Scenic Views · Quebec
Champlain Lookout
The best-known lookout in Gatineau Park, Quebec, with a sweeping view over the Ottawa Valley from the edge of the Eardley Escarpment. Free, but car access is limited to certain days and it gets busy.
What visitors say
Champlain Lookout sits at the end of the Champlain Parkway on the edge of the Eardley Escarpment, looking west over the Ottawa River valley and its farms and forest. Reviewers rate it very highly, and many single out autumn, when the colour below is at its peak. Several people return every summer.
The drive up the parkway is part of the appeal. Parking is close to the lookout and the walk is short, and interpretive panels explain the area's history and geology. One visitor pointed out a smaller lookout a minute before the main one with nearly the same view and far fewer people.
A short loop trail of about 30 minutes starts next to the lookout and passes a couple more viewpoints, and there are longer trails nearby. Cyclists ride the parkways, and in winter the roads close to cars and become ski routes, so the lookout is reached on skis, snowshoes or foot.
Plan around the National Capital Commission's parkway schedule. Car access to the Champlain lot is limited to certain days and hours in the main season, with a free shuttle on some days, and the parkway is closed to cars in winter. Weekends and fall-colour season are the busiest times.
Summarised from visitor reviews on Google Maps. Based on 2,165 Google reviews. Conditions and rules change — check current park, access and fishing regulations before you go.