FIVE WORTH THE RIDE
What could be more Canadian than snowshoeing?
1. HAMPTON PARK
Nearly a century old, this woodland park is perfect for the skittish snowshoe novice. At just 11 hectares, the park can be traversed in about five minutes along a flat, well-trodden path. If you don’t like snowshoeing, you won’t be stranded. But it’s also possible to wander for much longer through the stand of sugar maples, white birch and elm in search of winter birds that are attracted by feeders edging the park. It’s popular with dog walkers, too, drawn from the nearby residential area.
Hours: No posted hours. Stately historic lamp posts allow for a pleasant evening trek, but take care: Don’t go alone.
Facilities: None. If you need to rent snowshoes, try a sporting goods store such as Mountain Equipment Co-op or Trailhead, both in nearby Westboro.
Getting there: Between Island Park Drive and Hilson Avenue, just north of the Queensway. Take OC Transpo’s route 16 in either direction; get off at Clare and Kirkwood. Cross Kirkwood, and walk along Clare to a T-junction. Turn right on Hilson, then left on Buell; the latter street leads directly into the west side of the park. Drivers will find parking on the park’s eastern boundary, in a lot off Island Park Drive near Helena Street.
More information: 613-239-5000; www.canadascapital.gc.ca.
2. PARC DU LAC-BEAUCHAMP
Sitting where an old quarry once supplied silica for glass-making, this 172-hectare park today provides two major trails for snowshoers, the longest just 2.2 kilometres. Woodland trails pass woodland streams and the lake itself. Your biggest challenge: deciding whether to ascend a small escarpment for the view or walk along its base to enjoy the striated rock formations that date back as much as 500 million years.
Hours: Snowshoeing daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., weather permitting. But you can skate till 9 p.m.
Facilities: The main pavilion rents snowshoes in three-hour blocks. Adults, $13; children, $9; free for those with an Accès Gatineau+ card. You can also cross-country ski, toboggan and skate in the park; equipment for those sports can also be rented. Lockers and vending machines are available.
Getting there: 741 Maloney Blvd. E., Gatineau. Eastbound STO bus routes 74 and 96 stop right across from the entrance, marked by a blue City of Gatineau sign. It’s then about a kilometre’s walk to the pavilion through a parkland setting. Lots of parking for those who drive.
More information: 819-669-2548;
www.gatineau.ca.
3. STONY SWAMP CONSERVATION AREA
Stony Swamp’s 40-plus kilometres of trails, which include parts of both the Trans Canada and Rideau trails, meander through the Ottawa Valley’s most ecologically diverse protected area. Among several secondary trails, maintained by the National Capital Commission, the Beaver and Chipmunk trails are especially good for wildlife observation, thanks to a wild bird sanctuary, and are close to the only section accessible by weekend bus service. Wide pathways allow snowshoers to coexist happily with skiers.
Hours: No posted hours, but be wise and return before dark.
Facilities: Washrooms at various parking lots.
Getting there: Take OC Transpo route 164; get off at the intersection of Stonehaven and Grassy Plains. Continue walking on Stonehaven Drive to Richmond Road, about an eight-minute walk; turn right and walk another four minutes or so. The Rideau Trail entrance is through a gate just where forest gives way to a field. Cars can park by the roadside, or in parking lots throughout the area. For details on trails and parking, download the National Capital Greenbelt map from the website below.
More information: 613-239-5000; www.canadascapital.gc.ca.
4. PARC DU LAC-LEAMY
Situated where the Gatineau and Ottawa rivers meet, this popular urban park can be surprisingly uncrowded. Philemon Wright, Gatineau’s first white settler, lived here; numerous interpretive panels outline the historical and natural surroundings along a 2.5-kilometre trail skirting the lakeshore. Other trails include a more challenging 7.2-kilometre path that leads to the edge of Gatineau Park (remember: it’s another 7.2 kilometres back). A local birding club maintains feeders that attract chickadees, woodpeckers — and scavenging squirrels.
Hours: Snowshoeing daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., weather permitting. But you can skate till 9 p.m.
Facilities: A pavilion rents snowshoes in three-hour blocks. Adults, $15; children, $10; free for those with an Accès Gatineau+ card. Crosscountry ski rentals also available. Vending machines and a full-service restaurant are on site.
Getting there: Numerous STO routes pass by. But from Ottawa, the best bet is route 21 heading to the casino. Get off at de la Carrière and Edmonton, just past the casino. Walk back to Chemin Atawe; turn left. Walk for 100 metres or so; enter at the Café Eloi sign. Drivers will find a parking lot on Chemin Atawe, just past that sign.
More information: 819-595-8132;
gatineau.ca.
5. BRITANNIA CONSERVATION AREA
Bleak mid-winter meets postcard pretty for some of the most varied snowshoeing terrain in the area. Start at Britannia Park, where wind sweeps across the wide Ottawa River and a snow-encrusted lifeguard tower evokes distant memories of summer. You might spy paragliders near shore or a memorial to poet Pauline Johnson, but not much else. Then head east about a half-kilometre, via a trail just south of the Ron Kolbus Lakeside Centre, for a trek through Mud Lake Conservation Area. The abundant winter birds are so tame they’ll eat from your hand, though you’re never far from signs of city life.
Hours: At Britannia Park, the Ron Kolbus centre is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; on weekends, only during special events.
Facilities: The centre has vending machines, washrooms and a free Mud Lake trail map.
Getting there: The westbound OC Transpo route 16 terminates at the Ron Kolbus centre. Drivers can access the park from Carling Avenue by turning north onto Greenview Avenue, just west of Richmond Road.
More information: 613-828-4313;
ottawa.ca.