Top Rated Parks to Visit in Chelsea

"On the banks of the Rideau Canal at the mouth of the Ottawa River sits Major’s Hill Park. A downtown based urban green space, Major’s Hill Park is situated among several of the most notable buildings in Ottawa, including Parliament Hill, the National Gallery of Canada, the U.S. Embassy, and the Byward Market."

"The park is situated near majority of the museums and churches in Orleans and is close to the Ottawa River. Many visit the park because you can see many of the historical sites of Orleans from here. The place is quaint and tranquil with well-kept lawns along with beautiful natural sceneries."

"Ottawa’s first park, Major’s Hill Park is a perfect place to relax in between the exploration. It, being Ottawa’s main venue, hosts several important and big events like Canada Day. But for us, it was the oasis of peace amidst all the hustle and bustle of the capital city."

"Britannia Park has it all—kayak and paddleboard rentals, beach volleyball, washrooms, a snack bar, a big beach, grassy spaces and picnic tables, lots of free parking, and more. It’s easy to reach via bike paths along the Ottawa River from downtown, by car or by OC Transpo. But here’s the pièce de résistance: Beachconers Microcreamery and the Britannia Coffeehouse are just beyond the park’s eastern edge, meaning you can easily add ice cream cones, cinnamon rolls, muffins, and tea and coffee to your picnic."

"Britannia Park is on the shores of the river and allows you to undertake water sports activities like swimming and boat riding. It is a great place to visit both in the summer and winter, and a pleasant area to visit with the family. The park is clean with beautiful scenic views and lovely to have picnics, go on bike rides and hikes or just relax and enjoy nature."

"Brittania is a large city-owned park and consists of both a traditional park with picnic areas and trails and a sandy beach. It is a super popular spot during the summertime with visitors lounging on the beach or even grabbing a bite at the on-site burger joint Baja Burger Shack.Photo: OLM Staff"

"This park is located on the banks of the Ottawa river, just 4 kilometers from Parliament Hill. The main attraction in the park is the Balanced Rock Sculptures Project created by the artist John Felice Ceprano in 1986. He creates the sculptures by hand using the fossilized natural rocks in the area."

"This picturesque riverfront park has become well-photographed due to the balanced-rock sculptures found there. View this post on Instagram. Catch the sunset at Remic Rapids Park, and check out the balanced rock sculptures by artist John Felice Ceprano."

"Located on the Ottawa River, here you can find astonishing balanced rock sculptures at the edge of the river. Instagrammers love to come here for sunset and capture the silhouettes of the rock sculptures against the brightly hued sky."

"Located in on the Ottawa River in the city, the Andrew Haydon Park is famous for its beautifully landscaped greenery and migrating Canada geese, shorebirds, and ducks by the marsh near the river. It is also known for its bandshell for outdoor concerts.Address: 3169 Carling Ave, NepeanWebsite"

"This one is an amazing park in the Nepean neighborhood in the West end. It faces the Ottawa river, and has three ponds: two big ones and a small one connected by cute wooden bridges. Canada geese relax in the ponds with their goslings in the spring and summer."

"Andrew Hayden Park is a small and walkable loop located along the water. It’s a great spot for a picnic, and favourite hang out for Canada geese. You can also venture out along the Ottawa River path towards Britannia Beach."

"It’s located on the east shore of the Rideau River, and it’s always full of people who go for a picnic with friends, have a barbecue with the family, to sunbath, to take a dip in the water, or to take their kids to the big playground. The playground, as I said, is enormous, with not only many tobogans and swings, but with a wide variety of other stuff that are the delight for children. My little daughter didn’t want to leave the place because there was so much to play with."

"Ottawa’s only public beach on the Rideau River, Mooney’s Bay offers a large, sandy expanse that’s great for sunbathers and sandcastle builders. The beach is surrounded by a large park that hosts a number of lively summer events, including the Tim Hortons Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival (June) and the HOPE Volleyball SummerFest (July). Young families will likely enjoy the park’s large Giver 150 Playground, an accessible, Canada-themed site that children helped design."

"Mooney’s Bay Beach is a popular summer destination for swimmers, rowers, and volleyball enthusiasts. The beach is located on the east shore of the Rideau River just south of Carleton University, at 2926 Riverside Drive. Mooney’s Bay Beach offers visitors the following amenities:"

"Pine Grove is a large forest area in Ottawa’s Greenbelt, the most ecologically diverse section of eastern Ontario. Its 11mi (18km) of trails invite hikers and horseback riders on a journey through this important wildlife habitat, home to species such as the wood thrush and black-billed cuckoo. Highlights include a self-guided forestry interpretive trail, and tree-identification arboretum, where you can learn about everything from cedar groves to old pine plantations."

"Since 1977, Artistic Cake Design (on Clyde Avenue) has been making deliciously beautiful cakes for special occasions like birthdays. Choose from a variety of tasty flavours like chocolate, cherry or spice cake, and fillings like caramel or cherry. Whether you are ordering for your child’s first birthday or their 18th, these will definitely be popular."

"Artistic Cake Design is a local business located in Clyde Avenue. The bakery is completely family owned. The owners handle the day-to-day operations in the shop."

"Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account. View this post on Instagram. A post shared by Delightful Tastes (@delightfulottawa) on Oct 17, 2018 at 6:37am PDT"

"(Show more) (Show less)"

"A post shared by Katie Hession - Ottawa, Canada (@yowcitystyle) on Jan 7, 2017 at 10:17pm PST. It might sound strange, but the consignment shop-bar combo works for Ward 14, a Little Italy hot spot with a nostalgic vibe that some trend watchers call the coolest in Ottawa. Pick up some vintage decor, a gumball machine, antique globe, or 70s suede jacket."

"This Russian-inspired bar on Sussex Drive is indeed a tea room during daylight hours, complete with high tea service — stop by in the evenings for something a little stronger, where a cocktail-heavy menu mixes up classics (Moscow mules, sazeracs), as well as vodka-heavy house creations. It tends to get rather clubby as the night goes on, with bottle service and so forth."

"Pine Grove is a large forest area in Ottawa’s Greenbelt, the most ecologically diverse section of eastern Ontario. Its 11mi (18km) of trails invite hikers and horseback riders on a journey through this important wildlife habitat, home to species such as the wood thrush and black-billed cuckoo. Highlights include a self-guided forestry interpretive trail, and tree-identification arboretum, where you can learn about everything from cedar groves to old pine plantations."