5 Ontario ATV Trails You Need To Ride

“Splish Splash I was taking a bath” in the Seguin Baths with my ATV that is! One of the most well-known wet and wild trails in Ontario, the Seguin Trail is located on the outskirts of Parry Sound, Ontario. Part of the larger Park to Park trail system that runs from Hwy 400 through to Hwy 11, the Seguin Trail is a must ride for those looking for an adventure in 2025!

Just off Hwy 400 the Georgian Bay Travel Centre is going to be one of the most convenient trail head staging areas you’ve likely ever used. This location has a huge parking lot for trailers, off-loading and parking along with a PetroCan to refuel your ride and a number of food options to refuel yourself. Nothing beats hot trail side food and a clean washroom!

After leaving the Travel Centre, a quick right hand turn and you are headed down the seasonal road section of the Seguin Trail. This portion of the trail leads to a number of cottages on peaceful little lakes sprinkled throughout the area. The Seguin Trail follows part of the historic route of the Ottawa, Arnprior & Parry Sound Railway that was built in the late 1800’s. This rail line helped connect and create a number of small towns and communities along its path. Much like its use as an ATV, UTV and snowmobile trail today, the Seguin Trail has a long history of connecting people.

At just over 80kms long the Seguin Trail makes for a great day ride for those wanting an adventure with unique and memorable scenery. There are a number of offshoot trails that vary in difficulty and offer riders a quick change of pace. One such trail leads you to an abandoned steam boiler engine that once travelled the rail lines where the Seguin Trail now runs. After a day on the trails running through waterholes and mud you're going to be ready for a hot shower and good food! Lucky for you the Seguin Trail is well located with a number of overnight accommodation options trailside including the Jolly Roger Inn & Resort with its own restaurant and pool! If you are feeling more outdoorsy you can stay at the Parry Sound KOA Holiday with full campground amenities and quick access to the Park to Park trail system on site.

The Park to Park’s website is an excellent resource for buying your trail pass and checking out the local information. Whether you're looking to connect with friends, family or nature, the Seguin Trail is the perfect destination. You may find yourself staring at the beauty of nature as you travel the rail bed directly over a Canadian marshland or end up waist deep in a mud hole creating memories with your best buddies as they winch you out.

Haliburton Highlands: Outhouse Trail

If you're looking to level up your technical riding skills then you need to visit the Outhouse Trail in the heart of the Haliburton Highlands! Dubbed as an “Expert Ride” it has been well known in the area for decades for its deep water, mud holes, rock crawls and the stunning scenic view that awaits you at the top. Part of the Haliburton ATV Association (HATVA) the Outhouse Trail highlights the spectacular scenery you can expect throughout its 1,000 plus km of diverse ATV and UTV trails.

HATVA has one of the largest mapped, signed and insured trail systems in Ontario and continues its tight relationship with the Haliburton Country Snowmobile Association to help maintain trails and infrastructure within the area. Check out their website for up-to-date trail reports, trail info and the option to buy your trail pass online.

There are a number of staging areas throughout the Haliburton Highlands that allow riders direct access to the trails. The Outhouse Trail can be accessed from the Minden Off Road Park Centre. This expert level trail features a steady mix of water crossings, mud holes, rock crawls and hardpacked dirt. There are tons of connecting trails that allow numerous options for those with different riding capabilities or if you are just looking to change it up each time you ride the trail.

At the end of the trail you will find a stunning rock face overlooking a large hydro cut valley. The overlook showcases the endless skyline of greenery and the stark contrast of the Canadian Shield sprinkled underneath the canopies below. After you are done enjoying the view head over to the perfectly placed firepit to heat up some lunch and chat with your friends while you plan your route back (don’t forget to check for fire bans!). At approximately 85 km the Outhouse Trail is a great length for a laid back adventure ride.

