Prairies and forests
On leaving Campbell’s Bay you will pass along Campbell lake, cross swamp
plains and reach the cultivated plains in Vinton. At the middle of the
trail, you will
cross the serpentière creek which wind in an area well stocked with game forest. From
here, you will get to Fort Coulonge by crossing a forest area along the river on the last
part of the trail. In Fort Coulonge, many historical and nature sites and heritage
buildings await you. Interpretation areas about the forests and the clearings are located
all along the trail.
From Pembroke : Follow Highway 148 until Fort Coulonge or Campbell’s
Bay towards Hull.
From Portage du Fort : Follow Highway 303 towards Shawville. On Highway 148
turn left towards Campbell’s Bay and then the Fort Coulonge.
From Hull : Follow Highway 148 until Campbell’s Bay or Fort Coulonge.
The tour is 17.7 km long. The there and back trip is a circuit of 35.40 km. We will be
working on the surface of the trail until Vinton to about August. The trail is flat for
the whole distance and is good for an excursion with the family. For those who want a
shorter trip, we propose Campbell’s Bay to Vinton (12 km there and back). You have
also an side trip through the Vinton plains on a ground road which is along the river and
offers a beautiful view of Grand Calumet Island.
Click on the map to enlarge it.
You will find a parking lot at Campbell’s Bay on the central open place
crossed by the Cyclopark, near the restaurants Bay Pizza and Mom’s. You will go from
an agricultural region with breeding prairie to a wooded area. The wild fauna is still
present and you will almost certainly see beaver in the Campbell lake or near the
serpentière creek. Observe their work : trees felling, lodge, clear and well-kept
roads ; all these things show how this untiring builder works. It is not rare to
observe white-tailed deer, foxes, bald eagles or gold eagles, and of course marmots,
skunks, raccoons, squirrels and other common animals. Lucky people will perhaps see a
moose ; we saw one as well as fresh tracks several times near the serpentière creek
this spring.
Campbell’s Bay is located at Km
35 along the Ottawa River. Campbell’s Bay is the Regional Municipality of the County
(MRC) and all the administrative life of the Pontiac region is located here in an
enchanting setting. You will find a service area with a parking lot for your car, picnic
tables, stores, a supermarket and restaurants on the central place which is crossed by the
Cyclopark and lodgings (especially at Bryson at 5 km). An interpretation panel about the
Ottawa River will allow you to discover the river and its history. A public wharf and
resting areas are available along the river.
At the exit of Campbell’s Bay, at Km 36.6, you will see a little road which leads
to the Campbell Lake. Here you will find a heavenly place. You can see islands, coloured
bays with aquatic plants and multicoloured flowers as well as crystal clear water. All you
need to have a peaceful rest. Follow the trail and pass along Campbell lake. Observe two
beaver roads which lead to a felling area and a lodge. At Km 37 you will cross a wet area
then you cross at Km 38 Bank Road which is a part of the side
trip of the Vinton plains.
At Km 39, you will find a place to rest made under a tree
in the middle of a prairie.
At Km 41.2, a gravel dirt road, Sloan Road, leads to Vinton where you will find a
convenience store and a beautiful church. At Km 42.4 you cross Flynn Road.
Just after Flynn Road, at Km 42.5 a resting and interpretation place
allows you to find out about the clearing and what shaped the current landscape.
Cross Callaghan Road and you will slowly leave the agricultural area and enter the
forest area.
Arriving at Km 45.8 you will find a resting place near the
serpentière creek in the shadow of an undergrowth. In the clear water, you will almost
certainly see interesting fish, otters or a beaver.
You now cross a forest area
until Fort Coulonge. At Km 49.2 and 49.6 you will find two interpretation areas about the
forest and a resting place. Notice the Ottawa River and the end of the Grand Calumet
Island.
Only three more kilometres and you will arrive at the end of your trip.
Fort Coulonge awaits you
at Km 51.8 when you cross Graveline Road. From Baume Street, at Km 53 you have access to
two supermarkets and many stores, hotels, restaurants, banks and other shops of the town.
