Ottawa Has A New Weekend Shuttle Bus That'll Take You To Gatineau Park & It's Totally Free
It's the first summer shuttle into the park.🌳
Gatineau Park shuttle.
A free shuttle bus will now take you from Ottawa to Gatineau Park on the weekends all summer long.
You may have already taken the fall shuttle bus into the park to see the colourful tree canopy as the leaves change colour. But this is the first time the National Capital Commission is running a shuttle throughout the summer.
On Saturday, June 25, the weekend bus hit the road for the first time. This shuttle leaves downtown Ottawa (at Wellington Street near Lyon Street) every Saturday and Sunday starting at 9:10 a.m., and runs every half-hour until 3:10 p.m.
Coming back, you can catch the shuttle leaving Gatineau Park's visitor centre at 9:45 a.m., with the last one taking off at 4:45 p.m.
\u201cToday is the day! The Gatineau Park shuttle is in service. \ud83d\ude8c To have a great outing on the parkways, remember:\n\n\u2194 Share the road\n\ud83d\ude97 Car access opens at 1:00pm\n\u26a0 Roller and in-line skiiers not permitted while shuttle is in service\n\nShuttle stops & info: https://t.co/VtLqkh7xrK\u201d— Gatineau Park (@Gatineau Park) 1656162907
So, how is this shuttle free? Well, the free trip is actually part of a pilot project launched by the NCC, with Société de transport de l’Outaouais and Camp Fortune, to reduce the number of vehicles driving into the park. Even though the park was closed off to cars during the last two summers, it surprisingly saw more people using the park.
The shuttle goes right to the park's visitor centre but also makes stops at the Canadian Museum of History, Pink Lake Lookout, Mackenzie King Estate, and King Mountain along the way.
The NCC notes that the shuttle is accessible to people with reduced mobility too, as the buses have access ramps and low floors. There will also be free four-wheeled electric scooters at the park, according to the NCC.
This pilot project will run until August 28. So grab your sunscreen and hit the park!
Before you get going, check out our Responsible Travel Guide so you can be informed, be safe, be smart, and most of all, be respectful on your adventure.