If you forgot to pack a trail side lunch then hop on the road in Minden and head over to Tim Hortons or Dairy Queen for a quick bite. Better yet pull up a chair at one of the town's many restaurants including Molly’s Market Bakery, Mark’s Restaurant and Godfather Pizza! Want to eat and sleep in the same location? The Dominion Hotel Pub has a restaurant and casual room options while Minden Off-Road Park offers a Food Truck from May - November, along with cozy cottage rentals, motel style rooms and plenty of tent and RV camping sites.

Mattawa: Trail 62 Mica Mine

Traveling to the north you will find the picturesque town of Mattawa at the merging point of the Ottawa River and its namesake Mattawa River. Well known for its beauty and remoteness the aptly named Voyageur Multi Use Trail System (VMUTS). This network covers over 200 km of marked ATV trails that wind through scenic forests, alongside flowing rivers, onto plateaus with stunning outlooks and to an abandoned mica mine!

The VMUTS trails are well suited for all skill levels and the trails are clearly marked for difficulty and ride length. The trails are organized by color with green for well-maintained gravel roads; blue for narrower tracks meant for dual sport bikes; along with Red and Black meant for skilled riders. The VMUTS trail system is world renowned for its beauty, challenging rock crawls, water crossings, and deep dirty mud where you want it! There are additional trails and forestry roads that are NOT marked but allow access to over a thousand kilometers of remote northern wilderness for those with experience.

Back on the tamer side of the trail for those looking for a piece of history and an incredible experience the abandoned Purdy Mica Mine is a must visit destination. Luckily for riders the mine is accessible for ATV and SXS via Trail 62 just 4 km north of Highway 17 near the boundary of the provincial park and Mattawan Township. The mine was renowned for its muscovite mica deposits and was once the largest Canadian producer and one of North America's most prominent. During World War II the US Government contracted the mine for their war effort and utilized the mica for electrical insulators in various military vehicles, aircrafts, battleships and more mundane items like paint, rubber goods and even wallpaper.

The site has a few remains from its peak operating time including parts of the once bustling cookhouse, a partially intact bunkhouse that once housed 50 men and the stable that sheltered the numerous teams of horses used for mining and transport. For those brave enough to enter the cave itself an unexpected drop in temperature and sheer darkness await. The breathtaking natural mica formations still growing within the cave walls will make the adventure that much more rewarding. You can find multiple rest areas completed with outhouses and covered shelters, along with many lakeside camping areas for those looking to tent or have a trailside lunch. To get to the mine you can start your adventure at the big overhead wooden archway with a “Welcome to VMUTS” sign at the Trail 11 Trailhead.

The first Europeans to travel the lands were Etienne Brule and Samuel de Champlain as they explored the untouched wilderness of Ontario. This untouched wilderness is still something Mattawa and the surrounding Nipissing District are well known for. One of the benefits to riding in Mattawa and the surrounding townships is their ATV friendly by-laws that allow riders to travel on local roads. Riders can access accommodations from Mattawa Adventure Camp, Valois Motel, and Mattawa River Resort. Stop for breakfast at Myrt’s Family Restaurant on your way to the trail head and stop at Mountainview Restaurant or Tai Pan China Cafe for dinner on your way back! 

Elliot Lake: May Lake Loop

If the North is calling then Elliot Lake is where you need to point your compass! Nestled between Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie, in the heart of the breathtaking Algoma region, lays the one-of-a-kind City of Elliot Lake. Being true to its northern roots the Elliot Lake ATV Club and the Elliot Lake Snowbirds Snowmobile Club came together in the late 90’s to create a multi-use, cohesive and complete network of trails that benefits both off-road users and snowmobilers. The May Lake Loop is a shining example of the success of that partnership. Whether you ride in the summer, fall, winter or spring you can experience the May Lake Loop!