Fort Coulonge exists thanks to Nicolas d’Ailleboust, Sieur de Coulonge, who passed
the winter of 1694-95 near the mouth of the river which bears his name. He founded one of
the first colonies on the Ottawa River and a trading post which remained prosperous for
more than a century and a half and is the origin of the current town. The forest industry
took the place of the trading of furs which is still today, the economic motor of the
region. The service area of Fort Coulonge is located at the old rail station at Km 53.9.
You can also leave your car at the parking lot near the church, beside Baume Street and
the Cyclopark junction.
Take Baume Street at the service area, you will pass along the beautiful Coulonge River
and discover its sandy beaches.
The Vinton plains are
crisscrossed by
ground roads which pass along the river and offer beautiful views of Grand Calumet Island.
The crossed prairies are used for cattle breeding like in the past. The calves always stay
near their mothers and produce a quality meat rare nowadays. Horses are also bred here. On
some fences you can see swallow nests. Thanks to these birds, farmers don't need to use
pesticide.
Fort Coulonge
The stone houses
To discover Fort Coulonge, take Main Street (Principale) and go towards Pont-Rouge
Road. It’s certainly the most interesting part of Fort Coulonge and one of the most
beautiful of the Pontiac region. On Main Street, you will see marvellous stone houses. Two
splendid buildings date back to 1872 and the owner was the Bryson family. One of them, the
Spruce Holme-Toller was renovated and changed into a hotel-restaurant. It still keeps the
style and the furniture of this era.
Notice also a beautiful little Presbyterian church built in 1890, testimony of
Bryson’s family faith. Continue on Pont-Rouge Road and you will find at the end of
this road the Marchand covered bridge and beside Highway 148 you will discover Bryson
house.
The Bryson House
The Bryson House was built in 1854 by George Bryson (1813-1900), a Scottish farmer and
a wood tradesman, Mansfield’s mayor, chief administrator of the Pontiac county and
legislative counselor, one of the Outaouais valley’s pioneers. This house is unique
in the whole Pontiac region for its style and is like those built by the Scottish
tradesmen in the year 1800-1830 in lower and upper Canada. A group of buildings, attached
to the house and surrounding the court, included one for the blacksmith, one for the ice,
one for the stables, as well as sheds and outbuildings to stock the food. The stone house
located south of these buildings was built around the year 1845 and used as an office for
the Bryson Company. George Bryson an experienced business man, chose to run the farm along
the Coulonge River to have another activity beside the forest work.
The farm products were given to the lumber camps. It is from these headquarters that
George Bryson and his team dominated the economic activity of the Pontiac region in the 19th
century and directed the economic development into the 20th century.
The Bryson family was owner of all the buildings until 1943. They were renovated in
1982. Today, it belongs to the municipality of Mansfield and here we find the municipal
library. The little house in grey stone, next to the other buildings, was built in 1845.
It was an office for the Bryson firm.
The Marchand covered bridge
It is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful covered bridges in the province of Quebec.
Built in 1898 by Augustus Brown of Beachburg, it took the place of the two old bridges
which were at the same place on the Coulonge River ; these two bridges were the links
between the lumberjack’s camps and the village of Fort Coulonge. Supported by six
wood pillars, the Marchand Bridge measures 129 metres long. It is the second longest
covered bridge in the province of Quebec. Built only with pine wood, this one-way bridge
was covered to prevent damage. This bridge, which still can be used, brings another charm
to the picturesque Coulonge River.
The Chutes Coulonge (Coulonge
Falls)
On Highway 148, towards Davidson, you will easily find the blue tourist direction signs
to go to the Coulonge Falls. These three falls total 48 metres in drop and the canyon
extends more than 1000 metres. The guides will let you discover the history of the
Coulonge Falls, its wooded walking paths, its look-out points which offer amazing views
over the River and the two footbridges which cross the water chasms. A picnic area is also
available. In 1840, George Bryson built an impressive log slide alongside the canyon in
order to bypass the falls. Unfortunately, there is no vestiges of it left nowadays only
some pictures.
Campbell’s Bay
The courthouse
The main street
The Campell lake
