Your outdoor playground for all seasons

Don’t see Fredericton, experience it. Dive in. Run around. Float away.

Canadians are a hardy bunch, and along with gorgeous summers and stunning fall foliage, Fredericton has some spectacular winters. So it’s only natural that Fredericton should be a traveller’s dream year-round!

Atlantic Canada’s largest winter festival

FROSTival may not just be about the outdoors, but with abundant opportunities to experience winter it definitely showcases winter at its most fun. Skating parties, winter camping (yes, really!), ice sculptures, an outdoor hopspiel (curling tournament), and Winterfesthiver – Fredericton’s winter carnival – are just a few highlights of the outdoor fun to be had during FROSTival.

Skating

New Brunswick’s capital city is home to some of the most abundant and scenic outdoor skating rinks on the east coast. Top of my list for family fun: bring the kids to Officer’s Square and skate with this historic landmark as your backdrop.

Skiing

If you’re more in the mood for skiing, grab your skis and hit the groomed and tracked cross-country trails of Killarney Lake Park, Odell Park, or Mactaquac Provincial Park. If you’re a downhill skier, Crabbe Mountain is home to the largest vertical descent in the Maritimes (853 ft), but it’s also got trails for Nordic skiing and snowshoeing.

A runner’s dream

Tap into this city’s vibrant running scene by exploring the 88km of multi-use trails right from the doorstep of our downtown hotels, and experience how quickly you can move from urban streetscapes to a view of the Saint John River, and on through forested trails.

Looking for something a bit more off-beat? Time your trip to take advantage of one of our quirky road races: Kilts? Beer? Airplanes? Yep, we’ve got ‘em all.

Cycling

The trails are perfect for cycling, too. Rent a bike downtown and in just a couple of minutes you can be on the Bill Thorpe Walking Bridge, a popular spot for locals and visitors alike to enjoy the river views. Then explore throughout the city (and beyond) at your leisure!

Spring and summer are both ideal times to hit the trails in Fredericton. My favourite time of year, though, is the fall, when the tree canopy brightens into shades of vibrant red, orange, and yellow. There’s truly nothing to rival this city’s fall foliage, especially with the backdrop of the Saint John River. And the well-maintained trail system offers cleared paths in the winter, making it accessible year-round.

Get out on the water

The river provides abundant opportunities to get active: rent a canoe or paddleboard, go fishing, stay in your very own houseboat, go kayaking or bring your own boat and dock at the Capital City Boat Club or Fredericton Yacht Club.

So yes: the opportunities for outdoor fun in Fredericton during summer are endless, but the fun doesn’t stop when the air gets colder and the leaves turn.