Gatineau Park is free to enter. You pay for some summer parking, Visitor Centre parking and winter trail passes. Here is what each one costs and what is open now.
What Gatineau Park is and what it costs
Gatineau Park is the National Capital Region's conservation park, covering more than 361 square kilometres north of Gatineau. The NCC calls it the second-most visited park in Canada. There is no entrance fee, and walking and hiking trails are free at all times. You pay for some parking in summer, for Visitor Centre parking, and for winter ski, snowshoe and snow-bike passes.
The busiest areas are along the parkways, around Meech Lake and in Old Chelsea. On busy days the southern sector often reaches capacity, with full lots and crowded trails. The NCC suggests going on a weekday or heading to quieter areas further north or on the edges of the park.
For more places to get outside, see our outdoors guide and things to do.
Parking, fees and the park shuttle
Most lots are free. In summer 2026, paid lots were Mackenzie King Estate (P6, June 5 to October 26), the Meech Lake lots P11, P12 and P13, the Philippe Lake lots including P19, P20 and Parent Beach, La Pêche Lake, and Leamy Lake Park. The Meech, Philippe and La Pêche lots charged from June 5 to September 13. The rate is $3 per 30 minutes for cars, up to $16 a day, taxes included. In winter, all parking is free.
Visitor Centre parking has been paid since September 1, 2026, daily 7 am to 10 pm, with the first 30 minutes free. The 2026 season permit costs $110.38 including taxes, plus a $5.17 smart card fee, and can be shared by two vehicles registered at the same address. It does not guarantee a space. Lot numbers run up to P25, so check the NCC lot list before you go. At Pink Lake, parking on shoulders and municipal roads is prohibited at all times.
The free summer shuttle ran six days a week to popular spots near the parkways, with Champlain Lookout served every day except Wednesday. It has ended for the season, and the NCC says summer 2027 details will come later. In winter the parkways close to traffic and become ski trails, but Mackenzie King Estate is reachable at all times by Kingsmere Road from Chelsea.
Visitor Centre hours and the lookouts
The Visitor Centre at 33 Scott Road in Old Chelsea is open daily 9 am to 5 pm from May 1 to October 31. From November 1 to April 30 it opens weekdays 9 am to 4 pm and weekends 9 am to 5 pm, and it closes December 25. It has washrooms, free wifi, maps and passes for sale, and free binoculars to borrow. Phone 819-827-2020.
Three lookouts sit on the Champlain Parkway along the Eardley Escarpment. Huron faces the Aylmer section of Gatineau and west Ottawa. Étienne-Brûlé looks over the Ottawa River and is a picnic spot with links to hiking and mountain bike trails. Champlain Lookout, at the top of the escarpment, is what the NCC calls the best-known and most popular view in the park.
Can you swim in Pink Lake? Beaches and lakes
No. Swimming is not permitted in Pink Lake, and boats and pets are not allowed either. The lake is meromictic: its upper and lower layers never mix, and the deepest 7 m have no oxygen. The 2.3 km loop trail around it has several sets of stairs and closes in winter. Cars can reach Pink Lake from the Gatineau Parkway from May to the end of October.
The park has six swimming areas: La Pêche Lake, Blanchet and O'Brien on Meech Lake, and Breton, Parent and Smith (campers only) on Philippe Lake. In 2026, lifeguards were on duty June 12 to September 7, daily 10 am to 7 pm. Swimming is free, parking is paid, pets are not allowed and there is no drinking water. All six rated A, Excellent in the NCC update of September 14, 2026. 2027 dates are not announced; the 2026 season ran mid-June to early September.
At Meech Lake, boats and paddleboards launch only from McCloskey (P12), and Wolf Trail and the Carbide Willson Ruins are nearby. Philippe Lake has non-motorized boat rental and hiking trails to Lusk Cave, a marble cave. La Pêche is the largest lake in the park and has its only campground dedicated to canoe-camping.
