Mer Bleue Conservation Area

Mer Bleue Conservation Area is a 3,500-hectare protected landscape in Ottawa featuring sphagnum bog, sand ridges, and mixed forest ecosystems. A boardwalk provides access to the bog, with additional trails available for hiking and skiing throughout the property.

The bog formed approximately 7,700 years ago in an ancient riverbed of the Ottawa River following the retreat of the Champlain Sea after the last ice age. This deep history is reflected in the layered peat and the vegetation that has accumulated over millennia.

French-Canadian settlers gave the area its name after observing bluish gases rising from decomposing peat during dawn and dusk. This natural phenomenon remains a defining feature of how visitors experience the landscape.

A 1.2-kilometer (0.7-mile) boardwalk from parking area P22 offers easy access to the bog suitable for most visitors. The longer trails require sturdy footwear and weather protection, especially when conditions are wet or muddy.

The site supports rare plant species typically found in northern boreal environments, making it scientifically valuable within the regional landscape. This northern ecology exists here much farther south than would normally be expected for such plant communities.