Join us for...

bicycling ♦ canoeing ♦ cross-country skiing ♦ hiking ♦ skating ♦ snowshoeing ♦ walking ♦ day outings ♦ evening outings ♦ weekend trips ♦ social events

What's happening...

We had our first hike of the 2018 season on April 1. While there's still a reasonable amount of snow in Gatineau Park, the cross-country-ski and snowshoe trails are not available for hikes, so hiking locations are a little limited for now. The available trails will increase dramatically in the next little while.

Our Thursday urban walks returned on April 5. On Thursdays with an odd-numbered date (e.g, April 5), we meet outside of the Dow's Lake Pavilion. On Thursdays with an even-numbered date, we meet on the west side of the lawn in front of the Supreme Court.

Check out our novice canoeist training program, listed in the schedule.

Bicycling on Saturdays will start on April 28. As with our other types of outings, we usually bicycle to our destination, stop for lunch, and then return.

We usually meet at the Sandy Hill Community Centre, 250 Somerset Street East (map), around the back near the parking lot at the time specified in the schedule.

Check our schedule for details; meeting days, times, and places can vary. Not all activities occur every week. Questions? Check our FAQ.

Who we are

Club members and visitors range from post-high-school to retirement age and, like Ottawa itself, are of many nationalities. We welcome children who are with their parent(s) or guardian(s).

Follow our Facebook group

Member or non-member, follow our Facebook group to join our conversation and view photos of past activities.

Join us for...

bicycling ♦ canoeing ♦ cross-country skiing ♦ hiking ♦ skating ♦ snowshoeing ♦ walking ♦ day outings ♦ evening outings ♦ weekend trips ♦ social events

The Ottawa Outdoor Club organizes daytime, evening, and multi-day, environmentally-sound, outdoor recreational activities year-round at minimal cost for residents of and visitors to the Ottawa and Gatineau communities. Daytime outings are planned for nearly every Saturday and Sunday throughout the year. Weekend trips are typically to destinations in Ontario, Quebec, and the mountain ranges in New York and New England.

Most outdoor activities are open to everyone. If you're not a member, we still look forward to seeing you; we'll ask you for the non-member activity fee, which you can apply fully to your membership fee when you join within a week. (Some caveats: the evening walks and Friday evening skates are free to all; some special outings, such as subsidized bus trips, are available to members only.) If you don't have a car, we car pool. Join us at the meeting location for the event, and we'll go from there.

Come alone or with friends. It's easy to join in:

  • consult the events page to see what interests you
  • check the requirements for the trip. A reasonable degree of—but not extreme—fitness is expected for most of our outings, as well as appropriate clothing, footwear, food, and liquid. If you have any questions about a trip, contact the trip leader in advance at the phone number, e-mail address, or Twitter handle provided
  • meet at the indicated starting location at the time listed for instructions and arranging car-pooling

Members of the Club enjoy added benefits, such as Club discounts of up to 12% at local outdoor equipment shops; free general instruction of various activities; occasional subsidized courses in leadership training and wilderness first aid; and notification of social events throughout the year, including parties, movie outings, and other events.

We are a volunteer-run club and, as a result, prices are at cost.

Become a member!

Become an OOC member by filling in our online membership registration form. Memberships will be valid until the end of 2018.

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