The biggest risk to snowmobile riders in the winter is the swamps and creeks. The snowmobile club has virtually eliminated water crossings on the Elliot Lake trails with hundreds of bridges and culverts. Both the ATV and Snowmobile clubs have worked together to develop and maintain safe, accessible and insured trails surrounding the city of Elliot Lake. The city itself was built as a planned community on a designated footprint that eliminates urban sprawl, sporadic homes and farms. Elliot Lake is surrounded by the vast network of looped trails that allow riders easy access to the services and luxuries of the city via ATV friendly by-laws giving road access.

The May Lake Loop is an easy to moderate 60 km trail that highlights the rugged wilderness with rock cliff views, wide bridges and quiet lakefront rest stops. All brought to you through the partnership of the Elliot Lake ATV Club and Elliot Lake Snowbirds. The southeast edge of the loop showcases a stunning rock cliff that blends with the horizon while the north offers a narrower trail section with some technical areas. Along the way stop and enjoy the lake views, bridge crossings, rock escarpments and local wildlife.

For those wanting to travel longer distances the trail can extend east to Whiskey Lake or head north to Dunlop Lake Lodge if you're looking for a cozy place to spend the night or to grab a bite to eat on the patio.

Regardless of which trails you conquer you can reach restaurants, gas, parts stores, grocery stores and accommodations right on the trail. Elliot Lake was one of the first cities to adopt ATV friendly by-laws and they pride themselves on this! Their network of trails are great for all ages, all riding abilities and they offer a variety of options for day trips, overnight stays and three-to-five day trips. With the classic accommodation options like Holiday Inn, Hampton Inn, and Comfort Inn you can stay at your favorite and reliable getaway. Enjoy some of the local favorite restaurants like FireSide Classic Grill, Chucks Roadhouse Bar & Grill or the Maple Restaurant.

Eastern Ontario: Hastings Heritage Trail

If you’re looking to rack up the kilometers on a single trail you need to check out the 156 km Hastings Heritage Trail. This multi-use trail follows the abandoned Central Ontario railway line and connects to the entire 2,700 km network of trails accessible to the Eastern Ontario Trail Alliance (EOTA). The network encompasses trails all the way from the Bay of Quinte north to Algonquin Park. Whether you’re looking for a peaceful day trip through scenic Eastern Ontario or you’re looking for an extreme multi-day adventure the EOTA has you covered.

A huge bonus to riding with the EOTA is their dedicated website to help you plan your trip and a detailed online map showing their entire trail network. The online map includes recent trail stats, trail parking and even current weather conditions!

The Hastings Heritage Trail has a large number of parking lots and access points along its route. Much of this network of trails are on decommissioned railway lines that snake through muddy wetlands, picturesque forests, pristine lakes and rolling farm land. With numerous points of interest including local lakes, Crookston Bridge, and the famous Marmora Mine. At the peak of production the mine was yielding half a million tons of pelletized iron. The mine reaches a whopping seven hundred and fifty feet and today over two thirds of the mine is flooded with water creating a stunning habitat for wildlife.

If you're looking to get off the hardpacked rail line there are a number of bush trails and access roads to spice up the ride. If you are feeling adventurous you can even visit one of Ontario's original colonization roads. Built in the 1860’s the Old Hastings road area is now dotted with ghost towns like Umfravillie, with only a cemetery remaining and Glanmire with its creepy stairs that lead from the cemetery to the empty space that was once St. Margaret's Church.

There are also plenty of vibrant and active towns to visit in the area as well! These towns have flourished despite the closing of the railway line and are now connected by the multi-use Hastings Heritage Trail, numerous other EOTA trails and the ATV/UTV friendly by-laws allowing road riding. Towns like Tweed, Madoc, Marmora and Stirling are considered the hidden gems of Eastern Ontario and are accessible via the Old Hastings Trail. With their charming boutiques, delicious restaurants, microbreweries and numerous accommodations you are sure to find what you need when you want it.

Note: this region will be hosting the largest ATV rally in the Ontario on June 21st. Don’t miss it! Click here for more information.

NOTE: This is sponsored content produced in partnership with Destination Ontario