This historic site is located near the Ottawa River and is easily accessible. It’s a great place to have a picnic, hike or swim. Historical plaques along the “Sentier des Voyageurs” were stolen and marked with graffiti. This portage was used by Natives to bypass the Chaudière falls. Famous explorer Samuel De Champlain used this portage to travel north on Ottawa River.
The following historical information was written and provided by Michael Davidson from the University of Ottawa: A plaque against the rock cliff lists some of the people who have came by before you. There are prehistoric natives through Etienne Brûle (1610), Nicholas de Vigneault (1611), Samuel de Champlain (1616) and so on. Going further down the trail you come to rough stone stairs laid by early voyageurs to get to the water level. It is a very impressive trail and a genuine historical site. The trail goes beside limestone outcrops and shelves and is surrounded by scrubby hardwood forest. The river is churning over rapids and there are ducks and birds all over. Before the ring dam at the Chaudiere falls was built in 1910 the water level was a few feet lower.
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