Record-high traffic at Gatineau Park during the summer of COVID-19

It's the last weekend to enjoy the beaches in Gatineau Park before they close after what the National Capital Commission is calling a record-breaking season.

The park experienced an all-time high in traffic this summer, and staff are expecting the fall season to be busy as well, said Alain d'Entremont, who manages the park's visitor services and recreational programs.

That spike in visitors during COVID-19 has d'Entremont encouraging people to "visit other parts of the capital," including parts of the Greenbelt on the Ontario side of the Ottawa River.

"We have partners in the region … other parks that you can visit that may be a little further away," said d'Entremont.

"[They'll probably be] more quiet during those busy weeks."

People using park as 'staycation'

Holiday Monday will be the last day for park visitors to enjoy the supervised beaches in Gatineau Park and at nearby Leamy Lake, according to a statement on the NCC's website.

More than one million people live a 20-minute drive from the park, and the summer's high traffic was partially tied to people going on "staycations" during the pandemic, d'Entremont said.

Some of the park's more popular trails have been reworked so that people can only traverse them in one direction. Staff are also trying to control the number of visitors by closing parts of the park once the nearest parking lot fills up.

d'Entremont said the NCC hasn't seen any major issues during the pandemic, as people visiting the park are often with family.

That makes obeying physical distancing protocols easier, he said.

"We have signage pretty much at every trailhead. If everyone respects [the rules] everyone will have a safe and pleasant experience." 

Park staff are considering only allowing bikes and hikers exclusive access to the park in the mornings, d'Entremont said, with cars only being let in the afternoon.