Rockcliffe Park, One of Ottawa's Earliest Parks

This walk identifies some of the landmarks, past and present, of the beautiful landscape of Rockcliffe Park. Rockcliffe Park began as Thomas Keefer's private playground before he sold it to the City of Ottawa, when it became one of the city's earliest parks.

Location
Route

Our walk starts at the Rockcliffe Lookout and visits the nearby ‘secret staircase’ and then follows the Sir Georges-Etienne Cartier Parkway westward and then continues along the Rockcliffe Driveway with a stop at the Rockcliffe Pavilion. We will continue on the Driveway, passing the location of the old ski jump, known as Suicide Hill, then to a beautiful viewpoint of downtown before we arrive at the traffic circle at Princess Avenue, where we will identify the historic significance of this location. We'll circle back via the Sir Georges-Etienne Cartier Parkway to Buena Vista Road, then a short walk to the east to follow Lisgar Road back to our starting point.


Accessibility: The route will follow roads and recreational pathways. A relatively short section of the route involves a walk up a staircase; that can be skipped if it presents an obstacle for anyone.  We return to a spot very close by.  Another portion of our walk follows a ‘parkway’ without a sidewalk.  This requires walking on slightly uneven grass which will be unsuitable for those requiring mobility aids. 


Parking: There is parking in NCC lot P1 (enter off the Rockcliffe Driveway between the Princess Ave circle and the Lookout). There is also street parking along Lisgar Road near Buena Vista and beyond. Please take care not to block the bike path, which runs alongside Lisgar Road for a short way. From Lisgar Rd., the walk to the Lookout is 5-10 min. There are a very few spots available at the Rockcliffe Pavilion (near the Rockeries) and at the Rockcliffe Lookout itself.


Please review our covid guidelines before attending a walk.
About the walk leader

Glenn is president of the Gloucester Historical Society, and a veteran Jane's Walk leader since 2011.


Guide:

Glenn Clark

When:
Date:Sat May 6, 2023
Time:10:00 AM
Duration: 2 hours
Language: English
Where:
Start:Rockcliffe Lookout
End:Rockcliffe Lookout
Area:Rockcliffe Park
Distance:2.5 kms
Accessibility:

There may be steps and uneven ground (see Route for more info).

Gallery
Rockcliffe Lookout The view from the Rockcliffe Lookout above the Ottawa River. Rockcliffe Pavilion The Rockcliffe Streetcar Station. The Rockcliffe Streetcar Rockcliffe streetcar showing warning sign beside the tracks to "Look out for the cars." Rockcliffe Lookout in the 1920s. The Rockcliffe ski jump showing the high starting point. The Rockcliffe ski jump where it crossed Rockcliffe parkway—1930. The Royal Shanty at Rockcliffe The ferry that used to run between Rockcliffe below the lookout and Point Gatineau—1900.
Volunteer to Marshal This Walk