There is a particular kind of quiet that settles over the water in the last hour before dark. The wind usually drops, the light goes soft and gold, and if you time it right, you get the whole sky doing something spectacular while you sit low on the water in a kayak or paddleboard, completely out of the way of everyone rushing home from their day. Scott and I have spent a lot of evenings chasing that hour, from quiet bays up near Deep River down to the beaches we can practically see from the shop. Here are our favourite spots across the Ottawa Valley and into the city for a proper sunset paddle.

Up the Valley

If you are willing to drive a bit, the upper stretch of the Ottawa River and the lakes around it reward you with some of the most peaceful, least crowded water in the region.

Lamure Beach, Deep River

This is about as far up the Valley as we send people, but it is worth the drive if you are ever out that way. Deep River sits right on the Ottawa River with the Laurentians rising up across the water, and Lamure Beach gives you a wide, sandy, gentle entry point. The far shore catches the last light beautifully, and because Deep River is a smaller town, you often have long stretches of shoreline entirely to yourself.

Pembroke Waterfront Park, Pembroke

Pembroke's waterfront has come a long way, and the park here makes for an easy, well-maintained launch right on the Ottawa River. There is a boardwalk and a lighthouse nearby, so it doubles as a nice spot to bring a blanket if someone in your group would rather watch from shore. Paddle out a little from the marina and the sunsets over the water are hard to beat.

Melissa Bishop Park, Lake Dore

Named for the Olympic runner from the area, this park sits on Lake Dore near Cormac and gives you calm, protected water that is especially good for beginners or anyone paddling with kids. Lake Dore tends to glow rather than blaze at sunset, a softer palette of pinks and lavenders, and the water is usually flat enough that it mirrors the whole thing back at you.

Island View Park, Golden Lake

True to its name, this launch looks out toward the islands scattered across Golden Lake, and those islands make for wonderful silhouettes once the sun starts dropping behind them. It is a popular swimming spot during the day, so we like to arrive as the day crowd is packing up, right around that early evening lull.

Calabogie Picnic Area, Calabogie Lake

Calabogie Lake is bigger and deeper than most of the lakes on this list, with hills rolling right down to the shoreline, and that terrain does something wonderful to the light as the sun goes down behind them. The picnic area gives you an easy, unofficial launch, and it is a nice excuse to combine a sunset paddle with dinner on the patio at one of the spots in town afterward.

Closer to Home

These are our home turf spots, the ones we paddle most often ourselves, all within a few minutes of the shop.

Robert Simpson Park, Arnprior

Right in town, tucked where the Madawaska meets the Ottawa River, this park is one of our go-to evening launches simply because it is so close. You get a lovely view back toward the confluence of the two rivers, and the current here is gentle enough for a relaxed paddle even after a long day at the shop.

Claybank Boat Launch, Arnprior

A straightforward, no-fuss launch that a lot of local paddlers use because it is easy to load and unload from, even solo. From the water, you get a wide open view down the Ottawa River, and on a clear evening the light stretches on for what feels like forever before it finally fades.

Braeside Beach

Just down the road from Arnprior, Braeside has a small, quiet beach that rarely gets crowded, which makes it one of our favourites for an evening when we just want to slip out onto the water without a lot of company. The shoreline here faces in a direction that catches the colour beautifully as the sun drops toward the hills.

Constance Bay Beach

Constance Bay marks the shift from Valley to city, a long sandy beach on the Ottawa River with a real cottage-country feel despite being so close to Ottawa. It is a popular spot, so we like to launch a little later in the evening once the day traffic has thinned out, leaving the water calm for the paddle back in as the light fades.

Down in Ottawa

You do not need to leave the city to catch a good sunset on the water. These four spots are proof of that.

Westboro Beach, Ottawa

Westboro is probably the most photographed sunset beach in the city, and for good reason. The beach faces west down a long open stretch of the Ottawa River, so the whole sky lights up in front of you. It gets busy, especially in the height of summer, so plan for company, both on land and on the water.

Mooney's Bay Beach, Ottawa

Mooney's Bay sits on the Rideau River rather than the Ottawa, which gives it a calmer, more sheltered feel. It is a great option if you want a gentler paddle after work, with plenty of parking and easy access, and the tree-lined far shore turns lovely shades of orange and gold as the sun drops.

Shirley's Bay, Ottawa

A quieter, more natural stretch of shoreline west of the city, Shirley's Bay backs onto a conservation area, so you get marshland, birdlife, and a real sense of being away from the city despite being well within it. It is one of our favourites for a slower, more reflective paddle as the light changes.

Petrie Island, Ottawa

Out in the east end, Petrie Island offers marshy channels, sandy beaches, and some of the calmest paddling water in the city, which makes it ideal for a relaxed evening out. The wetlands around the island tend to fill up with birdsong right around dusk, which makes for one of the more peaceful paddles on this whole list.

Note: Access and parking conditions can change season to season, so it is always worth double-checking current conditions before you head out, especially after a stretch of high water or storms.

With love from the Valley,
Lana