Wolf Trail (Gatineau Park): Trail Report

Wolf Trail (Gatineau Park): Trail Report

Wolf Trail in Gatineau Park is a fan favourite for local and tourists alike. Well, really, all of Gatineau Park is a fan fave since I’m sure every single adult in the city heads there on the weekends to hike, bike, swim, ski, snowshoe, go on first dates, etc.

Suggested Stops

Stopping at Biscotti et cie isn’t just a wise ideas for coffee lovers, it’s also incredibly insta worthy. Ya know, if such a thing makes you smile. 😉 Honestly though, there is great coffee (large dirty chai pour moi s’il vous plait) and their almond croissants are out of this world. Biscotti et cie has a gorgeous upstairs lounge (complete with Christmas tree for the season!), and the downstairs dinning area offers table service.

Important Insights

Wolf Trail is indicated by 'Trail 62'. There are multiple intersecting trail points. It is ideal to have a trail map is you are new to the trail.

Land Acknowledgement

These are the lands of the Anishinabewaki ᐊᓂᔑᓈᐯᐗᑭ and Omàmìwininìwag (Algonquin) people.⁠ It is important as avid hikers and stewards of the land, to acknowledge and understand the full story our surroundings along with the people that care for her, both past and present. As sourced from native-land.ca, if there are corrections please send to victoria@girlgonegood.com.

Land Management

Wolf Trail in Gatineau Park is managed by the NCC.

GPS Coordinates

45.54366, -75.91023

Street Address

P13, Chemin du Lac Meech, Chelsea, QC J9B 1H9

Directions

Take the King Edward bridge to cross over to ‘la belle province’ and stay on hwy 5N. Continue on 5N then exit on Chemin Old Chelsea. Turn left (West) on Chemin Old Chelsea and as you enter Gatineau Park the road turns into Chemin Lac Meech. (Caution: The road is narrow, windy, and frequently has either cyclist on it or skiers crossing it.) Continue until you reach P13 on the left (South) side.

Parking

P13

Cell Reception

Yes

Washrooms

Outhouses located at the parking lot.

Accessibility

No

Trail Details

Entrance Fee

Hours of Operation

All seasons. Open dawn to dusk daily.

Trail Map

Available from the NCC.

Trailhead

Located at the parking lot.

Number of Trails

1

Total Distance (km)

8.5

Elevation Gain (m)

218

Cell Reception

Yes

Features

Woodlands

Activities

Hiking, Birding

Trail Description

Wolf trail eerrr…I mean trail 62. Oooooor I mean ‘blanchet trail 62’. Because there isn’t going to be any signs for ‘wolf trail’ even though that’s the name it’s known by. Here’s what you need to keep in mind: Park at P13. Trail head is right beside the outhouses (snap a pic of the trail board!). The trail is actually number 62 and goes in a loop. Follow the signs for ‘tawadina’ (the Algonquin word for ‘valley’), tawadina is the main lookout. You can either return the same way (7.5km total route) or take the loop clockwise towards ‘mahingan’ (the Algonquin word for ‘wolf’) lookout (8.5km total route) and then follow the signs back to P13 (Blanchet Parking). Print out the Gatineau Park map for Wolf Trail, it’ll make better sense once you see the route. Wolf trail itself is well maintained, with some good inclines in spots and a few easy stream crossings. It’s an especially wet trail in the spring. It is 1-2 person wide and a dirt trail. There are a few wooden bridges. It also crosses trails 1, 24, and 38. You know by now that this is the number one reason that I only venture into Gatineau Park in the wee hours! After 9am there’s no parking left and by 11am it’s elbows up to fight for a poutine at the Chelsea Pub or a much needed please-just-straight-into-my-veins coffee at Biscotti et cie. But if you are wild enough to wake up early on a Sunday and hit the trails at 7am…the lookouts are all yours. Yaaassssss *hand raised*

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