Winter Activities

Cooking Lake-Blackfoot is a popular park for winter activities including cross country skiing, dog sledding or skijoring, fat biking, and snowshoeing. With over 170km of trails plus a variety of open pasture lands, there is more than enough room for everyone to enjoy the activity of their choice. While enjoying the Park, please remember: 

• Keep all dogs on leash. 
• Share the trail. Only use trails dedicated to your activity. 
• Only cross-country skiers are permitted on trails with double ski tracks set. 
• All snowmobiling access is currently closed. 
• Warm-up shelters are provided along many trails. 
• Please review winter trail etiquette and winter safety information.
• Check out the trail report for current trail conditions. 

Cross-Country Skiing 

• Ski trails are set from December 1- March 31, or when snow conditions allow. 
• There are about 85 kilometres of track set trails. Some trails are double tracked for two-way traffic and limited to cross-country skiers only.  
• Skate Skiing: About 35 kilometres of trail accessed from Blackfoot Lake Staging Area are packed for skate skiing. 
• Cooking Lake-Blackfoot Provincial Recreation Area has trails for all types and abilities of visitors. Please view our winter trails pamphlet for details. 
• The park hosts the annual Canadian Birkebeiner Ski Festival, Canada’s premier classic-style cross country ski festival hosted by the Canadian Birkebeiner Society. For information please visit CanadianBirkie.com

Dog Walking, Sledding & Skijoring 

• Dog sledding and skijoring are permitted from Blackfoot Lake Staging Area on the groomed trails. When conditions allow, a long dog sledding run (approximately 40 kilometres) starts here. 
• Please clean up after your dog. Dog waste does not decompose the same way as wildlife waste does due to their diet. 
• During winter months, dogs are PROHIBITED from any trails that are track set for cross country skiing. This is for dog and skier safety and to preserve the tracks. Please keep to trails such as the Central Alleyway, Waskehegan North, Wapiti, Round-Up, Winter, trails starting from Blackfoot Staging Area, as well as open pastures. 

 Fat Biking 

• Blackfoot Staging Area offers the best opportunities to fat bike. 
• Bikes are not allowed on ski trails set with double ski tracks. 
• On single ski track trail, please stay off set tracks. This damages the tracks and makes it difficult to ski.

Snowshoeing 

• Snowshoeing is permitted on shared and equestrian trails, and open pastures. Snowshoeing is not permitted at Islet Lake Staging Area trails. Please use the other 3 staging areas. 
• Stay off trails which are set with double ski track.