Explore the Great Outdoors of Prescott & Russell

Largely rural Prescott & Russell is a wonderful place to get in touch with nature, whether you’d like to cycle across the counties on a recreational trail or explore one of Canada’s largest human-created forests. The spots below offer lots of opportunities to fish, hike, ski and more.

The wide-open landscapes of Prescott-Russell invite you to slow down and explore at your own pace. Here, quiet country roads, forests and waterways sit alongside productive farmland and charming rural communities. You can spend the day hiking through the woods, cycling past fields and villages, or launching a canoe onto a peaceful river before stopping at a farm stand or local café along the way. It's an easy place to combine outdoor adventure with the simple pleasures of the countryside. 

• Chute-à-Blondeau Boat Launch: Bring your own watercraft and set out to explore the Ottawa River from this boat launch east of Hawkesbury.
• J. Henry Tweed Conservation Area: Hike a network of trails in this small, wooded conservation area in Russell.
• High Falls Conservation Area: Bring your boat and your gear to fish for walleye and other fish at this conservation area in Casselman.
• Larose Forest: At about 7,300 hectares (18,000 acres), Larose Forest—located between Bourget and Limoges—is one of the largest human-created forests in Canada. Its 7 kilometres of trails are suitable for mountain biking, hiking, horseback riding, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, ATVing, snowmobiling and dog sledding.
• New York Central Recreational Trail: Named for the railway it replaced, this 10-kilometre paved trail connects the communities of Russell and Embrun, and draws walkers, cyclists and inline skaters.
• Prescott-Russell Recreational Trail: This 72-kilometre trail through farm fields and small communities cuts across all of Prescott-Russell. Built on the bed of an old railway, it’s largely flat. 
• St-Albert Conservation Area: This is another good place to get your boat in the water and fish for walleye.
• W.E. Burton Conservation Area: Meander along three kilometres of trails beside the Castor River in Russell.

Spending time outdoors offers another way to appreciate the landscapes that shape Prescott-Russell. The forests, rivers and trails found throughout the region are woven into the same countryside that supports its farms, producers and rural communities. Whether you're seeking an active adventure or a peaceful place to reconnect with nature, these outdoor experiences reveal yet another side of this welcoming agricultural region.