Plan your visit
Rideau Canal National Historic Site
Hours of operation
The Rideau Canal National Historic Site is open annually with navigation season from May to October.
Fees
Fees for the Rideau Canal, including lockage, mooring, and camping.
Passes and permits
Seasonal and annual permits for lockage and mooring. Purchase online in advance.
Lockage and navigation
Locking through safely, nautical charts, technical data, navigational aids, real-time boater information.
Improvements and infrastructure
Status updates, info bulletins and frequently asked questions for critical projects underway across the system.
Weather
Current weather forecast for the Rideau Canal.
Site use for Special Events
Apply for a permit to rent space on the Rideau Canal for public and private special events.
Accessibility
Information on the accessibility services on the Rideau Canal.
Off Season on the Rideau Canal
The historic site is NOT maintained from October 15 - May 15 and is CLOSED to the public.
Lockstations
Locations, facilities and services, navigation data, contact information, lock history
New footbridge downtown Ottawa – Clearance of 6.7 metres (22 feet).
Click here for more info.
The Rideau Canal runs between Ottawa and Kingston in Southern Ontario, both easily accessible by car and public transportation from Toronto (260 kilometres to Kingston) and Montréal (200 kilometres to Ottawa). The length of the canal itself can be accessed by road, bicycle, on foot or by boat.
Spring through fall is the most popular time to visit. Though the locks are closed in winter, there is skating, ice-fishing, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.
How to get here
Directions
The Rideau Canal's 22 lockstations are all accessible by road, and therefore by vehicle, bicycle or on foot. The canal lockstations are generally accessible by all-season roads.
Facilities and services
Accessible services
Information
Gift shop
Parking
Restrooms
Electric car charging station
Picnic area
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