Ski chalets near Ottawa

Few capitals have skiing this close. The Gatineau Hills start right across the river, with small ski hills you can reach after work and Gatineau Park’s cross-country trails a few minutes from downtown. An hour west, the Ottawa Valley has one of the biggest vertical drops in Ontario; two hours east, Mont-Tremblant is one of the best-known ski resorts in Eastern Canada.

Here are four regions for a ski weekend or a winter week, closest first. Chalets on the Quebec side must show a CITQ registration number, and every listing on our site does.

1. Gatineau Hills & the Outaouais

≈ 15 min – 1 h from Ottawa · Quebec

Camp Fortune is in Gatineau Park, about 15 minutes from Ottawa; Edelweiss and Vorlage are near Wakefield, and Mont Cascades is close to Cantley. For a bigger mountain, Mont Ste-Marie, further north in the Gatineau Valley, has the largest vertical drop in the region. Gatineau Park’s groomed trails make this one of the best cross-country areas in Canada, and Nordik Spa-Nature in Chelsea is the classic end to a ski day.

Best for: skiing after work, cross-country trails, a spa

See cottages for rent in Outaouais →

2. Calabogie & the Ottawa Valley

≈ 1–1½ h from Ottawa · Ontario

Calabogie Peaks, about an hour west of Ottawa, has one of the biggest vertical drops of any ski hill in Ontario and views over Calabogie Lake. Mount Pakenham, near the village of Pakenham, is a smaller hill well suited to beginners and children, with snow tubing. Lake cottages around Calabogie make a quiet base for a ski weekend.

Best for: families, first-time skiers, lake views

See cottages for rent in Ottawa Valley →

3. Mont-Tremblant & the Laurentians

≈ 2 h from Ottawa · Quebec

About two hours from Ottawa, Mont-Tremblant is a full ski resort with a pedestrian village at the foot of the slopes, and the season runs from December into early April. Chalets on Lac Tremblant, Lac Supérieur or in the village of Mont-Tremblant suit a week or a long weekend; the P’tit Train du Nord trail becomes a cross-country route in winter.

Best for: a big-mountain ski week, a resort village

See cottages for rent in Laurentians →

4. Algonquin Park for cross-country skiing

≈ 3 h from Ottawa · Ontario

For skiing without lifts, Algonquin’s East Gate is about three hours from Ottawa. Highway 60 is ploughed all winter, and the park grooms the Fen Lake trail at the West Gate and the longer Leaf Lake trail network, with snowshoeing almost anywhere off the ski trails. Cottages around Whitney, by the East Gate, are the closest base from Ottawa.

Best for: cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, wilderness

See cottages for rent in Algonquin & Almaguin →

Tips for a ski chalet near Ottawa

• Winter tires are required in Quebec from December 1 to March 15, including on a short drive into the Gatineau Hills.
• Check the CITQ registration number on any Quebec listing: every short-term rental there must show one.
• Ask the owner how far the chalet is from the ski hill and whether the last hill or driveway needs all-wheel drive.
• Ski hills close to Ottawa are busiest on weekend mornings and on school holidays; a weekday or a night-skiing evening is quieter.
• Ask whether firewood is included and whether the hot tub is ready on arrival.

Every chalet on our site is rented directly from its owner, with no booking fees. Use the “winter” filter in search to find winter-ready chalets, or open a region above to read the full guide.

Show winter-ready chalets

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Updated 2026-10-19