Pointe-Gatineau is a nice destination any time of the year, particularly the southern tip where the Gatineau and Ottawa rivers meet. The views across both waterways are fantastic.
The ride to Pointe-Gatineau in the summer is very direct and idyllic along the Voyageurs pathway, but this path isn’t cleared in the winter, so I put out a call to r/Gatineau and was rewarded with the following suggested route:
Our adventure begins on the Ottawa side of the Alexandra Interprovincial Bridge.
Once across the river, ride along the De l’Île pathway that starts on the north-east corner of Rue Laurier and Boulevard des Allumettières.
This path meanders through parkland, parallel to Boulevard des Allumettières, before angling diagonally through a residential area. Follow it all the way to Rue Saint-Rédempteur. Turn right onto Saint-Rédempteur and ride along the bike lane. This can be a busy street, and while the bike lanes seem to be cleared, there might be a few snow drifts piling up against the sidewalk. So, you know… there’s the sidewalk if you don’t feel safe.
Saint-Rédempteur turns into Boulevard Montclair. Follow the bike lane all the way to just before reaching the Rapidbus Corridor where you can turn right onto the service road/bike path that runs along the Corridor. The first section from Montclair to the edge of the Casino property is cleared but not salted so my studded tires came in handy.
Beyond the Casino the path is cleared and salted, all the way to, and over, the Gatineau River.
The path curls under the Rapidbus Corridor, then up and along the bridge, over the Gatineau River.
You have now officially arrived in Pointe-Gatineau, but I wanted to get down to the point of the Pointe where the two rivers meet. To do so I turned right off the path and rode behind the SmartCentres Gatineau shopping mall to Boulevard de la Gappe.
Turn right onto the bi-directional bike lane that runs along Boulevard de la Gappe, and cross Rue St-Louis to the bike path that runs along the Gatineau River.
Continue along this pathway down river, which will bring you to where the Gatineau River spills into the Ottawa River.
You can continue to bike around the point which the path follows west along the Ottawa River. Lots of interpretive panels on the history of this area can be discovered along this section. More about the history of Pointe-Gatineau can be found here.
Et voila! To get back to Ottawa just retrace your treads.
Happy trails!
OttawaVeloOutaouais 