If you could create the perfect city for fat biking, it would be Ottawa.
The winters are long, the temperatures are cold, it snows a lot, and there’s expansive wilderness on all four sides. Luckily, the local trail builders know this and have taken full advantage of the gift they’ve been given.
Let’s celebrate their work by taking a closer look at five world-class fat bike trails near Ottawa!
Gatineau Park
Located just across the river from Ottawa is Gatineau Park and its sprawling network of fat bike trails totalling an impressive 49.4 kilometres in length.
This distance, making it one of North America’s most extended fat bike trail networks, is spread across 24 trails that range from easy to advanced. The Meech Creek Valley in the north end of the park contains intermediate to advanced trails, while the Southern Sector offers trails better suited to beginner and intermediate fat bikers.
Gatineau Park provides an interactive trail map highlighting these areas along with the closest parking lots and, most impressively, an up-to-date trail condition status showing recommended, not recommended, and closed trails. You can also reference Gatineau Park’s conditions table to see their recommended parking lots, % of trails open, snow temperature, and 24-hour snowfall. All this proves incredibly useful as you can pick what parking lot to head to and what trails to ride based on the best conditions!
The trails are not mechanically compacted or groomed, relying on snowshoe traffic to do the work. As such, to keep the trails in great shape, a minimum tire width of 3.7″ (9.4 cms) is required, and Gatineau Park requests tire pressures be ten psi or less. Following these recommendations is especially important when the trails are exceedingly soft after a fresh snowfall.
All of this goodness is accessible for a daily fee of $11.00 per adult. If you are planning on visiting more than five times per winter, then a season pass will make more sense at just $64.39 per adult – not bad for access to not only some of the best fat bike trails near Ottawa but some of the best fat bike trails in North America!
PS – Toronto has some pretty great fat bike trails as well. You can learn more about them by reading my post, “The Top 10 Fat Bike Trails Near Toronto: Incredible Winter Riding.”
Location:
*P1, P2 and P17 are accessible via public transit
Cost:
- Adult Day Pass = $11.00
- Adult Season Pass = $64.39
Fat Bike Rentals:
- 3 Hour Rental = $50.00
- Full Day Rental = $90.00
Summary Information:
- Trail Distance: 49.4 kms
- Terrain Type: Varied
- Skill Level: Easy to Advanced
Larose Forest
Located to the east of Ottawa, near Casselman, is Larose Forest. Here you’ll find 35 kilometres of fat bike trails perfect for beginner and intermediate riders, with great flow and very little elevation change.
The trails are also mechanically groomed, providing a much more consistent and reliable surface to fat bike on compared to other systems that rely solely on walkers and snowshoers to compact the trails. The mechanical grooming also means the trails at Larose Forest are often ready for fat biking far sooner than other non-groomed systems, so if you’re eager to get out, check their interactive trail map to see if the trails are groomed and ready to go!
All of Larose Forest’s fat bike trails start at the P1 parking lot and work out from there. A minimum tire width of 3.8″ is required to ride the trails. It should also be noted that several other winter activities, like dogsledding, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing, occur in Larose Forest. So while there can be a lot going on, all fat bike trails will be clearly marked, making it easy to stick to your trails and avoid any potential collisions with other visitors.
An OMBA membership is required to access Larose Forest’s fat bike trails, with an adult membership costing $30/year, a junior membership costing $15/year, and a family membership (2 adults, 2 youth) costing $65/year – a small fee considering the 35 kilometres of pristine, mechanically groomed fat bike trails you’ll gain access to!
Finally, if you or your family are wondering what a fat bike is and if I want to buy one, consider renting one from The Mana Centre first. Renting is a great way to get a feel for a fat bike and determine if the sport is for you or your family before sinking money into your bikes. Youth rentals start at $30 for two hours, and adult rentals range from $35-$48 per two-hour rental.
PS – I included Larose Forest in my list of where to go fat biking in Ontario. Give it a read to learn more about fourteen other incredible fat bike trail networks in Ontario!
Location:
Cost:
- OMBA Membership – $15 (Junior), $30 (Adult), $65 (Family)
Rentals:
- 2 Hour Youth Rental = $30
- 2 Hour Adult Rental = $35-$48
Summary Information:
- Trail Distance: 35 kms
- Terrain Type: Flat, Fast and Flowy
- Skill Level: Beginner to Intermediate
Le Harfang
Heading back into Quebec, we have Le Harfang and its 23 kilometres of fat bike trails! Spread across 350 acres, Le Harfang’s trails are great for all riders, with a near-even distribution of beginner, intermediate, and advanced trails.
