Best View of Ottawa-Gatineau

One of the most scenic hikes in the Gatineau Park is the King Mountain Interpretive Trail shown as the hollow green line on the map below (click to see full size).

It's about a 1-hour walk around the loop, with fairly steep & rugged climb up & down King Mountain.

A nice lake with a picnic area and "washroom" facilities are within easy reach next to the parking lot.

The hollow blue star designates the location of a National Historic site where the 1st Canadian Geodetic Benchmark was set.

A commemorative plaque is installed on a cairn donated by Micheal P. Mulvihill in 1930. A good write-up about this historic site can be found on the Guide Gatineau web site.

Arguably, this is "the" spot to get the best view of Ottawa-Gatineau area.

• Here's a view towards Gatineau:

• Here's a view of downtown Ottawa:

• Here is a view towards Aylmer:

• And a good look down at the Kingsway golf course below the escarment.

Update: For a more detailed description of this trail, Michael Haynes has a written a complete article starting on page 5 of the June 2010 edition of Ottawa Outdoors Magazine.