Best Sunrise Locations in Ottawa

Did you know that cortisol (the stress hormone) is found to be the highest in the first hour of waking for people with increased stress in their lives? I can guarantee that watching the sunrise is such a calming and peaceful experience, those cortisol levels will go right back down. Read on for the best sunrise locations in Ottawa.

Quick Facts

• Best Sunrise Conditions: 25–70% cloud coverage, medium cloud ceiling, high humidity
• Optimal Arrival Time: 30 minutes before sunrise
• Helpful Tools: sun-direction.com, Accuweather Hourly Forecast
• Best Seasons: Fall and spring (vivid colours, fewer bugs)

How to Plan to Watch the Sunrise

The sun rises to the east, but it still varies through the year so I recommend checking out sun-direction.com and picking your sunrise location. You’re going to want to find somewhere with a high elevation or a large body of water (like the Ottawa River) to get the best experience. Staying in the urban area has a lot of obstructions close to the horizon (like trees and buildings) that don’t give the *best* experience.

The sun rises in the east, but its position shifts slightly throughout the year. Use sun-direction.com to find the best alignment based on your selected location and the time of year. For the most magical sunrise, aim for:

• Elevated viewpoints or open water vistas: urban obstructions like buildings and trees often block the best light
• 25–70% cloud coverage: clouds reflect colour back to the ground
• Medium cloud ceiling and high humidity: enhances colour saturation (for those beautiful pinks and purples)
• Check Accuweather‘s hourly weather forecast the night before for cloud coverage and humidity

✨ Pro tip: Get there 30 minutes before the sun officially rises. The sky is most vibrant when the sun is still just below the horizon.

As much as you can plan and prepare, you can still catch a magical sunrise even if the above values aren’t in the parameters. So, take the above with a grain of salt and if you’re up for an early morning, you’ll still enjoy the peace and quiet if the sunrise doesn’t quite pop!

Sunrise Locations in Ottawa

Portage Bridge/Victoria Island/Richmond Landing

Victoria Island is currently closed, but Richmond Landing is right beside it and offers absolutely fantastic views along the Ottawa River of Parliament Hill and the Ottawa skyline. Portage Bridge is in the same location, but you’re a bit higher from the ground which is nice for seeing the sunrise.
Getting there: find somewhere to park your car along a side street and walk about 10 minutes to the Portage Bridge. Head down the stairs on the Ottawa side to go down to Richmond Landing. Alternatively, hop on your bike and take the Ottawa River Pathway to Richmond Landing.

Shirley’s Bay

Shirley’s Bay in the west end of Ottawa has a fantastic viewpoint for a sunrise, as it is right on the Ottawa River and does not have a lot of obstructions on the horizon.
Getting there: Parking is free year-round at the P1, P2 and P3 parking lots.

Hog’s Back Falls

Hog’s Back Falls is a great place to take photos of the sunrise, because as you face the falls you’re also facing east! It’s the perfect location to put your camera on a tripod and take a long exposure photo.
Getting there: park your car in the small lot or hop on your bike and take the Rideau River Pathway.

Bank Street Bridge over Rideau Canal

The Bank Street Bridge is a great place for both sunrises and sunsets, because it’s elevated over the Rideau Canal and is high enough that you can see the sun rise over the trees. It also has a fantastic bend in the canal to offer great leading lines.
Getting there: park your car on a side street or at Lansdowne ($) or hop on your bike and take the Rideau Canal Pathway.

Arboretum

The arboretum is an absolutely fantastic place for a sunrise, especially in the spring with the Cherry Blossoms. There is a great lookout above the trees to view Dow’s Lake, or you can head down to the pathway and be right by the water. Note: the arboretum is locked overnight so you’ll have to park at the parking lot near Prince of Wales drive and walk to the lookout. Add about an extra 10 minutes to get to this location on time.
Getting there: park your car at the Arboretum and walk to the upper lookout or walk along the pathway by Dow’s Lake.

Nepean Sailing Club

Sunrises at the Nepean Sailing Club are great because there’s not a lot of walking to get to the water. You can walk to the docks or there is a lovely path right by the water with some benches to sit at and enjoy the colours in the sky.
Getting there: Park in the parking lot in designated areas (i.e. there are some parking spots specifically for vehicles with boat launchers, don’t park there) or you can bike from the Ottawa River Pathway.

Sunrise Locations near Ottawa

Eagles Nest Lookout

This one is about an hour and a half drive west of Ottawa so it would be a really early morning in the summer or a bit of a later morning in the winter. Eagles Nest lookout is becoming an extremely popular lookout destination, which makes this another perfect place to watch a sunrise without people. Bring a headlamp to safely to the lookout.
Getting there: park your car at the trailhead.

Read more: Ultimate Guide to Visiting and Hiking the Eagles Nest Lookout

What do you think about this list of the best sunrise locations in Ottawa? Did I miss your favourite? Let me know below!