Where to ski in and around Winnipeg

Where to ski -- Winnipeg

This page lists all the places to ski in-and-around Winnipeg that I have info about. Please contact Kevin Miller to add other places to this page.

Please also see

City of Winnipeg Cross Country Ski Trails page (descriptions, maps, amenities, grooming schedule)

The River Trail is along the Assiniboine River. It goes west from The Forks. The ice skating trail is the well-known one. There's also a walking/cycling one beside it. Sometimes there is also a classic track beside it.
Website

There is an 8K long, elongated oval trail along the parkway between Churchill Drive and the Red River. The trail begins at the pumphouse behind the Churchill Drive / Jubilee Avenue / Cockburn Street South intersection, which is ~1block east of the famous BDI (and the Elm Park Bridge). The trail continues along the parkway until it makes a large loop around the community gardens behind the Riverview Health Centre, and then heads back to the trailhead, also along the parkway. Some areas are well-treed while some is open. With more snow, the Riverview Jackrabbits plan on increasing the trails to the Paddling Club by Churchill High School, which would increase the distance by about 1.6K, round trip.
These are not professionally groomed trails. The Riverview Jackrabbits have a couple of volunteers with an ancient machine. They get the trails done about twice per week, when conditions, including availability of the machine, permit. The trails serve the Riverview Jackrabbits program, and about 100 community (and other) skiers.

The Wildwood trails are groomed for classic and skate. In recent years walking trails have been added to encourage physical activity in a variety of ways, and signage was added.
Three main entrance sites are available:
- The Wildewood Club at the corner of the Wildewood Golf Course (North Drive at Netley), with a good parking area next to the Tennis Club.
- The corner of Netley and Oakenwald, with some on street parking at Netley and Oakenwald.
- The corner of Oakenwald and North Drive, close to the Wildwood Park Community Centre, with on street parking.
The ski trails are tracked by CCSAM, and costs are shared by the The Wildwood Community Centre and St Johns-Ravenscourt School. Envelopes are available at the various entry points for people to make additional donations to help defray the grooming costs. Donations should be made out to the Wildwood Park Community Club, and an income tax receipt will be sent out for the supporting gift.
Contact Harvey Peltz at REMOVE_THISpeltz@shaw.ca or Robert Stewart REMOVE_THISriveredge@mts.net for more information.

New on January 28th, 2010
4.5K of classic/skate trails.
Hours
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
- Thursday: 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM (moon lit)
- Saturday, Sunday, Holidays: 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Cost
- $6 (adult), $5 (55+), $4 (children)
- An annual snow pass that offers free admission and unlimited skiing until the end of March is available for $40 (individuals) and $60 (family).
The Buffalo Stone Café is open on Thursday evenings for warming comfort style dinners, hot chocolate, etc. The super toboggan slide and skating rink are also operating in full swing!
Trail Map (PDF)
Website

This snowboard and alpine ski centre charges $5 for a Nordic Pass. This allows you to use the northern-most (least steep) part of the hill for the best (only) hill climbing and descending workout available near Winnipeg. If snow is scarce early in the season, they may have good human-made snow.
Website

From the South Perimeter Highway, turn south on Highway 330 which leads to the town of LaSalle.
~7K later, cross the bridge over the LaSalle River, stop and park (you are still north of the town).
Skate-ski on the LaSalle River heading west. It is packed by snowmobiles. The next bridge (Highway 247) is ~4K away. Conditions beyond that point may not be as good.

This page was last updated on January 30, 2010