Ottawa Rideau Trail Club
613-860-2225
Group Outings
The RTA’s Ottawa Club Outings are held on the Rideau Trail or at some of the many scenic places around the Ottawa-Gatineau region, including Gatineau Park. These outings are generally held on Saturdays, Tuesday evenings, Wednesdays, and occasionally Sundays. On some weekends, multiple activities take place. These events are announced here, in the RTA’s quarterly print newsletter and monthly member e-mail.
Tuesday Evening Urban Walks
From September 12 to October 31. There may be a refreshment stop after the walk for those interested. Meet at the starting point of the hike as specified in the calendar below at 5:20 pm to depart at 5:30 pm.
Gatineau Park Moonlighters (**Temporarily not available**)
Every Tuesday evening from May to August there will be a short hike in Gatineau Park. Meet at Tunney’s Pasture at 5:45 pm for a prompt 6 pm departure. Hikes last until sunset. The hikes are level 1 or 2 at approximately 4 km per hour. There may be some hilly, rough or wet terrain. Please bring your own water, snack, bug repellent, flashlight and proper footwear. There is usually a short break during the hike, as decided by the hike leader. Check the listings below for more details
Wednesday Walkers (Hiking & skiing in Gatineau Park)
Every Wednesday all year, the Ottawa Wednesday Walkers meet to hike mostly in Gatineau Park. These are all day hikes (generally 4-5 hours) so participants should pack a lunch. Hikes are are generally level 2 or 3 and are organized on at the meeting place where leaders each have a chance to propose hikes.
During the winter, hikes become snowshoe and back-country skiing or cross-country skiing activities. Meet at 9:15 am for a 9:30 am departure. The meeting place for this group is the parking lot on the east side of Bate Island in Spring, Summer and Fall and at the NCC parking lot at the South East end of the Champlain bridge in the Winter. If you’re unsure of the current meeting place then check your E-Letter or email us at info@rideautrail.org.
Thursday-Morning Hikes (Gatineau Park)
In the spring and fall there are Thursday morning hikes. These hikes last about 2 hours. They alternate between level 1 hikes mostly in the Ottawa area and level 2 hikes in the Gatineau. They are always close enough to Ottawa that the hiker will be home for lunch. For details of when and where, members should watch the weekly e-notice. Bring a snack and water. You will be home for lunch.
Saturday Skiers
As soon as skiing starts, the Saturday Skiers get together each week to enjoy the cross-country trails in Gatineau Park (Level 2 or 3). No dates are listed in the Calendar below; if there’s snow, we go. Bring lunch and meet for a prompt 9:30 departure from Tunney’s Pasture.
Seasonal Outings
Seasonal outings are described in the quarterly newsletter where additional details may be found. Further details on these hikes are available by telephoning the Ottawa Club’s 24-hour Infoline at (613) 860-2225 or by emailing us at info@rideautrail.org. Please call or email well in advance of any hike you would like to join. RTA members should consult the newsletter and contact the hike leader directly.
Meeting Locations
Unless otherwise specified, outings depart from one of the three following locations. Please consult each listing for more detail.
Tunney’s Pasture (**Temporarily not available**)
Government of Canada parking lot on the west side of Parkdale Avenue, across from Emmerson Street.
Fallowfield Park & Ride
Northwest parking lot at the OC Transpo Fallowfield Park & Ride station located on the south west corner of Fallowfield at Woodroffe. If you travel by car, take the first left after you enter the Park & Ride facility then turn right into the lot. The meeting place is across the parking lot to the far side.
Baseline Park & Ride
Parking lot at the OC Transpo Baseline Park & Ride station is on Woodroffe Avenue, south of Baseline Road. To meet at the west corner of the parking lot, turn left as you enter the facility. Parking is free after 11 a.m. on weekday mornings and all day during weekends and holidays.
Bate Island
In Spring, Summer and Fall, meet on the east side of Bate Island. In the winter, meet in the NCC parking lot at the south east end of Champlain bridge.
NCC Parking Lot
Located at the south east end of Champlain Bridge. Used primarily by the Wednesday Walkers in the winter when Bate Island is closed.
Outing Preparation
It’s important to arrive properly prepared for the outing, so please contact the leader if you have any questions. Descriptions of the levels of difficulty are available on our Trail Behaviour page.
Note: Outings which require RSVP are not listed on the website. For information on these and more, you may wish to become a member of the RTA!
Ottawa Rideau Trail Club
613-860-2225
Become a member
If these outings interest you, you may wish to become a member of the Rideau Trail Association. As a member, you will receive a quarterly newsletter containing a list of all the hikes, social activities, news from each club and other interesting articles.
Additionally, if you are currently an RTA member, you can register for our member hub and gain access to the TeamUp calendar