The weather might be getting cooler, but the beauty of autumn is just beginning. If you’re a sucker for nature's vibrant hues this season, you’ll want to make the most of fall, and the best way to do that is by going to neighbourhoods in Ottawa that really showcase what Mother Nature can do.
Hog’s Back-Prince of Wales and Riverside Park
If you love stunning displays of natural beauty, you’ll want to go where Hog’s Back-Prince of Wales and Riverside Park neighbourhoods collide. Hog’s Back Park and Falls is full of lush trees and greenery, creating a backdrop a postcard would envy. The park offers a short, easy, dog-friendly trail that gives you a serene escape into the dazzling display of changing leaves.
The Glebe
The Glebe neighbourhood of Ottawa offers no shortage of options for foliage lovers. Commissioner’s Park is great if you want to stroll the Rideau Canal on a paved path and appreciate the mature trees lining it. The residential streets offer charming architecture that makes you feel as though you’ve just crawled out of Stars Hollow, or any other Hollywood-worthy town that combines natural elegance with human-made charm.
If you want to hide away from urban life, Patterson Creek Park will transport you around picturesque walking paths filled with oranges, reds, and yellows against the backdrop of a calm creek.
Kitchissippi
Located along the Ottawa River, the Kitchissippi area of Ottawa is worth a stop on a fall foliage outing. You can take a path from Remic Rapids Park to Bate Island and, along the way, see a surreal vision of autumn colours set against rock sculptures, the Ottawa River, and the Champlain Bridge. It’s an easy walk that offers a great experience, with the added aesthetic of human-made architectural and artistic feats while staying true to your love of the season’s own art.
Rockcliffe Park
The historic and affluent neighbourhood of Rockcliffe Park offers winding, tree-lined streets with lush canopies. The best spot to get the most out of fall is the Rockeries Garden, with its vast area and dramatic colours. You can also enjoy panoramic views from the high cliffs the park was built on, overlooking where the Ottawa and Gatineau Rivers meet. Like many others on this list, the mature trees offer towering canopy views that make it feel like you’re completely immersed in nature while you walk the winding trails.
Honourable Mention: Gatineau Park
While not technically a neighbourhood in Ottawa, a list of fall foliage in and around the city wouldn’t be complete without Gatineau Park. Stroll through various trail-marked areas to enjoy the colourful leaves, or head to one of its lookouts, like the Carman Lake lookout, to take it all in from above.
Every year, hundreds of thousands of people visit the Fall Rhapsody in the park, an event dedicated to showcasing the beauty of Ottawa’s nature, for good reason. It’s one of the best places to sit back and enjoy the changing leaves, get insanely good photographs, or just immerse yourself in autumn.