Take your pick: adrenaline packed or slow and contemplative?
Updated on Oct 26, 2023
There are plenty of places to go cross-country skiing in the Townships! We’re introducing you to a few of these that are perfect for newcomers to the sport, or for those who are simply looking for quiet not too steep trails.
Here you’ll take the cycling trail that starts out in Lennoxville and head towards North Hatley (by way of the Capelton Mine). They’ve recently started to mechanically groom and mark this route for cross-country skiing enthusiasts. Set alongside the Massawippi River, the trail is linear and has almost no elevations for about fifteen kilometres. It’s ideal for an outing with young children
Access: Free
Suggested Trail Head: Halte Massawippi in Lennoxville or at the Capelton Mine
You’ll be able to explore a total of 12 km of cross-country skiing trails, mostly easy, when you visit this old black gunpowder plant. In fact, you can even still discover remnants of its past! The trails run along the property of the Domtar paper mill, and also in part, along the Watopeka River.
Access : $ 6/adult. Free for children under 17
Here you’ll discover a network covering 30 kilometres of trails. The venue offers several loops with varying lengths, on relatively flat terrain. You’ll find this forest jewel only a few minutes outside downtown Coaticook.
Access: $5/adult. Free for children.
The centre offers a total of 35 km of trails and three shelters where you can warm up and pause awhile. Their devoted volunteers ensure impeccable trail conditions. You’ll also enjoy amazing panoramas, and equipment rentals are available as well… Together all these ingredients will make your cross-country ski outing a memorable one!
Access: $20/adult. Free for those 12 years of age and less.
Regularly groomed, the two CINLB trails will take you around the marsh, with both offering a 6 km route. Keep your eyes and ears open … the place shelters many bird species.
Access: Free
This network allows you to cover about a dozen kilometres of trails set inside the forest, all groomed and marked. Most of the trails are rated as easy or of intermediate level. An outing perfectly adapted for beginners!
Access: Free
Trail heads: Club de Golf Royal Estrie or Centre O3 in Val-des-Sources.
Among the panoply of winter activities offered here, of course, there’s cross-country skiing! Their nine easy or intermediate level trails (for a total of about thirty kilometres) are all mechanically groomed. You’ll find this outdoor activity centre near the city of Lac-Mégantic.
Access: $11.35 for the Lac-Mégantic area residents; $15.85 for non-residents.
Among the different trails of this network covering the Parc des Sommets’ 140 km terrain, 37 km are accessible to cross-country skiers. You can therefore either head out on the C1 trail, set around the base of Mount Brome, follow the trail of the Olympic Equestrian park, or explore the Villageois trails. All easy and intermediate level trails, the network will offer you hours of cross-country skiing fun.
Access: Free for Bromont residents. Non-residents: $17.40/adult.
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