Eagle’s Nest Lookout has been on my local bucket list for years. I mean, just look at these views. Yes, my primary motivation for going was definitely the photo-opp on a rock jutting out over the edge of the cliff. My thinking is that whatever motivates you to get out and explore, you’re still out exploring! There’s more than Eagle’s Nest in Calabogie, too. 

My friends and I drove out to Calabogie for the hike and by mid-afternoon, it felt like we were in the middle of a wonderful vacation. It was a challenging hike, and well worth it. The most unexpected thing was how much we enjoyed the area around Calabogie lake after our hike.

This is one of many great day trips from Ottawa, check out this post for more!

More Ottawa content:

1. The Ultimate Guide To Hiking, Cycling, And Walking Trails In Ottawa
2. 12 Ottawa Rooftop And Waterfront Patios To Visit In Summer
3. 14 Awesome Day Trips From Ottawa (Under 2 Hours Away)
4. The Ultimate Gatineau Park Trails Guide

Hiking to Eagle’s Nest Lookout

Getting to Calabogie Peak’s Resort

Eagle’s Nest is located near Calabogie Peaks Resort, so that’s what you need to punch in to your GPS.

It’s a one hour drive from Ottawa, following the Trans-Canada Highway / ON 417 West. Driving is the best way to get there, as there are no buses or other transportation methods that reach the area. Go early, because the lookout gets crowded later in the day.

We arrived at Calabogie Peaks Resort around 8:30AM to start our hike, and arrived Eagle’s Nest Lookout not long before noon. It still wasn’t too busy, but it was starting to fill up.

Hike Skywalk Trail to Eagle’s Nest

We began our hike at Calabogie Peaks Resort, and followed the Skywalk Trail to stop at a couple of other lookouts on the way.

Pick up a map from the Calabogie Peaks Resort front desk if you’re planning to hike. Calabogie is a ski resort in the winter, so there are tons of different trails winding across the mountain. This can definitely get disorienting, and without our map we probably wouldn’t have found our way to Eagle’s Nest.

There are many other Calabogie hiking trails, and at least 8 different ways to reach Eagle’s Nest. My friends and I wanted to enjoy a day of hiking, but this is optional!

If you’re an avid hiker, in the Ottawa area you will also love the trails in Gatineau Park. Go there after you’ve conquered Eagle’s Nest!

How to Get to Eagle’s Nest Without Hiking

If you’re not an avid hiker and want to cut straight to the lookout, you can. Drive past Calabogie Peaks Resort along Highway 508 and watch for trail marking signs. There’s a trail entrance about 2km from the resort, and from there it’s a 20 minute hike to Eagle’s Nest lookout. This is the option that most people go for. That said, we really enjoyed our hike and it made arriving at the lookout that much more rewarding.

It took us a long time to get to Eagle’s Nest lookout and there were a lot of ups and downs (and bug bites) involved. We opted to walk along the highway back to the resort rather than follow the trails back.

Calabogie Peaks Resort

Calabogie Beach is the perfect place to relax after your hike. It was nearly empty, even on a Sunday afternoon.

Go straight to water to cool off, and have some snacks. This is where the on-vacation feeling kicked in, because there’s nothing quite like taking off your hiking shoes and standing in a lake. Calabogie is essentially a ski resort area, thus the lack of other people.

People visit in the summer for hiking, kayaking, and picnics. There are a few resorts surrounding the lake but there’s no shopping or other attractions. It’s packed in the winter for skiing, but in the summer it’s not a busy area. 

Helpful Tips

Eagle’s Nest was everything I hoped it would be and more. I had no idea that I would enjoy the beach so much, or how many trails there were to choose from!

• Start your day early, particularly if it’s hot out. Leave Ottawa around 7AM if you plan on hiking. If you’re going straight to the lookout, I still recommend planning to get there by 11AM because it was starting to fill up around noon.
• The bugs are really intense on these hiking trails. Bring Deep Woods bug spray, and cover yourself with it. The bugs were biting through our clothes and hats along a few parts of the trail.
• Pick up a map from Calabogie Peaks Resort, you’re going to need it if you’re hiking.
• Water, snacks, more water, and more snacks. I love trail mix, Cliffs bars, and my stainless steel water bottle.
• Wear sunscreen and bring a hat! We were in direct sunlight for a while on our walk back along the highway.