The Parc des Chutes de Denholm- A 5 Km. Hike in Outaouais

This hike is part of the Adventure Report Ottawa Hiking Challenge! If you hike this trail, you’re officially working on the Road Trip Edition!

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Adventure Report Ottawa Hiking Challenge Route Specification: Hike Du Ruisseau, Du Marais, and Des Arts Trails.

Desperately looking for snow at the end of December, I headed north, to Quebec! I had high hopes that there would be snow at the Parc des Chutes de Denholm, and I wasn’t disappointed. This sleepy little park in the town of Denholm was perfect for a short road trip, and a great solo snowshoe.

There were a couple cool lookout spots along the trails, as well as a little waterfall (covered in ice when I went). Art installations along one of the trails were a beautiful addition to the landscape. The trails formed a loop, but all the cool stuff was actually fairly close to the trailhead, so if you wanted a shorter hike you’d still really enjoy this spot.

All the trails are open year round, which is awesome, and I don’t remember seeing any signs that dogs AREN’T allowed- so they must be!

Getting There

The Parc des Chutes de Denholm is less than an hour from Ottawa, and it’s an easy drive. I found myself heading through Gatineau and then Cantley, so there were lots of places to stop for coffee and snacks on the way.

You can use these coordinates to get there: 45.802311, -75.788381.

There was a sign by the side of the road announcing I had arrived, so I turned into the Park and drove just 50 metres to a small parking lot near the trailhead. The parking lot had been plowed recently, and I figured there were spots for about fifteen cars. Not to worry though- since I was the only one there all day (even though it was Sunday, what the heck??), I had my choice of spots.

After parking and getting organized for a few minutes, I stopped off at the outhouse near the back of the lot. Fortunately, I had brought my own toilet paper because they were all out.

Then, I double checked the huge map that was posted at the back of the lot, where all the trails began.

The Trails

I had decided I was going to save the art for last, which meant that I needed to hike the trails clockwise. Heading out past the outhouse, I was already spotting trail signs even though I had barely left the parking lot. I was only fifty metres along when I reached the first trail split. It was well marked, and I headed off to my left to hop on “Du Ruisseau.”

There was a gentle downhill with a few stairs that brought me down to a small river. On my right hand side, the sound of rushing water was louder, and I noticed the waterfall that the park had been named after. It was fairly small, but iced over, which was cool to see!

In order to stick with the trail, I followed the creek towards the road, and then actually got onto the road, turning to my right. In order to stick with the trail, I needed to re-enter the forest on the opposite side of the bridge, right where it ended. There was a big sign on the trail a metre or so from the road, letting me know I was still on the right track.

The next section of trail was the worst (for me), although I think it could be nice in the warmer months. There was even a little bench that I think would be great to sit and relax on.

That Time I Practically Drowned/Was Far Too Dramatic

I hiked along with the road on my right hand side and the forest floor rising sharply, and high above me, on my left. The creek was also travelling along on my left hand side. That was what made things sort of tricky for me- I knew that the creek was there, but with fresh snow on the ground, I couldn’t be absolutely positive where the ground ended and the water began. Plus, the snow was the heavy type and was really weighing down some of the smaller trees along the trail, making it tricky to pick out.

Not wanting to break through the ice and freeze my feet off, I was not a fan of this section of the trail! Fortunately, it was well marked, so with a little bit of wandering around I was able to stay dry and stay on the right path.

By the time I had hiked 0.8 Km., I was coming out of the valley beside the creek. I was back at the road having hiked only 0.95 Km. So I guess it really wasn’t THAT bad.

Du Marais

Across the road, slightly to my right, I could see signs marking the “De la Falaise” trail. I decided to just hop on the “Du Marais” trail immediately, so I headed to my left for a few steps along the road, then crossed it when I saw a private road marked with trail signs.

There were a LOT of signs posted at the gate on the road. There were private property signs, as well as a sign posted saying the trails were closed for hunting season until November 15^th. Since it was way past that date, and there were also trail markers posted, I bypassed the gate and began heading uphill on the wide road. It wasn’t plowed, so my snowshoes were still coming in handy.

After hiking 1.3 Km. I spotted a little footbridge at the side of the road on my right hand side. This was where “De la Falaise” rejoined the trail I was on. Onward!

