Winter activities to enjoy during your stay in Outaouais, QC

Winter is a great time to visit Ciel et Bois and the Outaouais region of Quebec. There are lots of outdoor winter activities to enjoy during the day and evening before returning to our peaceful and cozy property. We’ve compiled a list of some of our favourite winter activities and the best places to enjoy them.

If you happen to visit in the summer be sure to check our nearby trails article! Also if you find yourself getting hungry before or after these activities, we’ve also put together a list of our favourite places to eat, organized by location. If you don’t find what your looking for be sure to reach–we’re happy to help you.

Outdoor Skating

Skating is a great way to get outside with the family. There are lots of options for skating when the weather is on your side. Because these options are all outdoors, you should always check ahead of time to ensure the skating conditions are good. Here are our favourite options!

Rideau Canal Skateway

The Rideau Canal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that freezes sometime around late December and is frozen until late February. There are 7.8 kilometers of canal to skate with views of downtown Ottawa. The best part, there is no cost to skate if you have your own skates. If not, you can rent skates, helmets, sleights, and skating trainers from Capital Skates.

As this is an outdoor rink built on a canal, it’s best to check the website to ensure it’s thoroughly frozen and open for skating.

Address: There are 2 start locations to consider: under the Mackenzie King Bridge and at the end of 5th Avenue.

The Little Penguin Trail

The Little Penguin Trail is an awesome 5.5 km outdoor skating trail located on the Touraine Golf Club. It isn’t free but it also isn’t very expensive for daily passes and they have skate rentals available as well.

Make sure to contact them before you arrive to ensure they have sizes and equipment you need, and that the canal is frozen and ready for skating!

Phone: 819-827-1882
Address: 312, Taché Rd., Gatineau (Québec), Canada

Lac-des-Loups

Lac-des-loups is a 3 km ice skating train through the forest. Do we really need to say any more? The forest offers a beautiful landscape to skate through and also keeps you more sheltered from the wind. It’s a bit of a longer drive from Ciel et Bois but still under an hour! Day passes are $14 for kids and $18 for adults. Skate, helmet, and learning stabilizers available to rent on site.

Address: 9, Montée Beausoleil,Lac-des-Loups, QC

Downhill skiing

There are lots of skiing options within a short drive of Ciel et Bois. We always recommend  you take a look at the website to check conditions and to book equipment rentals in advance. Most hills have night skiing available.

Mont Cascade

Mont Cascade is your closest option only 16 minutes away. There are 21 runs, with 16 open for night skiing, and 5 chair lifts with 2 quad lifts. 2026 day passes are $52 during peak times like the weekend. Discounts available for seniors (over 55), children (under 17), family pass (x3), night pass and 4 hour pass. Ski and snowboard rentals available with both day and night rates.

Address: 448 Mont-des-Cascades Road, Cantley, QC

Camp Fortune

Located in Gatineau Park and only a 25 minute drive from Ciel et Bois is Camp Fortune. It has a total of 27 runs with 13 available for night skiing. Peak pricing in 2024 is $68 for full day pass but they also have a $58 pass for 9am-4pm. They also offer discounts for youth (under 17), child (under 6), young at heart (70-79), and seniors (80+), 4 hour block and night skiing.

Address: 300 chemin Dunlop Chelsea, QC

Centre Vorlage

Located under 30 minutes from Ciel et Bois is Centre Vorlage, in Wakefield. There are 18 runs during the day and 13 at night. There are rentals available, and they recommend booking the rentals 24 hours in advance to ensure you get some. 2024 day passes in peak weekend times are $51 with discounts for junior (7-17), child (under 6), seniors (over 65), weekday, and night skiing.

Address: 65 Chemin Burnside, Wakefield, QC

Sommet Edelweiss

Sommet Edelweiss is located in Wakefield just 20 minutes north of Ciel et Bois. This mountain in the Gatineau Hills features 20 runs, 13 of which are open for night skiing. The hill has a 200m vertical drop and operates with 3 chairlifts and a magic carpet. 2024 rates are $64.99 for a day pass and $48.99 for evening. They also have rates for kids under 13 and under 6. Rentals are available and should be booked in advance. If you aren’t interested in skiing, they do also offer snow tubing.

Address: 538 Chemin Edelweiss, Wakefield, QC

Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing

There are 2 fantastic options for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing both very close to Ciel et Bois. It is worth mentioning that we have a small trail system around the Ciel et Bois property that is great for snowshoeing or just going for a hike in the snow!

Gatineau Park

Gatineau Park is only a 25 minute drive from Ciel et Bois. It has one of the largest maintained networks of trails: over 200 KM of trails available for classic cross-country skiing, skate, and back-country ski trails, ranging in skill from easy to very difficult. The website has a detailed map (PDF) you can use to plan your trip. Make sure you check the trail conditions before you head out! The 2024 day passes are $22 with discounts for youth, student, senior and families. For rentals we recommend Nomades du Park and Relais Plein Air.

Snowshoeing: Gatineau Park has over 90 kilometres of snowshoe trails with a variety of skill levels from easy to very difficult. About half of these trails are shared with snow bikers. There are 11 parking lots to choose from to start your adventure.

You can find snowshoe rentals at Relais Plein Air. Make sure to call in advance to ensure they have availability.

Address: There are 16 different parking lot access points. Make sure to check before arriving to see where spots are available because they do fill up.

Nakkertok Nordic

Nakkertok Nordic is essentially in the backyard of Ciel et Bois! It also happens to be Eastern Canada’s largest cross country ski club. This is a great option for those that have their own gear since you can access the Nakkertok South trails right from our property. Nakkertok South also has 2 trails that are illuminated for evening skiing.

Not much further is Nakkertok Val-des-Monts. This is a short drive away and offers classic skiers a more rugged terrain as Val-des-Monts’ trails are considered more challenging than those in the South. The 2024 rate for a day pass is $18 to non-members.

If you need rentals you can contact Nomades du Park. You may also consider skiing in Gatineau Park instead since it is so close to the rentals for picking up and returning gear.

Snowshoeing: There are snowshoe-specific trails at both Nakkertok South and Nakkertok Val-des-Monts. You can access the South trails right from the Ciel et Bois property. Make sure you are staying on the paths meant for snowshoes and not taking them on the groomed trails for cross-country skiing.

Address: 900, Avenue Gatineau, Gatineau, QC

Fat Biking/Snow Biking

Gatineau Park

Gatineau Park has over 60 kilometers of fat biking trails that range in difficulty. All the winter biking trails are shared with snowshoers so you just need to be mindful of that when riding. This interactive map will show you the different trails and access points to explore. Like all other winter activities it’s advised to check trail conditions before heading out. Don’t forget to purchase a day pass before heading into the park. In 2024 the price for snow biking is $12 with discounts for youth (13-17), student (18+), seniors (Over 60) and families.

You can rent bikes from Nomades du Park and Relais Plein Air

Address: There are 6 parking lots with access to the biking trails.