Ottawa River – Outaouais

Ottawa river or la rivière des Outaoauis is located in western Quebec. The total length of the Ottawa river is of 1,271 kilometres. Its draining basin covers an area of 146 thousand square kilometres (65% in Quebec and the rest in Ontario).

The river rises from its source in Lake Capimitchigama in the Laurentian Mountains of central Quebec, and flows west to Lake Timiskaming, in Abitibi-Temiscaming region, where it defines the interprovincial border with Ontario.

From Lake Timiskaming the Ottawa – Outaouais river flows southeast to the cities of Ottawa and Gatineau where it tumbles over the Chaudière Falls and further takes in the Rideau and Gatineau Rivers.

Finally, the river drains into the Lake of Two Mountains – Lac de Deux Montagnes and the Saint Lawrence River near Montreal, at the Carrillon dam, where the average water-flow is of 1,950 m³/s, but varies from 700 to 8,000 m³/s, depending on the season.

Along the Ottawa River, guests can find great cycle trails and, actually, there’s a thrill of the great outdoors, with rolling hills, valleys and forests that offer nice adventure playground each season, with a panoply of activities starting from canoe-camping, hunting and fishing, skiing in winter and - for adventurous souls – snowmobile tours and dog-sledding in winter and rafting in summer.

Vast Gatineau Park and National Park of Plaisance are situated on the Ottawa river.

Learn more:

• Outaouais region
• Abitibi-Temiscamingue region
• St- Lawrence River