tourism and Outaouais Tourism