In the years since Apt613 published this roundup of hiking and cross-country skiing trails, a number of new winter trails have popped up.
Groomed for cross-country skiing, many are also open to walkers, snowshoers, and winter cyclists. The best part? Many of them are free to use! These volunteer-driven projects rely on support from the community and sponsors, so if you’re able to lend a hand or contribute financially, it would be greatly appreciated by all.
Honourable mention (but not free) goes to:
- Sections of Gatineau Park and the Greenbelt, which are maintained throughout the winter for active use. Check out the National Capital Commission’s winter activities site for details, including fees and an interactive map of trail conditions.
- Mooney’s Bay Ski Centre at Terry Fox Athletic Centre, a city-run site that offers 5km of groomed trails for both classic and skate (freestyle) skiing techniques and lit trails for night skiing. Check out the city’s website for all the details (including information about free parking, indoor change rooms/washrooms, and rentals).
- Lac Leamy Outdoor Centre, which offers walking, cross-country skiing, and winter biking trails.
- Wesley Clover Park, which has day passes to ski or snowshoe available for their trails. Note that weekend access to the trails is reserved for the Kanata Nordic Club, which maintains the site.
If you’re looking to rent or borrow gear, check out the Ottawa Outdoor Gear Library (two locations, including a pop-up at the Rideau Winter Trail) or local sporting goods stores, such as Euro-Sports, Kundstadt, and Fresh Air Experience (including a seasonal pop-up kiosk at Remic Rapids Park).
One final note before jumping (skiing?) into our roundup: trail etiquette!
The Kìchì Sìbì site has an overview of trail etiquette so you and everyone else on the trails can have a great time while respecting all the hard work that goes into maintaining the network of trails. In short: be considerate of other users, be respectful of trails, be kind, and have fun!
Kìchì Sìbì Winter Trail
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The Kìchì Sìbì Winter Trail runs along the Ottawa River Capital Pathway from LeBreton Flats to Dominion Station. The free trail is open to walkers, skiers (with two dedicated tracks for classic cross-country skiing), runners, snowshoers, or fat-bikers. The trail is accessible by O-Train at Pimisi, Bayview, and Tunney’s Pasture stations, and by bus at Dominion Station. Parking spots are located at Westboro Beach, Champlain Park, and the Canadian War Museum. Trail conditions are available online. Donations are accepted online or by cheque.
Rideau Winter Trail
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Conveniently located near Hurdman Station, the Rideau Winter Trail runs from Donald Street to Bank Street. The free trail is also close to the winter pop-up location of the Ottawa Outdoor Gear Library, making it a perfect spot to try a new winter activity. Trail conditions can be found online. The Rideau Winter Trail hopes to expand to Mooney’s Bay—help them reach that goal by donating to their GoFundMe campaign.
Ottawa West Winter Trail
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The Ottawa West Winter Trail has 21km of free multi-use trail groomed and maintained by the Kanata Nordic Ski Club, available for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, walking, and fat-biking. The trail is groomed from Moodie Drive to Carling Avenue, connecting with the Britannia Winter Trail network. One of the most popular trail entry points is on Robertson Road near Kichesippi Beer (one of the trail’s sponsors!). Trail conditions are available online. Donations are also accepted online.
Ski Heritage East
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Ski Heritage East has an impressive 40km of groomed trails for cross-country skiing, walking, fat-biking, and snowshoeing in the east end from Tweddle Road (Trim Road) to the Aviation Museum. The trail runs along the Ottawa River and has a number of access points with parking. For the outdoor and beer enthusiasts, the trail brings you almost to Dominion City Brewing Co.’s doorstep. Trail conditions are available online. Donations are accepted online.
Britannia Winter Trail
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The Britannia Winter Trail offers nearly 17km of groomed trail centred at Britannia Park and extending east along the multi-use recreational pathway (Trans-Canada Trail) to the Deschênes Rapids Parking lot and west through Andrew Haydon Park. Parking is available at Britannia Park, the Andrew Haydon waterpark, Dick Bell Park, and Deschênes Rapids. The main trail of the multi-use pathway is dog-friendly, but watch for some areas where dogs are not permitted. Ski conditions are available online. Donations are accepted online.
Always check trail conditions before heading out, and be respectful of the trail and fellow users. Have fun!
