Circling the town of Vankleek Hill, not far from Hawkesbury, there is a cross-country ski area with 18 km of trackset trails. This makes a great potential stop for Nordic skiers travelling between Ottawa and Montreal.
You will enjoy the French-Canadian presence, as you’re very close to Quebec and a majority of the population in these parts of east Ontario is francophone.
Many small communities such as this one offer opportunities for locals to get out, exercise, and enjoy the crisp winter air. This is not a new trail, as it was established 50 years ago, but it was a recent new find for me, brought to my attention by the local ski club.
This classic style ski trail uses a section of the Prescott – Russell Rail Trail and traverses private lands through a mixture of open fields, orchards, an old gravel pit, and maple and cedar woodlots.
The loop has plenty of elevation changes to keep things interesting and gradually climbs 40 m to where the transmission towers are. There are three short, steep drops. Views can be had to distant mountain ranges in Quebec and New York State.
Posted signs direct you around an approximately 14 km loop; you can use any of the four shortcuts to make it shorter. This trail is trackset (no grooming for skate skiing) once a week if the snows blow, and current snow conditions can be checked on the club’s Facebook page.
There is no chalet on site, but club members assure me that you are only moments away from finding a Danish and hot chocolate in the nearby town of Vankleek Hill. There is also a craft brewery in town to tempt you.
A good parking and start point is at the Rail Trail pavilion on Hwy 34.
Plans are for me to visit this winter, so I am a little ahead of myself. I will update this review when I get back. With such a short season, I thought it best to get this location out sooner than later.
Larose Forest nearby is another spot to consider trekking.
