You can feel it in the air — fall is just around the corner. The nights are getting colder, the days are getting shorter, and the trees are starting to show their autumn colors…
Fall may be my favorite season. Living where I do (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) we have access to incredible forest trails and bike paths, and the autumn is our last chance before our incredibly cold winter to really enjoy the fresh air. Ontario autumns are absolutely beautiful, so yesterday evening, just before sunset, I set out with my camera to capture some of the beautiful fall colors which are starting to show here.
Bring some beautiful Ontario Autumn color into your life, and click through below, where the images which are available for download in 1920 x 1080 for use as desktop wallpapers.
The Ottawa River has kilometers of pristine bike paths and parkway, which encircle the city of Ottawa and neighboring Gatineau on the Québec side.
A view of Ottawa from the Gatineau, Québec side shows off Ottawa's old industrial area.
These Canada Geese will likely be leaving soon for their annual migration down south. I wish I could do the same!
Im not sure what these trees are called, but they grow near the water, along the Ottawa river (they almost seem tropical), and they're often the first trees to change color. Let me know in the comments section if you can identify them.
This abandoned rusted iron train bridge which bridges Ottawa and Québec was built in 1879.
Abandoned train tracks run along the Ottawa River Parkway on the Québec side.
All along the Ottawa River there are areas of rapids and falls. I used a tight aperture and a long exposure to capture the motion in these rapids I found on the Gatineau, Québec side of the river.
Ottawa really is a lovely city in the fall. If you're thinking of traveling north to see what Canada has to offer, consider visiting Ottawa in September, and take in some of our incredibly scenic nature trails and bike paths with a beautiful view of the all the romantic autumn colors Canada has to offer.
(Images: Sean Rioux)
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As a fellow Ottawan, I totally agree. Early October in the Gatineau Hills is absolutely breathtaking. The colours are sure to be beautiful soon.
Fellow Ottawan as well! It's so great to see awesome pictures and an article promoting Ottawa (and not just about politics). I am away from home while studying and I am so very happy to see this!
And the trees are called Sumac. They do not necessarily grow near water. They are often considered a 'weed tree', since they grow using a system of shoots (like bamboo) and can take over an area, each 'shoot' only lives about 15 years. They are very frustrating to grow (because of their invasive nature and short life), but are very worth it in the fall for their red leaves and during the winter with their fuzzy red berries.
Historically those berries were used for making vinegars (in French these trees are called "vinaigrié", which is similar to the French word for vinegar), However this is no longer recommended since as much as 1/3 of the population is allergic to the berries.
I lived in ottawa for 6 months a few years back and the thing i miss the most is the long autumn walks by the river <3
FYI to whoever is in charge of Apartment Therapy's Twittering:
It is Ottawa not Ottowa. It's the capital of Canada. It would be like Tweeting about DC. I let it go the first time, but now this is a repeat offense. Seriously. Even if you have no clue about other incredibly close-by countries, how does spell check not fix this for you?
Indeed great to see Gatineau and Ottawa featured here, especially the beautiful Riviere des Outaouais :)
Apartment Therapy, more Canadian content please!
I'm from Ottawa too! So happy to see our great city featured!
I believe the trees are called sumac.
I'm from Vancouver myself but have been to Ottawa several times. I've always thought it was a beautiful and interesting place, though I don't think I've ever been there in the fall--only in the summer and during the tulip festival. Thanks for sharing your photos and for reminding us there is more to Ottawa than federal politics.