Mackenzie King Estate
The estate covers 231 hectares. Mackenzie King, the 10th prime minister, spent almost 50 years there (1903 to 1950) and left it to all Canadians. The grounds are open year-round and free. The museums close in winter, and Moorside, the main cottage, was closed for repairs for the 2026 season. The NCC lists a new food and beverage offering as coming soon. Summer 2027 hours are not announced.
Skiing, snowshoeing, camping and fall colours
You need a pass for ski, snowshoe and snow-bike trails. An adult 2026-27 ski, snowshoe and snow-bike season pass costs $159 if bought October 15 to November 9, $180 from November 10 to 30, and $210 from December 1. The adult day pass is $21.40. A snowshoe and snow-bike only season pass starts at $49, with a $12.48 day pass. Prices exclude tax, children 12 and under are free, and public libraries in the region lend free day passes. The 2026-27 opening date is not announced; day passes go on sale when the winter season launches.
Summer camping is at Philippe Lake and La Pêche Lake. Philippe Lake has ten new mini-chalets, one universally accessible. The 2026 season ran June 12 to October 12, and 2027 reservation dates are not announced. Winter camping in the Philippe Lake sector offers cabins, yurts and four-season tents, reached only on skis or snowshoes; 2026-27 reservations are not open yet.
Fall colours peaked just ahead of Thanksgiving weekend in 2026, CTV News Ottawa reported. To avoid crowds, the NCC pointed to Meech Creek Valley, the Carman Lake lookout, Philippe Lake and the trails to Lusk Cave.
Before you go
Pets are allowed on some hiking trails only, on a leash no longer than 2 m. Camping, campfires and barbecues are allowed only in designated areas. The NCC warns not to rely on your cellphone, so carry a map. Free PDF trail maps for summer, winter and camping are on the NCC site, and paper maps are sold at the Visitor Centre, the Relais plein air and World of Maps.
On our best parks in Ottawa list, Gatineau Park ranks #11 of 537 with a 4.7 rating from 460 Google reviews, pulled 2026-10-29. The list is refreshed every 90 days.
Questions and answers
Do you have to pay to enter Gatineau Park?
No. There is no entrance fee and walking and hiking trails are free at all times. You pay for some summer parking, Visitor Centre parking, and winter trail passes.
Can you swim in Pink Lake?
No. The NCC does not permit swimming, boats or pets at Pink Lake. Swim at the beaches on Meech, Philippe and La Pêche lakes instead.
Is parking free in Gatineau Park?
Most lots are free. Beach lots, boat launches and Mackenzie King Estate charge in summer, up to $16 a day, and Visitor Centre parking has been paid since September 1, 2026, with the first 30 minutes free. All parking is free in winter.
Is the Gatineau Park shuttle running?
Not now. The free shuttle has ended for the season, and the NCC says summer 2027 details will come later.
What is there to do in Gatineau Park?
Hiking, lookouts on the Eardley Escarpment, swimming at six swimming areas, Mackenzie King Estate, camping, and skiing, snowshoeing and snow biking in winter.
Sources
- NCC: Gatineau Park. Checked .
- NCC: Getting to Gatineau Park. Checked .
- NCC: Rates. Checked .
- NCC: Gatineau Park parking lots. Checked .
- NCC: Parking permits. Checked .
- NCC: Driving through Gatineau Park. Checked .
- NCC: Gatineau Park shuttle. Checked .
- NCC: Gatineau Park Visitor Centre. Checked .
- NCC: Scenic lookouts. Checked .
- NCC: Pink Lake. Checked .
- NCC: Swimming. Checked .
- NCC: Meech Lake. Checked .
- NCC: Philippe Lake. Checked .
- NCC: La Pêche Lake. Checked .
- NCC: Mackenzie King Estate. Checked .
- NCC: Gatineau Park winter passes. Checked .
- NCC: Summer camping and accommodations. Checked .
- NCC: Winter camping and accommodations. Checked .
- NCC: Safety in Gatineau Park. Checked .
- NCC: Gatineau Park trails map. Checked .
- CP24 (CTV): Fall colours peak in Gatineau Park ahead of Thanksgiving weekend, Oct 9, 2026. Checked .
- fromOttawa place data: best-parks list, pulled 2026-10-29. Checked .