Cranberry Portage Hiking and Ski Trail Association directory

The CPHSTA is a volunteer organization dedicated to the maintenance and use of cross country ski and snowshoe trails within the community of Cranberry Portage. These trails provide an opportunity for residents and visitors to engage in healthy recreation while exploring the beauty of our natural environment. Volunteers from the club annually clear trail, pack them and then groom them throughout the snow season. Users are welcome to use them free of charge and are encouraged to do so through newsletter articles, posters and word of mouth. In addition the annual Cranberry Ski and Snowshoe Day is hosted by the Club in conjunction with the Child/Family Resource Center (CFRC). The CPHSTA has received grants to purchase sets of skis, boots and poles plus snowshoes which are then made available to the public through the Child Family Resource Centre. The intention is to enable those without their own equipment to experience the joys of these activities on our local trail system.

Trail maintenance involves hundreds of volunteer hours annually and is not without challenges. These include the 40 - 50 cm. of snow required to establish the bush trails, inconsistent snowfalls during the ski season plus occasional damage to the trail surface by those driving machines on the trails both winter and summer. Fortunately the vast majority of Cranberry residents have come to appreciate the trails over the 40 years of their existence. Volunteers feel gratified when others use and enjoy the ski and snowshoe trails.

There are 4 cross country ski trails and 4 snowshoe trails within the trail system and all residents of Cranberry Portage are within a 5 minute drive of a trailhead.