It was a gorgeous, sunny November morning and I was determined to get the kids outside and make the most of it. I was looking to explore somewhere new, so I bundled everyone up and headed out in search of the Mer Bleue Bog trail. The trail is just minutes away from downtown Ottawa, around 20 minutes from our home on the west side.

Choosing Your Walk

I parked in parking lot P22, which takes you right to the start of the Mer Bleue Bog boardwalk. Park at P21 for a longer hike (around 3.5km each way to the boardwalk). As it was my first time, I thought I would play it safe with the kids. I didn’t want to deal with two toddlers whining about how tired they were before we even made it to the bog boardwalk. The boardwalk itself is a 1.2 kilometre long loop through the bog, around an estimated 30 minute walk. The time could really vary depending on whether your toddler likes to sprint ahead of you or stop and point at every little thing along the walk.

Strolling the Boardwalk

The bog is beautiful. Given that we’re well into November, there were not many leaves left on the trees. I can only imagine that a few weeks earlier the area would have been even more stunning. I loved the accessibility of this trail too. It is stroller friendly, and well maintained. I liked that I didn’t have to worry about the kids falling along a muddy path. There are also plenty of benches along the path for snack breaks (of which my kids ask for frequently) and signs explaining some interesting facts about the peat bog and the plants and history of the area.

The bog is a great place to feed the birds. I forgot the birdseed this time around (a mistake I won’t make again!). There were plenty of chickadees hopping around looking for food, and we spotted a number of blue birds and cardinals as well. So if you go, bring some seed along. I’ve recently discovered that chickadees go crazy for sunflower seeds. Just hold out your hand and have a Disney princess moment.

Never Forget the Snacks

The trail was short enough that both my 3 year old and 1 year old could walk the whole way without complaint. And when we had finished the loop there was a lovely picnic area where we stopped for a snack. Halloween candy for the win! Go ahead, judge me.

A few other notes: we visited the bog on a monday morning, and we had the trail largely to ourselves. I’ve heard it can get busy on the weekends, particularly during the height of the fall colours. Apparently if you get there early in the morning there is a beautiful fog that settles over the wetlands, creating a blue, sea like effect, hence the Mer Bleue name. All in all, it was a lovely little morning and totally doable for the one parent on two toddler ratio. I will be going back!

For more info on getting to the Mer Bleue Bog check out http://www.ncc-ccn.gc.ca/places-to-visit/greenbelt/mer-bleue