I walked this lovely little trail last spring. It is a special little area hidden outside of Ottawa – the capital of Canada. Away from all the hustle and bustle, out in the boonies really, you will find this lovely little boardwalk. It is part of a 3500 hectar conservation area with a more very different eco- system. Mer Bleue is actually the largest bog in Ontario! The walk itself is a tiny little 1.5-kilometer walk but I think the photos are pretty self-explanatory and show just how amazing this hidden gem is!

We saw tons of wildlife, and the boardwalk brings you through a vast amount of walkways, cattails, peat moss, birch trees, and tons of little blueberry bushes! It would be a treat to go there when they’re in season. Although I saw a sign or two discouraging people from picking them, and warning of fines… I may have to go back. Anyways along with wonderful foliage there was chickadees, ducks, Canadian geese, and an array of other birds I had never seen before. I recommend this trail to anyone in the Ottawa Valley looking for a little step out into nature – a more manicured way to get some exercise and fresh air. The boardwalks are so well maintained its impossible to not enjoy yourself!

I remember going here in the midst of my last semester at college. I really needed to get outside; I could feel my body craving a walk, nature, something – anything besides schoolbooks, laptops and lectures. So I literally researched the closest nature walk in the City of Ottawa that I hadn’t already done, and came up with this walk. This little morning adventure just made my day, heck my week.

I wanted to do the longer 8 kilometer trail, and I didn’t get the chance to do it. But I will be back no doubt! You can find this lovely walk 20 kilometers outside the heart of Ottawa in the Greenbelt Conservation Area. 

All photos were taken by myself with my GoPro or my Canon T5i.

‘It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see’ – Henry Thoreau