My wife and I sold our car in 2020, a few months after the COVID pandemic started. We had been talking about it for a while and just decided to jump. Biking has been our life for the past 17 months. It’s how we buy groceries, visit all parts of Ottawa, get ice cream and get exercise.
If you are in town for a few days or have joined the thousands of us who have found the joys of Ottawa on two wheels, here are some spots you should visit.
Getting to experience an Ottawa sunset at Westboro beach should be on everyone’s list - whether you live here or are just visiting.
The NCC manages a few major roadways in Ottawa. Since last summer, they have opened up various ones for active transportation, regardless of how you are getting around. You can visit their website for all the details.
The westbound lane of the parkway is open to active transportation from the War Museum to Lincoln Fields. It’s roughly 12 km and really a lot of fun. If you have time, you can grab an ice cream at Beach Coners, some of the best locally made ice cream in Ottawa.
This spot is really cool. From downtown, you bike past Rideau Hall and Rockcliffe Park along the river to the Aviation Museum. From there it’s a 16-kilometer round-trip ride to the bridge over the Highway 174 in the east end of Ottawa. (Please note, if you are biking with kids, you will want to head out early in the morning - midday and afternoon gets pretty hot).
This has become my new favorite spot for sunsets in Ottawa. Pizza in Commissioners Park, sit with all the ducks and geese on the edge of the Rideau Canal. There is ice cream and boat rentals for everyone regardless of experience levels. Highly recommend.
The glow! What more is there to say really. Enjoy!
This section of NCC parkway has not opened to active transportation. If you are comfortable riding on narrow roads, it is a beautiful section following along the Rideau Canal from Dows Lake to downtown Ottawa.
Opened in 2019, the pedestrian bridge connects the Glebe neighborhood to Old Ottawa South. The bridge will take you to Colonel By or you can head to the Rideau River. It’s a beautiful spot to watch boats of all sizes, and people walking/biking past.
What’s not to love of this view to the north along the Rideau Canal.
In the summer, the sunsets from the Rideau locks beside Parliament Hill and the Chateau Laurier are another must-see. You can bike by, sit and watch - I’m not going to tell you how to live your life! Come earlier in the day and you can see big power boats moving their way slowly up and down the 100+ year-old canal system.
A notable spot in the spring for flower blossoms and the fall for good leaves, it’s a great place to relax through the summer. You have easy access to Dows Lake, the Hartwell Locks and shade to protect you from the summer heat. It gets very busy in the evenings and the morning light is really memorable.
It’s a bit out of the way, but the bike pathways to this bridge are wide, well-marked and there are lots of wilderness areas to see along the way.
Located in Ottawa’s west end from downtown, Britannia Beach has expanses of green space, covered areas for BBQs and a big beach. The pier is where all the local kitesurfers play in the wind year-round. Oh, and as mentioned before, it’s where you can find Beach Coners Ice Cream. Delicious!
Another 4-5 kms up the river from Britannia Beach is Andrew Hayden Park and the Napean Sailing Club. It’s a beautiful spot in the mornings and in the evenings. Admittedly, it’s a ways out of downtown by bike, but with the late light in summer, you can get downtown before dark.
