Discover exceptional picnic areas with a view for a true fresh air waterside experience. In Rideau Lakes, green spaces provide an immersion into the natural lakefront environment like no other, along a UNESCO World Heritage Site – The Rideau Canal – preserved by Parks Canada and Rideau Valley Conservation as well as our many inland lakes preserved by the Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority.
Take time to savour the best things in life: time to reconnect with a friend or with family, explore quaint villages, enjoy a wholesome picnic of locally grown and homemade foods, walk heritage routes sprinkled with historic architecture, paddle a stream, lounge by the lake, or read a book under the shade of a tree.
Download the amazing new Picnic Guide for details, and try one of the 26 picnic places in and around the quaint villages and historical communities of Rideau Lakes:
Rideau Lakes boasts six scenic lock stations on the Rideau Canal, ten waterfront parks and ten inland parks that are ideal for picnics:
Stunning Lockstations on the Rideau Canal
- Chaffey’s Lock
- Davis Lock
- Jones Falls Lock
- Narrows Lock
- Newboro Lock
- Poonamalie Lock
Top 10 Scenic Conservation Areas and Waterfront Parks
- Foley Mountain Conservation Area
- Hanna Memorial Park, Portland
- Lower Beverley Lake Park, Delta
- Mill Pond Conservation Area
- Portland Community Beach
- Portland Bay Conservation Area
- Rock Dunder
- Russell Park, Delta
- Sand Lake Park, Elgin
- Westport Lions Sand Lake Beach
Top 10 Inland Parks
- Aerodrome Municipal Airfield
- Delta Recreation Centre
- Heritage Park, Elgin
- Kin Park, Portland
- Newboro Memorial Park
- Portland Community Park
- Shillington Park
- Van Clief Park, Lombardy
- Stone Mills Park, Delta
- Stevens Park, Delta
Beaches and Parks
For more information on Beaches and Parks in Rideau Lakes, visit the Beaches and Parks page.
Festivals and Events
From summer concerts to flea markets to agricultural fairs, Rideau Lakes is home to your favourite traditional family events as well as engaging new youth-inspired music festivals - all set in the beautiful landscapes and villages along the Rideau system.
Heritage Walking Tours, Cycling Tours and Paddling Routes
The Township of Rideau Lakes offers a series of village walking tours, heritage driving tours, cycling routes and paddling journeys. Visit Trails and Routes page.
Heritage Places and Picnic Spaces
Details on all 26 picnic places, 6 villages and historical communities are decsribed in the new guide to Heritage Places and Picnic Spaces in Rideau Lakes!
Experience Rideau Lakes
More things to see and do - by boat, by foot, by paddle or by tire - are only a click away. Check out the webpage at www.experiencerideaulakes.ca
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