February is the best month for winter activities !The days are longer, there's still lots of fluffy snow, and it's warmer than January. So with no big plans this Family Day long weekend we decided to enjoy some winter fun and head east to Parc Naturel Lavigne.
This little park is a real cross-country skiing gem. It's only 40 minutes from our house in Ottawa but it feels a world away: a woodlot surrounded by farm fields as far as they eye can see. In some places the trails meander here and there around the trees. In other places you get to enjoy some surprisingly big hills.
In terms of variety of experience, I would say its the best overall cross country trail that I've tried near Ottawa, and that includes both the Ontario and Quebec side of the border. A lot of skiers in this area are drawn to Gatineau Park, but you have to pay to use those trails - and they are so crowded! In comparison, we passed only one other group skiing the whole time we were at Parc Naturel Lavigne, which made for a very relaxing experience. It's also great for families as beginners can try the flatter trails while those with more experience can try something more challenging.
Bonus points for Margot: we passed a few horse stables along the way!
This is our fifth, and possibly last, cross-country ski of the season and I'm super happy that we are going out with a bang.
Wish we could have been there! Ah those days of skiing are great memories
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