Chutes PP to Gatineau PP

Long day of driving.  I’m not sure why I picked this park, rather than one further west.  The drive was lengthened by the fact that as we neared Ottawa, Google Maps sent us on country roads (beautiful farm country with alfalfa, hay, and sugar beets) which included probably ten miles of dusty gravel roads.  The route took us up the west side of the park and over the north side to the Lake Philippe Campground.  I guess the alternative would have been to drive into Ottawa and take main roads up the east side of the park.  So maybe country roads are better.

This is a huge park with many backpacking opportunities as well as day hikes.  Because it is Friday there are many families escaping the city, Ottawa, for the weekend.  The lake has a pleasant beach which we visited briefly before dinner. Needed to stretch our legs after more than six hours in the van.

On the drive here the two most interesting things were crossing the Ottawa River where there was a huge hydroelectric operation.  The other was to cross from Ontario into Quebec at that point and feel as if we had entered a foreign country.  The signs were no longer in both French and English — just French— and the first town we came to was very quaint with stone buildings and narrow streets complete with older women marching down the street with their string market bags.  Very European.

The campground has roomy sites but little privacy.  Lots of trees, but they are pines and spruces (firs?) with no lower branches.  The ground is a fragrant carpet of needles.  Each site has a picnic table and fire ring, but there is a burn ban. Nice bathrooms with flush toilets. Good ATT service (Rogers) when using the booster.l

-- Janet (text) and David (photos)