Enjoy Remote Gatineau Park Hiking on the Lac Philippe Loop
Steady incline, the Lusk Caves and lush, lakeside scenery make Lac Philippe a worthy afternoon.
The Lac Philippe: Outaouais (Ottawa Valley) Hiking Trail is another beautiful loop in the north end of Gatineau Park. It circles the lake and its several beach areas, with consistent elevation changes and an optional diversion to the Lusk Cave.
The trail was icy, watery, and muddy when I went in late March, and I expect these conditions to persist throughout April. I favoured the rugged conditions though, since working a bit harder helped me get better exercise from the short loop.
To get there, I took Chemin du Lac-Philippe south from Sainte-Cécile-de-Masham, and parked at Breton Beach. You then access the main trail from the beach and follow the loop. Once camping season opens, you can park at the campground to begin from the proper trailhead.
Lac Philippe: Outaouais (Ottawa Valley) Hiking Trail
Length: 10.9 km
Elevation: 349 m
Type: Loop
Time: 3.5 hours
Difficulty: Moderate
You can follow my steps on AllTrails.
Why I Loved Hiking Lac Philippe
Variety includes lakeside views and deep forest
I had the trail to myself, save for a few exceptions
Rugged conditions provide quality exercise
Lusk Cave provides a great opportunity to enhance your hike
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Key Hiking Gear
The cold wind from the lake made my 100% Merino base layer a must.
The trail will likely remain icy for a few weeks, so bring crampons.
Come Back to Lac Philippe in the Summer
Lac Philippe was a fun Gatineau Park hike. Although AllTrails has it listed as ‘hard,’ I’m saying ‘moderate’ because I didn’t feel particularly tested. However, I was worn out at the end because it puts consistent pressure on you. As with other trails in the north section of the park, be careful about trail markers; they are few and hard to see.
The lake provides easy access to swimming and picnic options that I feel like I missed out on by hiking it too early in the spring. There also aren’t any high lookouts, so it isn’t an optimal fall hike either. For these reasons, I recommend this hike for the high-summer months of July and August.