The Chutes de Plaisance are so close to Ottawa, and such an easy walk in the woods, that they make an absolutely perfect day trip for just about anyone. Pack a picnic lunch and hit the road!
The waterfall is more of a cascade. But that makes walking down alongside it that much more enjoyable. We loved how many amazing lookout spots there were along this super short trail!
Despite the hike not taking much time, this is a perfect spot to bring a picnic, and settle in to spend some time with nature.
During the summer months, the chutes are open seven days a week, starting at 10 a.m. You can find the most up to date info on their website. There IS an entry fee (about $7 for adults and $3 for kids), so plan to make it worth the trip by staying a while!
Dogs are allowed, provided they’re on leash.
You could also check out the nearby Plaisance National Park for even more hiking.
The Chutes de Plaisance.
Getting There
The Chutes de Plaisance are in Plaisance, Quebec. It’s just a short 45 minute drive from downtown Ottawa. You can use this address to get there: 100, chemin Malo, Plaisance, QC.
When we got there, we parked in the massive parking lot. Already, we were right by the river (Rivière Sainte-Sixte). At the back of the lot was the office, where we bought our passes for the day.
The “trail” started right beside the office, and was actually a road. Told you it was an easy walk!
A few feet further, there was an outhouse.
A super easy hike/walk down along the chutes.
Views
After walking only 150 metres, we reached the first little picnic spot nestled into some trees beside the river. The trail split here as well. To our left, the trail continued on as a road. It would maintain its width and gravel surface all the way down to the very end of the trail. To the right, a dirt footpath brought us closer to the river, where we caught our first amazing view from a platform just 400 metres from where we had started the trail.
The dirt path was incredibly easy to navigate. It was well worn and didn’t require much tricky foot work. There were no trail markers to follow, but considering the waterfall was steady on our right-hand side, it would have been very hard to get lost.
Another 100 metres down the trail, we were treated to a second spectacular view of the cascading water. Not long after, the dirt path reconnected with the wider road, and we continued to follow it downhill.
There were a lot of gorgeous views of the falls along the trail.
Bottom of the Chute
At the 800 metre mark we arrived at a set of stairs, which brought us down a steep slope to the very bottom of the waterfall. Here, there was just a tiny chute spilling into the river. But it was a really lovely spot to sit. And, if you’re a toddler, to throw rocks into the river.
We stayed and played there for awhile, then headed back up the stairs, and continued following the road, just to see what else we might come across.
Headed down to the bottom of the chute.
All in all, the entire trail/road was just about 1.2 km long. At the end, it brought us down to a tiny beach that was used by many as a spot to land their kayaks. This must be a popular destination for kayakers, because there were at least ten pulled up to shore when we got there!
From here, we could look upriver and see some kids playing in the tiny rapids (although it does say not to swim).
Looking upriver from the end of the trail.
Trail Thoughts
After dipping our feet in the water, we began to head back up the hill. THIS part was definitely the toughest. Maybe we should have made our way all the way down and then stopped for views on the way back up.
There were a few sections where I was definitely huffing and puffing. Hiking boots absolutely aren’t needed for this trail. But I was happy to be wearing good running shoes so at least I wasn’t slipping on my way back up the hill.
Easy terrain but the hill was a challenge!
By the time we arrived back at the trailhead, we had hiked a total of 2.5 km. With all the time we spent playing and taking in the views, we were out there for almost two hours. But you could easily hike this trail much more quickly. Looking at the stats, we only had an actual elevation gain of about 63 metres- which is really not a lot. Perhaps I was being dramatic with the huffing and puffing.
All in all, the Chutes de Plaisance is less a real “hike,” and more a lovely spot to sit and spend time in nature. Which sometimes, with a toddler and a baby on the way, is really all you need.
Playing at the bottom of the chute- definitely my daughter’s favorite spot.
Map and Elevation Gain
Our GPS tracked route along the falls.
Whenever I’m hiking somewhere new, I tend to wonder about who was on, and who took care of that land before me. I’ve enjoyed using this website as a place to start learning more about the indigenous people whose land I’m on: Native-land.ca.
Elevation gain along the trail.
I have been there a few times, but not in the last couple of years. Thanks for this. I must go again sometime.