The waters and hills around Québec City provide countless opportunities for outdoor recreation, from swimming, rafting, and fishing, to skiing, snowmobiling, and sleigh rides. There are two centers in particular to keep in mind for most winter and summer activities, both within easy drives from the capital. Thirty minutes from Québec City, off Route 175 north, is the provincial Parc de la Jacques-Cartier (tel. 418/848-3169 or 418/528-8787). Closer by 10 minutes or so is Parc Mont Ste-Anne (tel. 418/827-4561), only 40km (24 miles) northeast of the city. Both are mentioned repeatedly in the listings below. From mid-November to late March, taxis participate in a winter shuttle program, HiverExpress, picking up passengers at 16 hotels at 8:30am, taking them to Parc Mont Sainte-Anne, which is about 40km (25 miles) from the city, and Station Stoneham, about 27km (17 miles) from the city, and returning them to Québec City at about 4:30pm. Round-trip fare is C$18 (US$13). Call tel. 418/525-5191 to make a reservation or ask if your hotel participates when booking a room.
Biking -- Given the hilly topography of the Upper Town, biking isn't a particularly attractive option. But rented bicycles are available at a shop on a hill that descends to the flatter Lower Town. Vélo Passe-Sport Plein Air, at 22 Côte du Palais (tel. 418/692-36430; www.velopasse-sport.com) rents bikes for C$12 (US$8.55) for two hours or C$22 (US$16) for eight hours. It's open daily from 9am to 6pm in summer. For more vigorous mountain biking, Parc Mont Ste-Anne (tel. 418/827-4561) has 200km (124 miles) of trails.
Camping -- There are almost 30 campgrounds in the greater Québec area, with as few as 20 individual campsites and as many as 368. All of them have showers and toilets available. One of the largest (they even accept credit cards) is in the Parc Mont Ste-Anne. One of the smallest, but with a convenience store and snack bar, is Camping La Loutre (tel. 418/846-2201) on Lac Jacques-Cartier in the park of the same name. It's north of the city, off Route 175. The booklet available at the tourist offices provides details about all the sites.
Canoeing -- The several lakes and rivers of Parc de la Jacques-Cartier are fairly easy to reach, yet they seem to be in the midst of virtual wilderness. Canoes are available to rent in the park itself.
Cross-Country Skiing -- Greater Québec has 22 cross-country ski centers with 278 trails. In town, the Parc des Champs-de-Bataille (Battlefields Park) has 11km (6 miles) of groomed cross-country trails, a convenience for those who don't have cars or the time to get out of town. Cross-country skis can be rented in the city at Vélo Passe-Sport Plein Air, 22 côte du Palais (tel. 418/692-3643). Those who do have transportation should consider Mont Ste-Anne, which has more than 225km (140 miles) of cross-country trails at all levels of difficulty; equipment is available for rent.
Dog-Sledding -- Aventures Nord-Bec (tel. 418/889-8001) at 665 rue Ste-Aimé in Saint-Lambert-de-Lauzon, about 20 minutes south of the city, offers dog-sledding expeditions. While they aren't the equivalent of a 2-week mush across Alaska, there are choices of half-day to 5-day expeditions, and participants obtain a sense of what the experience is like. They get a four-dog sled meant for two passengers and take turns standing on the runners and sitting on the sled. (Shout "Yo" to go left, "Gee" to go right.) Out on the trail it's a hushed world of snow and evergreens. With the half-day trip costing C$85 (US$61) per adult, C$75 (US$54) for students, and C$25 (US$18) for children 12 and under, it's expensive for families, but the memory stays with you. Another firm providing similar experiences is Aventure Québec (tel. 418/827-2227) at 3987 av. Royale at Mont Ste-Anne.
Downhill Skiing -- Foremost among the five area downhill centers is the one at Parc Mont-Ste-Anne, containing the largest total skiing surface in eastern Canada, with 51 trails (many of them lit for night skiing) and 11 lifts. From November 15 to March 30, a daily HiverExpress shuttle service operates between downtown hotels and alpine and cross-country ski centers. The cars or minivans are equipped to carry ski gear and cost about C$18 (US$13) round-trip per person. For information call tel. 418/525-5191.
Fishing -- From May until early September, anglers can wet their lines in the river that flows through the Parc de la Jacques-Cartier and at the national wildlife reserve at Cap-Tourmente (tel. 418/827-3776), on the St. Lawrence, not far from Mont Ste-Anne. Permits are available at many sporting-goods stores. The catches are mostly trout and salmon.
Golf -- Parc Mont Ste-Anne has two 18-hole courses, plus practice ranges and putting greens. Reservations are required, and fees are C$60 to C$75 (US$43-US$54), including golf cart. In all, there are two dozen courses in the area, most of them in the suburbs of Ste-Foy, Beauport, and Charlesbourg.
Ice Skating -- Outdoor rinks are located at Place d'Youville, Terrasse Dufferin, and Parc de l'Esplanade inside the city walls, and at Parc des Champs-de-Bataille (Battlefields Park), where rock climbing, camping, canoeing, and mountain biking are also possible. Skates can be rented at Vélo Passe-Sport Plein Air (tel. 418/692-3643), at 22 Côte du Palais in the old town.
Swimming -- Those who want to swim during their visit should plan to stay at one of the handful of hotels with pools. Fairmont Le Château Frontenac has a new one, and the Radisson has a heated outdoor pool that can be entered from inside. Other possibilities are the Hilton, Manoir Victoria, and Loews le Concorde.
Village Vacances Valcartier, a two-season recreational center in St-Gabriel-de-Valcartier (1860 bd. Valcartier; tel. 418/844-2200), has an immense wave pool and water slides, as well as 38 trails for snow rafting in winter (it's kind of like sledding). The center is about 20 minutes west of the city.
Tobogganing -- A toboggan run is created every winter down the stairs at the south end of the Terrasse Dufferin and all the way to the Château Frontenac. Tickets (only C$1/US70¢ per person) are sold at a temporary booth near the end of the run.
