I’ve never really been into biking, but when I moved to Ottawa, it seemed like everyone was biking everywhere! This tour combines Ottawa’s love for biking with some adrenaline, and the e-bike makes it accessible, even if you have limited experience on a bike. Here’s why you need to e-bike through Gatineau Park with Aventure Outaouais.
Electric Bike Tour in Gatineau Park
Aventure Outaouais offers all-inclusive tours that highlight the beauty and versatility of the Outaouais region. From biking and kayaking to wine and beer tours, Aventure Outaouais has an adventure for everyone. To read about my experiences on their other tours click here.
As always, Aventure Outaouais provided us with great information packages, convenient pick-up locations and lots of snacks. On this tour, we had Brandon and Jacob as guides. Both were very friendly and led an awesome tour.
Before this tour, I was a bit nervous. It had been more than five years since I’d ridden a bike that wasn’t stationary, and Gatineau Park has some very big hills. I had also never tried e-biking so I wasn’t sure what to expect.
When we arrived in Chelsea, we got our equipment and a lesson on how the bikes work from Nomades du Parc. We had a few minutes to ride the bikes around the parking lot and make sure we felt comfortable. I guess they use the expression “it’s just like riding a bike” for a reason because my muscle memory kicked in, and I felt comfortable pretty quickly.
How E-Bikes Work
The electric bikes we used had three levels of assistance and a speedometer so you can see how fast you were going. Just like on a normal bike, you still need to pedal and adjust your gears, but the e-bike makes the trip easier with electric assistance.
While it definitely took a few minutes to work out the combination of gears and assistance that worked best, the bike can do most of the work. I turned the assistance off for a small section of our tour, and the difference was evident immediately! The assistance allowed me the adventure of biking through Gatineau Park without needing the practice or stamina that a regular bike demands.
Dunlop Falls
I’d never even heard of Dunlop Falls, but it’s a beautiful hidden gem in the park. The waterfall is located close to the road, so you can visit without having to do a long hike. We took a short break here to appreciate the view, and a few of us did the very short walk to the top of the waterfall to see the falls from above.
Dunlop Falls. Photo by Torie Wotton
Champlain Lookout
The next highlight was our stop at Champlain Lookout. I had visited this lookout a few times before but as the sun is starting to set, it gets even more beautiful. We sat here for a few minutes to take some pictures and eat our snacks before getting back on our bikes.
Me and my mom at Champlain Lookout. Photo by Torie Wotton.
Why E-Cycle?
The third section of our tour took us past the King Mountain trailhead. If you’re familiar with the park, you know that there are a lot of hills in this area. The e-bike made the uphill so much easier and allowed you to go very fast on the downhill. Climbing these hills and then cruising down them at almost 60 km/hr is something I definitely couldn’t have done on a regular bike! I could never have imagined how fun this would be, and it’s something I would love to do again.
Biking on the parkway. Photo by Torie Wotton.
Pink Lake
Our final stop of the night was at Pink Lake. This is one of my absolute favorite places in Gatineau Park. Originally owned by the Pink family, Pink Lake is known for its beautiful blue/green color. I’ve visited a few times in the fall to hike around the lake and it never disappoints. Seeing Pink Lake at sunset was a new experience which brought a whole new beauty to the lake. I highly recommend catching a sunset here if you can!
Pink Lake at sunset. Photo by Torie Wotton.
From Pink Lake we biked back to Chelsea and headed back to Ottawa in the van. I really enjoyed this e-bike adventure. It was fast paced and I was a little tired by the end but I never felt like I couldn’t keep up or it was out of my skill level, thanks to the electric bike.
You can buy tickets to cross this e-bike tour off your summer bucket list and view the full collection of Aventure Outaouais tours here. Adventure Outaouais tours do sell out quickly so make sure to get your tickets soon!
Make sure to read about my experiences on the other summer tours to find the best one for you!
Torie is a policy analyst who loves to write and travel. Recently graduated from the University of Ottawa, Torie is excited to invest some of her new free time into both of these hobbies by writing for Little Miss Ottawa!
Torie has loved adventures and trying new things for a long time. Family trips both close to home and abroad fostered this mentality and set the stage for future adventures both big and small. Moving to Ottawa from Manitoba gave Torie the opportunity to explore a new area in depth and emphasized the fact that every day can be an adventure if you bring the right mind set.
When she’s not out on an adventure, Torie can be found at the rink practicing with her synchronized skating team or coaching skating.
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