Where the Ottawa River swells into the Lake of Two Mountains, a small private ferry shuttles cars between Oka on the north shore and English-speaking Hudson on the south. It runs on demand from May to November, takes cash rather than cards, and this autumn it has stopped more than once for repairs: its status line read open as of 29 September 2026.
Regular season 'May to November' as listed by the operator (data last updated 3 September 2026), no closing date announced; checked 29 September 2026 Traverse Oka-Hudson – Horaires et tarifs · 2026-09-29
Just west of Montreal the Ottawa River opens out into the Lake of Two Mountains (Lac des Deux Montagnes), and this ferry crosses it from shore to shore. On the north shore is Oka, in the MRC de Deux-Montagnes, with Oka National Park and the Cistercian abbey nearby; on the south shore is Hudson, a largely English-speaking village in Vaudreuil-Soulanges. The operator dates the crossing to 1909 and still presents it as a link between the Lower Laurentians and Vaudreuil-Soulanges.
It is a small, privately run car ferry rather than part of any provincial network, and that shapes everything about using it. There is no timetable: boats leave on demand from either side within the day's operating hours. Fares are set by the company, paid in cash, and range from $3 for a walk-on to $23 for a long vehicle. And the season is simply stated as May to November, with no firm end date.
The 2026 season has been rough. Noovo Info reported in July that the ferry had stayed tied up through May, June and much of July while engines were replaced and paperwork sorted out, and the operator's own status feed shows breakdowns on 14, 26 and 27 September. On 29 September 2026 the banner read open.
Every price here is one way, in Canadian dollars, and payable in cash or with the operator's own passage tickets — there is no card terminal mentioned anywhere on the fare page. The operator's fare records tag the car rates as passengers included, which matches how the motorcycle, scooter and Spyder lines are displayed; the car rows on the page show only the length limit, so if you are carrying a full car and the difference matters, confirm it at the ramp.
Regular users can buy a booklet of 20 crossings on board. For an ordinary car under 21 feet that brings each trip down from $15 to $12.
| Vehicle up to 21 ft | $ 15 |
| Vehicle up to 24 ft | $ 17 |
| Vehicle over 24 ft | $ 23 |
| School bus | $ 23 |
| Foot passenger | $ 3 |
| Bicycle | $ 4 |
| Motorcycle, passengers included | $ 8 |
| Scooter 49 cc, passengers included | $ 4 |
| Spyder, passengers included | $ 11 |
| Motorcycle trailer or sidecar | $ 4 |
| Trailer up to 16 ft | $ 10 |
| Trailer up to 21 ft | $ 15 |
| Trailer 21 to 24 ft | $ 17 |
| Trailer over 24 ft | $ 23 |
| Car or van up to 21 ft | $ 240 |
| Car or van up to 24 ft | $ 280 |
| Motorcycle | $ 120 |
| Spyder | $ 185 |
| Trailer up to 16 ft | $ 150 |
| Trailer up to 21 ft | $ 240 |
| Trailer up to 24 ft | $ 300 |
2026 rate card (entries revised 12–13 May 2026), as displayed on 29 September 2026 Traverse Oka-Hudson – Grille tarifaire · 2026-09-29
The crossing runs south-south-west from the Oka ramp to the Hudson ramp across the open part of the Lake of Two Mountains, not over a narrow river channel, which is why bad weather and extreme water levels are the two things the operator names as reasons to suspend service. The payoff is the one the company itself points to: skipping a long detour by road between the Laurentians side and Vaudreuil-Soulanges.
The north-shore ramp is on the Oka waterfront, and the operator lists 190 rue des Anges as its Oka service point. This is the side for anyone coming from Laval, Deux-Montagnes or the Laurentians who wants to reach Vaudreuil-Soulanges without driving round through the island of Montreal.
There is no booking and no posted departure: pull into the queue at the ramp and the next boat loads when it comes back across. Have cash ready, because the operator accepts nothing else apart from its own passage tickets.
On the south shore the ferry comes in off rue Main, which is also the operator's postal address. The operator pitches this side to Oka visitors for Hudson's village, its galleries and Victorian houses, which makes it a reasonable walk-on or cycling outing as well as a driving shortcut.
If you are driving something long, measure it before you leave: fares step up at 21 and 24 feet whichever way you cross, and a trailer is charged on top of the vehicle pulling it.
The fare page lists cash and the operator's passage tickets as the only accepted payment. Carry small Canadian notes; the car fare is $15 and a walk-on is $3.
The status banner recorded mechanical breakdowns and temporary closures on 14, 26 and 27 September 2026. The last entry before our check was open, posted on 27 September at 17:07.
The operator will not load a vehicle heavier than 8,000 kg. Loaded trucks and big motorhomes may need to go round by road.
Once the boat is laid up, the operator opens a marked ice road when conditions allow, typically January to March, daylight hours only, and only for motor vehicles under 21 feet. No walkers or bikes.
The owner, Philippe Daignault, took over the crossing in 2024. In the July 2026 Noovo Info report he said the new engine made the boat about 30 per cent faster; the operator's own website, meanwhile, quotes two different crossing times in two places, so we leave the duration out until it publishes one.
Oka–Hudson is not the only private ferry left on the Ottawa River. Upstream, between Clarence-Rockland in Ontario and Thurso in Quebec, the battery-electric Rockland–Thurso cable ferry works a much shorter hop on the same river, and like this one it depends on the ice to decide when its season ends.
No. It sails on demand from both landings. The operator's website shows two different sets of operating hours (a day-by-day panel and an older summary), so this page does not repeat either: call 438-444-4419 if the first or last crossing of the day matters to you.
The fare page names cash and the company's own passage tickets as the accepted payment methods, nothing else. A car under 21 feet costs $15 CAD one way and a foot passenger $3.
The operator's fare data marks its car rates as passengers included, as it does openly for motorcycles, scooters and Spyders. The car lines on the page itself only show the length limits, so ask at the ramp if you are carrying a full load.
Yes, but with interruptions. The status feed logged mechanical breakdowns on 14, 26 and 27 September and switched back to open at 17:07 on 27 September. It still showed open on 29 September.
The operator gives the season as May to November and has not announced a closing date for 2026. Ice on the lake ends the boat season; after that the company runs an ice bridge, usually January to March, if the ice is thick enough.
Up to 8,000 kg. Anything heavier is refused, so trucks and large motorhomes should plan to go around by road.
For a car under 21 feet the booklet costs $240, or $12 a crossing against $15 cash. Booklets are sold on board.