You don’t have to travel outside Ottawa to enjoy great cross-country ski trails—and many of them are free! It’s a great way (or so I’ve heard) to beat the winter blues, as cross-country skiing gets you out in nature and is a great workout, too.
I will confess that I am not a skier; I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times in my life that I’ve been on cross-country skis. (One of them was a couple of years ago, when I snapped the photo at the top of this post!)
However, I am a good researcher, so I’ve drummed up this list of urban ski trails in Ottawa, as well as a few a bit further afield. All of these trails have detailed websites, with maps, parking information and more, so please follow the links for more detailed information than a non-skier like me can provide.
All of these groomed trails are open for cross-country skiing, walking, snowshoeing and fat biking, and almost all are free but welcome donations. The Nordic Pulse website provides updates on trail conditions for many of the trails below.
Rideau Winter Trail
The Rideau Winter Trail begins at the southeast corner of Billings Bridge (the actual bridge, not the mall). It stretches along the shore of the Rideau River, with several side loops near the Hurdman O-Train station, and totals 12 kilometres. The trail ends at Adàwe Crossing, the bridge that connects the Rideau Sports Centre in Overbrook to Strathcona Park in Sandy Hill. Inside the sports centre is the Bridge Public House, a nice place to stop for a meal, snack or drink.
Kìchì Sìbì Winter Trail
Previously known as the Sir John A. Macdonald (SJAM) trail, the 18-kilometre Kìchì Sìbì Winter Trail includes several side loops. It hugs the south shore of the Ottawa River between LeBreton Flats and the Dominion Transitway station. It’s close to several O-Train stations, and you can park at the Canadian War Museum, Champlain Park or Westboro Beach.
Ski Heritage East
The Ski Heritage East network comprises 40 kilometres of trails, including side trails. It runs beside the Ottawa River from the National Capital Commission (NCC) River House in Rockcliffe to Trim Road in Orleans. The section from the River House to the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum is the newest part of the trail, so it may not be groomed as often as the rest of the trail.
Britannia Winter Trail
The Britannia Winter Trail provides a total of 17 kilometres of trails, between the Deschênes Rapids parking lot (off the Kichi Zībī Mīkan, just west of Woodroffe Avenue) and Andrew Haydon Park in Crystal Beach. There are multiple parking lots along the way.
Ottawa West Winter Trail
This 21-kilometre Ottawa West Winter Trail network of cross-country ski trails meanders through an area of the Greenbelt partly bounded by Carling Avenue, March Road, Robertson Road and Moodie Drive.
NCC cross-country ski trails in the Greenbelt
The National Capital Commission (NCC) manages 150 kilometres of free-to-use ski trails in the Greenbelt, including 16 kilometres in Pine Grove Forest, and the 13-kilometre network at Mer Bleue. Check the NCC’s website for details of closures of some trail sections for maintenance, as well as parking information.
Centre de plein-air du Lac Leamy
From the Centre de plein-air du Lac Leamy (100, rue Atawe, Gatineau), you can access three trails: the 2.4-kilometre Lac Leamy Pathway, which circles the lake; the 1.8-kilometre Creek Pathway, which leads south from the lake; and the 7-kilometre Leamy Creek Pathway, which leads north from the lake and connects to a network of trails on the southern edge of Gatineau Park.
NCC cross-country ski trails in Gatineau Park
In Quebec, the NCC maintains over 200 kilometres of cross-country ski trails in Gatineau Park. They’re open for skiing, snowshoeing, walking and fat biking, but you need a day pass or a season pass. You can buy passes online, in parking lots adjacent to the trails (exact cash only) or at the Gatineau Park Visitor Centre at 33 Scott Road in Chelsea. You can also borrow a pass from the Ottawa Public Library (if you have an OPL library card), but be forewarned that the passes are very popular.
While some of the trails are quite far from the city, a number of them—including the one in the photo above—are quite close to the visitor centre in Chelsea.
Looking for more tips on things to see and do in and around Ottawa? Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter or order a copy of my book, Ottawa Road Trips: Your 100-km Getaway Guide.
As the owner of Ottawa Road Trips, I acknowledge that I live on, work in and travel through the unceded, unsurrendered territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg Nation. I am grateful to have the opportunity to be present on this land. Ottawa Road Trips supports Water First, a non-profit organization that helps address water challenges in Indigenous communities in Canada through education, training and meaningful collaboration.
