Map
with views in almost every direction. Directly beneath sits small Lac Mountains and farmland stretches away like a dappled carpet to the distant blue sliver that is the Ottawa River. There is even a bench. This view by itself
Hiking without a map is
like walking with one eye closed. What is the name of that lake? How high is that hill? How much further to walk? With a map, you have answers to all those questions, an indispensible guide to your surroundings, and an important safety tool.
King Mountain
might be worth the climb, but there is more. For the next several hundred metres/ yards, the trail scampers over the bare slope of the mountain, climbing constantly while detouring occasionally into forested folds between rocky spurs. The views are magnificent, particularly later in the day when the sun is behind you. Even the towers of Ottawa can be sighted, peeking over the hills to the southeast. Frequent interpretive panels provide context. The final highlight is
a massive stone cairn, fronted with a bronze plaque, marking a National Historic Site: commemorating the first triangulation station of the Geodetic Survey of Canada, erected in July 1905. If that means little to you, you are not alone, but before the advent of satellite navigation, detailed surveys could only be conducted with the assistance of stations where the exact latitude and longitude were precisely
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484-1_Hiking_Ottawa_TO-PRESS.indd 82
calculated. King Mountain’s was the first in Canada. Afterwards the trail moves away from the crest and, after 300 m/yd of matchless views, begins to descend the reverse slope of King Mountain. It is quite steep, but there are stairs. One interpretive panel remains, pointing out, to your undoubted delight, scars on flanking trees made by bear
Hiking Trails of Ottawa, the National Capital Region, and Beyond
claws. You might be tempted to break into a jog, but 100 m/yd later, you return to the junction with the path from Kingsmere. You have completed a challenging 4.5 km (2.8 mi) hike. Turn right and retrace your 2 km (1.25 mi) approach walk to finish.
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www.ottawaoutdoors.ca
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