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At Mer Bleue, you will find interpretive boardwalks, sand ridges, cross-country ski trails and forests. Mer Bleue is the largest bog and natural area in Canada’s Capital Region and the second-largest bog in southern Ontario.

A northern boreal landscape

Mer Bleue provides a unique opportunity to see a northern boreal landscape located within minutes of a large city. This 7,700-year-old bog provides habitat for many species of regionally rare and significant plants, birds and other wildlife. It also supports plant and wildlife populations that are typical of northern boreal bogs.

Climate research

The Mer Bleue Bog plays an important part in stabilizing the climate. It is one of the most studied bogs in the world. A permanent research station at the centre of the bog measures the amount of carbon dioxide and methane that is released by the wetland. For more information, read about the Peatland Carbon Study.

Mer Bleue is recognized in Canada and abroad under the following designations:

  • a provincially significant life and earth science area of natural and scientific interest

Facilities

Washrooms: There are outhouses at the P20, P21, P22 and P23 parking lots.

Parking: Free, year-round parking is available at the P20, P21, P22* and P23 parking lots.

*The gate opens daily at 8 am, and closes at sunset. In summer, the gate closes at 9 pm sharp.

Picnic areas: There are unsheltered picnic areas at the P20 and P21 parking lots and a sheltered
picnic area by the Mer Bleue Bog Trail, at parking lot P22.

Universal accessibility: The trails in this sector do not meet universal accessibility (UA) standards. The area from parking lot P22 to the start of the Mer Bleue Bog Trail is wheelchair accessible. It features UA picnic tables and a UA stone dust platform with a great view of the bog.

There are spots in the parking lot designated for those who have an accessible parking permit, and toilets are wheelchair accessible.

Things to do at Mer Bleue

With more than 20 kilometres of trails, Mer Bleue offers plenty of opportunities for hiking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. You can take a self-guided tour along the Mer Bleue Bog Trail, a 1.2-kilometre interpretive boardwalk. Check out the Dewberry Trail as well. Photography and birding are also popular activities at Mer Bleue.

Discover the remarkable trees in this area.