Regardless of your skill level, you’ll be met with professionally built trails with never-ending twists, turns, and elevation changes that keep things interesting. In addition to the excellent trail building, Le Harfang’s entire network is professionally groomed, delivering consistent and reliable trail conditions for each visit. You can visit their conditions page to see each trail’s status (open/closed), trail width (narrow/large), distance, and profile (flat, cross country, uphill, downhill, or uphill and downhill)!
The excellent trail building, the network of beginner trails, and the consistent grooming make Le Harfang a great option for first-time fat bikers. As such, they offer an extensive fat bike rental fleet, with youth, adult, and electric fat bike options available – each of which you can rent for 2 hours, 4 hours, or the entire day. Helmet rentals are also available!
You’ll have to purchase a pass to ride Le Harfang’s trails. Adult day passes (16 & up) start at $15.00, with youth passes costing $9.00 and family passes (2 adults + 2 kids that are 15 and under) costing $42.00 for the day. Season passes are also available, which are the best option if you or your family plan on visiting 9-10+ times (the number of visits varies depending on pass type).
Overall, Le Harfang offers perhaps the most professional operation of all the trail networks discussed on this list, bringing with it an enjoyable and consistent experience for all types of visitors!
Location:
Cost:
- Adult Day Pass = $15.00
- Adult Season Pass = $160.00
Fat Bike Rentals:
- 2 Hour Rental = $27.00
- 4 Hour Rental = $44.00
Summary Information:
- Trail Distance: 23 kms
- Terrain Type: Varied
- Skill Level: Beginner to Advanced
Montebello
Roughly 45 minutes east of Ottawa, you’ll find Montbello and its up-and-coming network of fat bike trails. Although primarily known for the luxurious Fairmont Le Château Montebello, the largest log cabin ever built, Montebello has been steadily expanding its biking network since the 1980s.
Today, Montebello’s fat bike network has grown to include 25 kilometres of trails that range from flat and wide beginner paths to narrow singletrack and old-school tech, providing a great variety of terrain for every type of rider. Additionally, their fat bike trails are mechanically groomed, offering the much sought-after consistency that’s often hard to find on non-groomed networks. You can see the latest trail conditions by visiting Montebello’s Facebook page.
Passes are required to access their trails, starting at $14.50 for an adult day pass or $105.00 for an adult season pass. Youth and family day passes and season passes are also available, which you can learn more about by visiting Montebello’s booking page.
Like some of the other commercial trail networks on this list, Montebello also offers fat bike rentals, which cost $40.00 for a 3-hour time slot and include a helmet. If you already have a helmet, you can rent just the fat bike for $30.00!
Everything starts at the famous Chateau, so go to the hotel, see the sights, and then head out for a magical ride through the century-old pine forests!
Location:
Cost:
- Adult Day Pass = $14.50
- Adult Season Pass = $105.00
Rentals:
- 3 Hour Rental with Helmet = $40.00
Summary Information:
- Trail Distance: 25 kms
- Terrain Type: Mix of Technical and Modern
- Skill Level: Beginner to Advanced
South March Highlands
Located just to the west of downtown Ottawa lies the South March Highlands and its 23 kilometres of old-school and technical trails full of twists, turns, and some of the most challenging fat biking near Ottawa.
These trails are for the more advanced rider, so if you’re starting out it’s best to steer clear and start somewhere a bit easier, like the beginner trails at Gatineau Park or Larose Forest. But if you’re a novice rider or better, you’re in for a treat, with many technically demanding features that are sure to test your strengths and provide some fun challenges.
The trails are not mechanically groomed but rely on compaction from walkers and snowshoe users. As such, the trails take longer to firm up and be ready for fat biking, so keep that in mind if you’re planning on going directly after a significant snowfall – it’ll be best to wait a day or two for the walkers to do their thing. They can also get quite icy during freeze-thaw cycles, so consider putting on studded tires to gain additional traction if needed!
There is no minimum tire width, but please stay vigilant and avoid the trails if you leave ruts. And while the system is free to use, consider buying a yearly membership to OMBA. It only costs $30 and helps maintain these trails and several other trail systems overseen by OMBA.
Location:
Cost:
- Free
Summary Information:
- Trail Distance: 23 kms
- Terrain Type: Technical
- Skill Level: Intermediate to Advanced
Final Thoughts
After reading my list, I’m sure it’s clear just how lucky residents of Ottawa and the surrounding areas are to have world-class fat biking at their front door.
Whether it’s the epicness of Gatineau Park, the flow of Larose Forest, the pristine grooming of Le Harfang, the up-and-coming trails of Montebello, or the challenge of South March Highlands, the fat bike trails near Ottawa are endless, ready to be explored by anyone keen enough to jump on their bike and get out there!
