Guided tour in Gatineau Park

Maps and Publications

Gatineau Park Summer Map (1.2 MB)

Gatineau Park Summer Trail Map (8.28 MB)

Gatineau Park Winter Map (2.31 MB)

Gatineau Park Winter Trail Map, 2011-12 (6.2 MB)

Take a tour through Gatineau Park and learn more about its unique ecosystems. Experienced naturalists provide guided tours for the general public, groups and school groups. There are also several self-guided interpretive hikes. Are you interested in history? There are also guided tours at the Mackenzie King Estate.

Help us protect Gatineau Park and leave no trace.

Guided Tours for the General Public

Discover nature’s many faces by participating in one of Gatineau Park’s general-interest nature tours. There are tours for every season covering a variety of nature topics. The tours are:

• free
• led by an experienced naturalist
• offered in French and English
• about two hours in length.

Each tour begins with an indoor presentation at the Gatineau Park Visitor Centre and is followed by a guided walk on one of the nearby trails.

The following free tours are offered:

• Animal Tracking on Snowshoes (snowshoes are provided)
• Spring Flowers Have Sprung
• The Sights and Sounds of Birds
• Follies of the Fall Forest

See the upcoming events section (on the right) for information about upcoming tours. The Friends of Gatineau Park also offers nature tours in the Park. Historical tours are offered at the Mackenzie King Estate in the Park.

Group Tours

Bring colleagues, employees or a group of friends and discover the park with an experienced naturalist! The Friends of Gatineau Park have experienced guides that can provide tours. Contact the Gatineau Park Visitor Centre to reserve a tour to suit your group!

You can also book a group tour to discover the Mackenzie King Estate and its history.

Guided Tours for School Groups

Gatineau Park offers five different educational tours for school groups. Each tour is a guided hike through nature with qualified nature interpreters. The description of each tour is below. See the Gatineau Park education page for details about curriculum links and reservations.

Sensational Animals (Spring and Fall)

Students take on the role of some of the Park’s wild and curious animals and discover first-hand how being able to see, smell, hear, feel and taste is key to animal survival.

Green Magic (Spring and Fall)

Students discover how plants meet their common basic needs for survival in unique ways, by adapting their individual lifestyles to the conditions in their environment. This experiential program includes a hike along the Sugarbush Trail (1.6 km).

Dive into Diversity (Spring and Fall)

Students hike from a shady hemlock grove to the top of the Eardley escarpment. Along the way they discover how different combinations of non-living elements in a habitat shape the community of life that call it home.

Life Below Zero in Gatineau Park (February and March — Snow Dependent)

As they explore the Park on snowshoes, students have the opportunity to experience winter from a new perspective. Students learn about physical and behavioural adaptations that allow plants and animals in Gatineau Park to survive through winter. By learning that animals and humans adapt to winter in similar ways, students may develop a new connection to and empathy for wild animals.

Icy Insects (February and March — Snow Dependent)

Students are introduced to insect life cycles as they snowshoe in the forest near the Sugarbush Trail. They learn how cold winter conditions affect insects and other invertebrates.

Self-guided Interpretive Hikes

There are six self-guided interpretive hikes in Gatineau Park. See Hiking in Gatineau Park for details.

Facilities

Washrooms	There are washrooms at the Gatineau Park Visitor Centre.
Parking	Free parking is available at the Gatineau Park Visitor Centre.
Universal Accessibility	Guided tours are on the Sugarbush Trail, which is universally accessible (except for winter tours).

Reservations

Book your tour today!

Guided Tours and Group Tours

Contact the Gatineau Park Visitor Centre.

School Groups

Guides

A small guidebook called The Waterfall and Lauriault Trails has been published by the Friends of Gatineau Park. You can buy it at the Gatineau Park Visitor Centre and at the Mackenzie King Estate when the museums are open.

For more information see Gatineau Park's visitor information.