Winter Trail Etiquette in Gatineau Park

Obey signage

Always stay on the official and marked trails. In winter, some trails are designated for only one type of activity, while others are shared.

To find out which trails are authorized for your activity, consult the interactive map or the pictograms posted at the trailhead.

• Interactive map - Cross-Country Skiing
• Interactive map - Snowshoeing
• Interactive map - Snow Biking
• Interactive map - Winter Hiking

All snow biking trails are snowshoe trails, but not all snowshoe trails are snow biking trails. If your snowshoe or snow biking trail follows a ski trail, keep to the side of the trail to avoid damaging the tracks.

Be courteous and considerate

Gatineau Park welcomes people of all skill levels on its trails. Being kind and courteous is an easy way to make the winter experience fun for everyone.

• Keep to the right-hand side of the trail at all times.
• If you want to pass, clearly and politely communicate your plans to other users so that they have time to react.
• Let faster users pass.
• Don’t follow too close, and allow yourself time to react for whatever might arise.

Don’t walk on ski trails

Walking on the ski trails is never allowed. Our team works very hard at setting and maintaining the tracks for skiing. Walking makes the surface uneven and hardens the trail base, creating conditions that can be dangerous for skiers.

The wide, middle section of a ski trail between the classic cross-country tracks — better known as the corduroy — is for skate skiing. It is not a walking trail. If you are skate skiing, try to avoid the classic tracks.

Sometimes a cross-country ski trail crosses a snowshoe, snow bike or walking trail. It is then necessary to give way to people on skis and avoid walking on the marked trail.

Pack it in, pack it out

There are no waste receptacles along the trails or in the day shelters. Take your trash back home with you, where you can dispose of it properly.

Gatineau Park is the national capital’s conservation park. Preserving it is a collective responsibility. Leave no trace.

Buy a pass

A daily or a season pass is required to use the cross-country ski, snowshoe and snow biking trails in Gatineau Park. In winter, hiking trails are free.

Fees help to cover many things, including the preparation and maintenance of trails and patrols, and facilities such as parking lots, day shelters and dry toilets.

Skiing: Yield to people going downhill

Skiers climbing uphill must yield to skiers coming downhill.

If you stop to take in the view or to rest, move out of the way so the trail is free for others. Avoid stopping directly at intersections or at the bottom of a hill: stop before or after.

Snow biking: Yield to riders climbing uphill

Snow bikers coming downhill must yield to those climbing uphill. Snow bikers must yield to snowshoers.

• Winter snow biking
• Snowshoeing in Gatineau Park

Dogs on leash: Allowed on walking trails only

In the winter, dogs on leash are allowed on the winter walking trails. Pets are not allowed on cross-country ski, snowshoe and snow biking trails.

Remember to pick up after your dog, and to take the bag with you – even if no one is looking!