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 wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands
- a provincially significant wetland
- a provincially significant life and earth science area of natural and scientific interest
Facilities
 | There are outhouses by trail 51 and the Mer Bleue Bog Trail. |
 | Free, year-round parking is available at the P20, P21, P22 and P23 parking lots. |
 | There are unsheltered picnic areas at the P20 and P21 parking lots and a sheltered picnic area by the Mer Bleue Bog Trail, at the P22 parking lot. |
 | The Mer Bleue Bog Trail has a boardwalk that is universally 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 km interpretive boardwalk. Check out the Dewberry Trail as well. Photography and bird watching are also popular activities at Mer Bleue.