Best Hiking Area Ottawa Near Me

4worldlovers: Located in the southwest end of Ottawa, Stony Swamp features a network of beaver ponds, wetlands and forests, and is the most ecologically diverse protected area in the Ottawa Valley.

The Stony Swamp sector has more trails than any other area of the Greenbelt — over 40 kilometres. You can also ride your bike at Stony Swamp, on a section of the Greenbelt Pathway West, which connects to The Great Trail of Canada and the Rideau Trail.

When out enjoying nature, please follow the principles of outdoor ethics.

Dogs and other pets on leash are permitted year-round on the Greenbelt Pathway East. In winter, dogs are not allowed on any Greenbelt trails. When on the Capital Pathway, please be considerate and share the path.

To help you prepare for a safe and enjoyable outing, check out these tips about safety in the Greenbelt.

The Sarsaparilla Trail (22) has a dock extending onto a beaver pond. Start at parking lot P7.

The Jack Pine Trail (26) crosses beaver ponds where you can observe many species of ducks and frogs. Start at parking lot P9. For conservation reasons, dogs are not permitted on this trail.

Discover the Greenbelt’s trails for hiking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.

Bruce Pit is a popular off-leash dog park. Dogs are permitted off leash only in the designated area. They must be on a leash everywhere else, including the parking lot (P12), and are not allowed at the toboggan hill.

Pack up the family, and head out to the Bruce Pit Toboggan Hill (P12). The hill offers great daytime sliding, but is not lit at night.

On the Stony Swamp trails indicated below, you’ll find wetland boardwalks and interpretation panels about the geology and natural history of the area.

Take a walk on the Lime Kiln Trail, and see the ruins of a historic kiln.

The Old Quarry Trail is a 3.1-kilometre trail where you can learn about the area’s unusual geology.

The Jack Pine Trail features beaver ponds and beaver dams, and is an especially popular destination for kids and families.

The Beaver and Chipmunk trails (28) are loved by children. If you download iNaturalist before you go, you can record your wildlife encounters and learn more about what you saw together.

Parking: Free, year-round parking is available at parking lots P4 to P13.

Washrooms: Outhouses are located at the following parking lots: P5, P7, P8, P9, P11 and P12.

Picnic area: There is a picnic area by the Jack Pine Trail (P9) and a sheltered picnic area by the Sarsaparilla Trail (P7).

The swamp’s bedrock dates back to Precambrian times, the earliest geological era. Stony Swamp is classified as a provincially significant wetland and an Area of Natural and Scientific Interest (ANSI).

The area has more than 700 species of plants, which is the highest number counted in any part of Canada’s Capital Region. Stony Swamp is home to 63 species of regionally rare plants, 11 of which exist nowhere else in the Greenbelt. It also has a lichen population designated as a species at risk.

A variety of reptiles, amphibians, mammals and birds make their home in this area. Stony Swamp has 251 regionally rare bird species. This includes 17 species at risk, one of which is the northern goshawk.

Enjoy cycling on the Greenbelt Pathway West. Along the way, there are farms, creeks, wetlands and forests.

Make the most of your outing! After your hike, visit a Greenbelt farm — and take home fresh, local produce. Eating well tastes so good!

4worldlovers:
Welcome to the Crazy Horse Trail, created and maintained by Friends of the Carp Hills under an agreement with the City of Ottawa.

Due to pedestrian traffic and the terrain, the trail is not suitable for cross-country skiing.

During the spring melt, the trail can be very muddy and wet.

You can find all the information you need about the trail on this page. To go directly to a specific topic, click on a link below.

People care about what they can experience. We want people to enjoy the beauty of the Carp Hills and learn more about it.

An authorized trail like the Crazy Horse offers a sustainable way for people to hike, snowshoe, and be in nature for physical and mental well-being. The trail is marked and maintained. It has scenic lookouts. There are maps and interpretive guides to promote learning. The trail code encourages stewardship of the land and respect for others.

One of our founding goals in 2014 was to create an authorized trail near the village of Carp. (Read Our Manifesto.)

Under an agreement with the City of Ottawa, we opened a rugged trail in 2015 called the Crazy Horse Trail in honour of the old bar that used to stand adjacent to the trailhead on March Road.

The Crazy Horse Trail lies on 200 acres owned by the City of Ottawa. It is surrounded by private land. Land owned by the City in the Carp Hills is part of the Carp Hills Municipal Nature Reserve. It is governed by the City’s by-laws.

There is no Crown land in the Carp Hills. Private landowners own over 75% of the land in the Carp Hills.

Use the trail at your own risk. You are responsible for your own safety.

Download a map. This is the most important thing you can do. Download a map to your smart phone or print a map and take it with you. Cell phone coverage is not guaranteed. People have got lost. This is not an easy city trail.

Wear the right clothes. The trail is narrow, rocky, rugged, and can be very slippery. It has raised boardwalks, many exposed rocks, uneven terrain, and wet, muddy, or icy areas. Hikers should be relatively fit and use appropriate footwear; i.e. hiking boots with good ankle support. Crampons are useful in winter. Running shoes and sandals are not suitable at any time of the year.

Be aware of ticks. The Carp Hills are a tick hot spot. Ticks are particularly prevalent in the spring and fall, but they are present all year round, even in winter on days above freezing where the ground is visible. Staying on the trail reduces the likelihood of picking up ticks.

Be aware of poison ivy. Poison ivy grows along some portions of the trail.

Be aware of wildlife. Bears, coyotes, and fishers frequent the trail area.

Be aware of hunting. In the fall, there is hunting in the vicinity of the trail. Wear orange to make yourself visible.

Contact us to report trail issues. We do our best to maintain the trail, but trees come down regularly, vegetation rapidly grows into the trail during the summer, and trail markers fall off.

We have prepared a downloadable, two page Trail Guide (PDF) with a code of use, safety points, and a map of the Crazy Horse Trail. You are asked to observe the trail use guidelines and respect this natural area. Lichen and mosses on rock outcrops can take years to grow, so please stay on the trail: take only photos and leave only footprints or ski tracks.

We’ve developed an Interpretive Guide (PDF) to the trail, which provides information about the natural history and ecology of the trail area. Learn about what you are seeing as you traverse the Precambrian Shield terrain.

4worldlovers: The Sarsaparilla Trail is a 0.8 km universally accessible trail that includes a dock overlooking a large beaver pond. Picnic area and toilet facilities. Summer parking , access from Richmond Road. The National Capital Greenbelt has over 100 km of trails that feed into parts of the Trans Canada Trail, Rideau Trail and Capital Pathway network.