Back Into the Forest

I carried on uphill until I had hiked 1.8 Km. Here, there was a big split in the road. To stick with “Du Marais” I followed the road off to my right. Almost immediately after, the trail left the road and went back into the forest on my right hand side. There was a big map posted there, helping to make sure I didn’t miss it.

Also helpful was the trail marker I spotted a little further down the road- it had an X across it, clearly indicating that anyone headed that way was going in the wrong direction.

The trail through the forest was wide enough that you could easily walk side by side. Soon, I came upon a huge “private property” sign. Fortunately, there was a trail marker nearby, and I could spot the bridge that I knew would be coming up on the trail. I followed these signs, crossing the short metal bridge over a small creek.

The trail thinned out and brought me uphill, then switched back on itself so that the creek was below me on my left hand side.

On this section of the trail, I started to notice really cool plaques posted on some of the trees. These plaques had information about the forest, and some had lovely quotes.

The First Lookout

I passed the third “don’t hike here” trail marker on my right hand side after hiking 2.4 Km. Soon after, I spotted a sign for the “belvedere,” and took a few steps downhill on my left hand side to get to a well-built platform, and the lookout. The view was…okay.

Right after the lookout, I climbed a short, steep hill, but then got a nice break and headed downhill. At the 2.7 Km. mark, I arrived at what seemed to be a logging road. There was a map posted, and I knew I had to head off to my right. The trail continued to wind through the forest un-eventfully (which was nice after that first section of trail!).

The Second, Better Lookout

At the 4 Km. mark, I came upon another posted map. It took me a minute to sort out what direction to head in, but I soon headed straight for just a bit, to get to the second lookout. I enjoyed this view more. There was a picnic table there, making it the perfect spot to sit and rest, and soak in the view. And, there was a beautifully carved boulder- a fantastic addition to the trail. It would have been really easy to miss with the newly fallen snow! Fortunately, there was also a plaque posted, which drew my attention to it.

After enjoying this spot for a moment, I headed back towards the posted map. I had to retrace my steps just a bit, and then turn left into the forest to head back to the original trailhead. There was a sign that said “Des Arts” Trail, as well as a sign indicating that this was the way back to the parking lot. Off I went!

I had forgotten my hiking poles (how?!), and this section really made me wish I had them. I was heading downhill for the majority of the trail, which was also a bit rocky. Since snowshoes are pretty big and clunky, this made finding my footing a bit awkward in a lot of places. It would have been nice to have my poles to use as extra points of contact while I navigated my way down.

Fortunately, my ordeal didn’t last long, and once I had hiked 4.7 Km. I found myself on a flatter ridge with a creek on my right hand side. Then, I spotted the final art piece, a beautifully carved bench, just before reaching the original trail split.

Trail Thoughts

I turned to my left, and was back at the parking lot in no time. All in all, I had hiked 4.9 kilometres and it had taken me an hour and fifty-three minutes.

Despite my whining throughout this blog post, I really did enjoy the trails at the Parc des Chutes de Denholm. The view from the second lookout was lovely, and it was obvious to me that this was a spot that didn’t get too crowded. I still can’t believe I was the only one there on a Sunday!

Another great option for this hike would be using the “Des Arts” Trail to head directly to the second lookout that I visited. It’s uphill so you’d still get a nice little challenge, but it’s only a kilometre from the trailhead so it would be a much shorter hike!

With uphill sections that got me huffing and puffing, and fresh snow on most of the trails, this hike was perfect for a Sunday solo hike. I’m looking forward to heading back in the summer so I can see what the waterfall actually looks like!

I hope this trip report has enough info to get you there too. Let me know in the comments, or share and tag a friend to start planning your next adventure!

Map and Elevation Gain

Whenever I’m hiking somewhere new, I tend to wonder about who was on, and who took care of that land before me. I’ve enjoyed using this website as a place to start learning more about the indigenous people whose land I’m on: Native-land.ca.

Gear I Brought

• Hiking Boots
• Wool Socks
• Base Layers (top and bottom)
• Fleece Sweater
• Winter Shell
• Buff Merino Wool Headband
• Mittens
• MSR Evo Snowshoes
• Mountain Warehouse Endeavour 30L Backpack
• SOL 2-Person Emergency Bivvy
• Compass
• Snacks
• Nalgene 32 Ounce Bottle

Gear I Forgot

• Hiking Poles