7+ eco-friendly adventures in and around Ottawa

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Looking to reduce your carbon footprint while enjoying a day trip or weekend getaway in Ottawa, Eastern Ontario and the Outaouais? Here are just a few ideas. Not all of them are completely carbon free, but they all have an eco-friendly component.

Disclosure: I experienced some of these places and tours as a guest of the owners for review purposes.

Take a walk around New Edinburgh

You can easily get to this lively neighbourhood by bus or bike from many parts of Ottawa. Once you arrive, there’s lots to discover on foot, including Rideau Falls, the grounds of Rideau Hall, a gourmet food shop and several lively pubs. Check out my guide to a one-hour walk around New Edinburgh.

Stay in an off-grid cabin between Perth and Westport

Overlooking a small pond and a five-minute trail walk from Long Lake, the two off-grid cabins at Pine Brae Wilderness Escape have all mod cons with a small carbon footprint. Solar panels power the lights, ceiling fan and fridge (but you will use propane for hot water and cooking). You’ll find the property a few minutes south of Perth.

Go for a hike

Putting on a pair of hiking boots and hitting a woodsy trail is one of the simplest ways to get back to nature—and you don’t even have to leave the Ottawa city limits to do it! The Greenbelt is webbed with hiking trails. Pine Grove, for instance, is just a 15-minute bus ride southeast of South Keys. (Hop off the bus at Conroy and Park; there’s a trailhead just south of the bus stop.) Here are my tips for great hikes in and around Ottawa, on both sides of the Ottawa River.

Stroll around Old Ottawa South

Old Ottawa South, just south of Lansdowne Park, is another neighbourhood that’s easy to reach by bus or bike. Stroll along the Rideau River in Brewer Park and Windsor Park, keeping your eye out for the herons that like to fish where the water breaks over rocks. From late spring through early fall, rent a kayak or a standup paddleboard from Ottawa SUP. Then reward yourself with some tasty scones from Life of Pie. You’ll find tips on all that and more in my post about a one-hour walk through Old Ottawa South.

Explore Gatineau Park

Gatineau Park is a great place to ditch the car and hike, cycle or paddle. My beginner’s guide to Gatineau Park outlines all the basics you’ll need for a fun day of exploration. If the trail is open, don’t miss the relatively easy hike to the Carbide Willson ruins.

Hop on your bike

Do you love to travel on two wheels? Don’t miss my huge guide to cycling in Ottawa, Eastern Ontario and the Outaouais, which includes links to every cycling route, bike shop and biking tour I could find.

Stay in a tent near Smiths Falls

I’ll be the first to admit I’m no camper, as you’ll see in my story about staying in an oTENTik at the Upper Beveridges Lockstation near Smiths Falls. But you don’t have to be Bear Grylls to stay in one of these floored, well-equipped tents available at multiple Parks Canada sites, including Thousand Islands National Park near Mallorytown and the Lachine Canal in Montreal.

Stroll Kemptville on foot

My guide to a one-hour walk in Kemptville will take you around much of this small town just south of Ottawa. Make sure to leave time to drop by the B&H grocery store to browse for foods from local producers (there’s usually a big display right in front of the store). After all, shopping local is another great way to reduce your carbon footprint!

Looking for more tips on things to see and do in Eastern Ontario, the Outaouais, northern New York state and beyond? Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter or order a copy of my book, Ottawa Road Trips: Your Weekend Getaway Guide.

As the owner of Ottawa Road Trips, I acknowledge that I live on, work in and travel through the unceded, unsurrendered territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg Nation. I am grateful to have the opportunity to be present on this land. Ottawa Road Trips supports Water First, a non-profit organization that helps address water challenges in Indigenous communities in Canada through education, training and meaningful collaboration.