Cross Country Skiing

Located on the Canadian Shield in Northern Ontario, with numerous lakes and rivers, pristine boreal forests and a rocky escarpment, North Bay has a varied terrain for all levels of nordic skiing, from beginner-friendly trails to competitive racing. With a typical snow depth of 45-65 cm in January and February, as well as an earlier and longer winter than Southern Ontario, North Bay and the surrounding area offer some of the best cross-country ski trails in Ontario.

Cross-Country Ski Clubs and Rentals

With a history dating back to 1975, North Bay Nordic Ski Club is home to an active skiing community with 50 km of groomed trails for classic and skate skiing that traverse a pristine wilderness. Nordic, as it is affectionately known, is a family-friendly club with active youth and adult programming, including lessons, night skiing, daily rates for visitors, a full stock of ski rentals and a heated clubhouse with food and beverages. The club also offers winter hiking trails and snowshoe rentals for snowshoeing. Check here for trail conditions.

Wasi Ski Club, 20 km south of North Bay in Astorville, is a volunteer-run, member supported club that maintains over 43 km of classically groomed trails as well as 8 km of snowshoe trails. While WASI does not offer rentals, visitors are welcome to use the trails, the heated chalet and restrooms at a day-use rate. For novice to expert cross-country skiers and snowshoers looking for a quiet escape into a snow-covered forest, WASI is a must-do trail system. Be sure to check out their events if you’d like to join their Moonlight Ski & Snowshoe Nights.

Free Ski and Snowshoe Trails

For those of you with your own skis or snowshoes, a local secret is the trails at Nipissing University, which sits atop North Bay’s escarpment. The university grooms 3.75 km of cross-country ski trails for both classic and skate skiing that are free to use and accessible by public transit. As the training ground for the Nipissing Lakers Nordic Ski Team, the trails regularly host competitive ski races, offering some challenging ups and downs on the escarpment.

WASI Ski Club also offers a Free Ski & Snowshoe Day, so check their site for details.

With plenty of accommodations and winter attractions to round out your stay, visit North Bay to experience the pure joy of gliding over the frozen winter landscape on our beautiful and beginner-friendly cross-country ski trails.