We love winter adventures! In February 2026, we visited Kouchibouguac for the first time. Our trip got cut a day short due to a incoming snow storm, but in two days we managed to cram in some fat biking, snowshoeing and two types of cross-country skiing (nordic and skate). We’ve posted all our routes on Komoot and talk about the trail conditions below. We stayed just outside the park at Kouch Chalets and rejuvenated our tired bodies at a newly opened mini-Nordic spa.
Winter Trails and Snow Conditions
Kouchibouguac is open year-round and in the winter the park maintains a trail network. The day pass to access the trails is $12/adult or $23.25/group. Some trails are specific to an activity, but others are shared. The map below shows the full network with some suggested loops. The cross-country ski trails are groomed daily (as far as we can tell) with both skate skiing and classic nordic tracks. The fatbiking trails are also groomed into hard packed snow. We lucked out with some great conditions when we visited, but it is best to check them before you go. We were a little worried when we saw that the area had less snow than Halifax!
Our activities and impressions
Overall, we loved the trails — we just wish there were a few more kilometers with a bit more variety. We completed most of the trails in just 1.5 days and some of the trails got a bit monotonous by the end.
- The fatbiking trails in the woods (7, 8, 10, 22) were great. They were twisty with lots of small bumps — definitely suitable for an amateur fatbiker, particularly when the snow was pretty packy like when we visited. We also biked the #12 trail to the La Source shelter, but it was really a long, straight, flat road shared with skiiers. It was nice, but just not as interesting in our opinion as the smaller trails. Overall, we biked 19.5 km in 2 hours (including a short break). The only trail we didn’t do in this time was #20.
- The cross-country ski trails were very wide and pretty flat. #3 in the map above had some rolling hills that were quite challenging for us newbies on skate skis, but other than that everything was pretty gentle. It was a treat to have nearly perfectly groomed corduroy for skate skiing on all of the trails (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5) with classic tracks on 1-4. There was also a groomed extension beyond the rustic cabin at La Source to the South Kouchibouguac campground that isn’t indicated on the map. On our nordic skis, we also ventured off trail for a short distance to break up the monotony and get some river views. In total we did 20km of classic skiing in an afternoon and 9.3 km of skate skiing the next morning. The skate skiing was far harder physically, but we loved it and can’t wait to try again.
- We did a short 30 minute, 2.4 km snowshoe along the Kouchibouguac river. It was a short out and back because we were limited in time. The trail was pretty packed down and easy to navigate, even with tired legs. We had wanted to do the Claire-Fontaine trail because it was a loop of just the right length with lots of views along the water, but the parking lot wasn’t cleared. So it is probably best to stick to the trails indicated on the winter map above.
Rustic Shelters
One of the highlights of the park were several rustic shelters at various points along the trail network. These buildings were unlocked and free to use. They all had a fireplace, free firewood and several picnic tables. Many also had pit toilets next to them. They were great spots to stop and take a break.
Rentals
We brought our own nordic skis and snowshoes, but rented fatbikes and skate skis from the Pijeboogwek building across the road from the visitor center. We called ahead to reserve the fat bikes, but they had plenty available on the Sunday that we visited. The total cost for a two hour bike rental was $30/bike. Once returning the bikes we then decided to give skate skiing a try. They had limited sizes available, but thankfully had some that fit our feet. Again we rented for two hours. The cost for the skis, boots and poles was $20/set for a half day.
Accommodation – Kouch Chalets
We decided to go on this trip at the last minute, so were quite happy to find good accommodation just outside the park at Kouch Chalets. Trail #20 in the map above actually leads directly to the visitor centre from the chalets, which could be really convenient if you have your own gear.
We stayed in one of the loft chalets. It was simple, but provided what we needed — a bed, a kitchen and a warm space to relax. It also had a TV, which was crucial since we needed to watch the Canada-US Men’s hockey final from the Olympics.
Nordic Spa
In our search for accommodation in the area, we came across some chalets and a Nordic Spa Retreat just 7 km south of the park. We decided not to stay at the chalets because the Kouch Chalets was just so convenient, but we booked a 2 hour private spot at the Nordic Spa which included a sauna and hot tub. There is also a cold dip on site, but it wasn’t operational when we were there. For the ‘cold’ part of a nordic spa, we just needed to stand outside in our bathing suits for 2 minutes!
The spa just opened within the last month and they are still working out some kinks, but we loved it and it was the perfect way to let our bodies relax. It had been an intense 1.5 days of using muscles — i.e. mostly hip flexors — that don’t usually work very hard.
We want to come back for the fatbiking on the little trails and cross country skiing on the main trails.
Be Active Like V 