King Mountain

The King Mountain, named after William Lyon Mackenzie King, Canadien tenth Prime-Minister, is located in the Gatineau national Parc, was the first triangulation point in Canada. King Mountain is the highest peak in Gatineau Parc.

It rises an almost vertical 345 meters from the Eardley Escarpment. Due to the mountain’s unique positioning, it presents a very interesting spectrum of vegetation, from dark evergreen forest, to rich deciduous forest and windswept savannah.

The mountain is also home to a number of very rare species of trees for the area, including some which are almost 600 years old. For many years a large red wooden cross was situated on top of King Mountain’s peak, looking out over the Ottawa River Valley; however the cross has fallen into disrepair and has been removed as a safety precaution.

The pedestrian trail of the King Mountain is steep and short. It has with several observation points and three main lookouts providing magnificent views. This trail has a few of interpretation panels on route.

The trailhead is accessible from the King Mountain parking lot. Cross country ski trail is located near by. Besides, Gatineau Park includes a number of campgrounds, picnic areas and hundreds of kilometres of hiking trails and trails for mountain bikes.