The gateway to Renfrew County, 65 km from Ottawa.
Arnprior is where the Ottawa commuter belt ends and Renfrew County begins. Sitting at the confluence of the Madawaska and Ottawa Rivers, about 65 km west of downtown Ottawa on Highway 17, it is a town of around 9,000 that functions as both a bedroom community for Ottawa workers and a self-contained small town with its own identity. The downtown core along John Street has some solid heritage buildings, a few good shops, and enough going on that it does not feel like a pure dormitory suburb.
Gillies Grove is a 60-hectare old-growth forest right at the edge of town, and it contains the tallest measured white pine in Ontario at 47 metres. That is not a misprint — a 150-foot white pine, in a town of 9,000, within walking distance of a Tim Hortons. The grove is a remnant of the original Ottawa Valley forest that the lumber barons cleared in the 1800s. This particular stand was preserved by the Gillies family, who ran a lumber operation but kept their own property forested. The Gillies Trail is a 2.7 km path through the grove, connecting to Robert Simpson Park and along the Madawaska River. It is flat, easy, and spectacular in fall.
Robert Simpson Park sits on the Ottawa River at the east end of town with a sandy beach, a splash pad, picnic shelters, and a playground. The beach is supervised in summer and is one of the better river beaches in the valley. The water is clean and the sandy bottom is gradual, making it good for younger kids. Free parking. Gets busy on hot weekends but manageable on weekdays.
The Madawaska enters the Ottawa River at Arnprior, and the stretch just upstream of town has some decent fishing for smallmouth bass and walleye. There is a public boat launch at the Madawaska Street bridge. Upstream, the Madawaska is a major paddling river — the middle and upper sections near Barry's Bay and Madawaska Kanu Centre (MKC) are legendary for whitewater. The section near Arnprior is calmer and better suited to flat-water paddling.
John Street has a walkable stretch of shops and restaurants. The Town & Country Cheese Shoppe is a local institution. Redneck Bistro (yes, another location) does solid pub food. Antrim House is the closest thing to a nice dinner in town. The Arnprior & District Humane Society runs a popular thrift store. The Saturday farmers' market at the Nick Smith Centre runs through the summer and is worth a stop.
McNab/Braeside, the rural municipality surrounding Arnprior, has quiet back roads that are good for road cycling. The Algonquin Trail (former railway corridor) passes through town and extends north toward Renfrew and Pembroke, though the surface quality is variable — check conditions before planning a long ride. The Ottawa Valley Cycling and Active Transportation Alliance has route maps.
If you are coming from Ottawa and want a taste of what Renfrew County is about, Arnprior is the easiest first stop. The Gillies Grove walk alone justifies the drive. See also: things to do across the county.