Calabogie – Exploring Madawaska Nordic Ski Trails

Calabogie is a must-visit for outdoor enthusiasts living in the Ottawa area. I have been there many times hiking, including to the very popular Eagle’s Nest. This past weekend, I decided to explore the cross-country ski trails there.

The Madawaska Nordic Ski and Recreational Trail network is located in the Peaks Village, not far from Calabogie Peaks Resort. I am familiar with the hiking trails that are part of the ski resort network, but this was my first time venturing into the Peaks Village area.

I was the first to arrive at the trailhead, on a snowy Sunday. Since the cross-country ski trails are maintained by volunteers, it is recommended to pay a $5 fee to help maintain them.

The Madawaska Nordic network has about 20 kilometres of classic groomed ski trails. Most of the trails are rated easy and intermediate (but there is also one trail that is considered difficult).

I started out on the main trail, Red Pine Trail, which immediately took me up a bit of elevation through the pretty mixed forest.

The Red Pine Trail is rated as intermediate, and I guess that’s because it has some good ups and downs. But I didn’t find any of them too difficult. Or maybe it’s simply because I’m getting better at cross-country skiing!

After about a kilometre, I came to a spot called The Crossroads, probably because several trails, as well as a snowmobile trail, intersect here. The Crossroads is the trailhead for the Snow Bunting Trail, an easy trail which I was tempted to explore, but I decided to stick with the Red Pine Trail for now.

A few metres further on, I came to an intersection with the Chickadee Trail, and decided to follow it. The Chickadee Trail and the Footloose Trail make an easy loop of just under two kilometres. I really enjoyed this section. The trail is narrow and winds through tall snow-covered pine trees. At one point, you can see a small, quiet river between the trees, flowing from Calabogie Lake to Fergusons Lake.

I eventually got back to Red Pine Trail, and headed back toward the parking lot. My original plan was to follow Snow Bunting Trail next. But it started snowing heavily, making the trails a little harder to follow. After a few metes on Snow Bunting Trail, I decided to turn around and head back to where I started.

In total, I still covered 6 kilometers, with an elevation gain of 136 metres. The Madawaska Valley region always reminds me that my home province of Ontario is not so flat!