There is literally nothing worse than waiting on Mother Nature to deliver. After being spoiled the last two seasons, waiting for snow this year has been painful, and even unbearable for those of us who’ve bought brand new sleds and are itching to try them out. Every snowmobiler south of Sudbury is in the same boat; we're all anxiously waiting for snow, for the lakes to freeze and for those OFSC trails to open up. But if you’re like me (way too impatient!) you’ll be looking for ways to get out there as soon as possible.

Here are 3 places in Northern Ontario that have snow and whose clubs are working at opening their trails right now. Keep an eye on Wawa, Timmins and Thunder Bay, they may be your best bets for trailering up to and getting your season started!   

Wawa, Ontario 

Just a short ride up from the Michigan border, Wawa is a 9.5 hour haul north from downtown Toronto but sure to please. It’s home to endless kilometres of OFSC trails and the deep powder of the remote backcountry. Wawa is a hopeful location as it already has enough snow to ride. According to locals, the area has been hit with a bunch of snow and grooming will begin shortly if it hasn’t already. With snow and temps ranging from -10 ºC to -20 ºC forecasted for the next few weeks, planning a trip up to Wawa would be worthwhile. 

Where to Stay in Wawa, Ontario

Where to Eat in Wawa, Ontario 

Guided Snow Tours in Wawa, Ontario

Stay Up to Date with Trail Conditions in Wawa

Sled Algoma

Algoma Sno-Plan Affiliation

Wawa on OFSC Interactive Trail Map

Timmins, Ontario 

Timmins is a bit of a shorter drive than Wawa if you’re coming from the GTA, about 7.5 hours. The area is known for getting crazy amounts of snow every winter and is a truly snowmobile-friendly destination. It’s big enough to offer all the urban amenities, such as restaurants, movie theatres and shopping, while small enough to allow exceptional access by snowmobile trail, a great benefit to couples and families who want multiple options for their sled trip.

Where to Stay in Timmins, Ontario

Where to Eat in Timmins, Ontario 

There are many locations to eat in Timmins from East Side Mario’s, Subway and Tim Hortons to home-style restaurants and pizza joints. 

Stay Up to Date with Trail Conditions in Timmins

Timmins Snowmobile Club Website

Timmins Snowmobile Club on Facebook

Polar Bear Riders Snowmobile Club Website

Polar Bear Riders SC on Facebook on Facebook 

Extreme Tours Cochrane

Northwestern Ontario

If you’re reading this in Manitoba, Minnesota, Wisconsin or Northern Michigan take note: the area northwest of Lake Superior is home to some of the most epic trails around. You can ride from Kakabeka Falls to the Manitoba Border and experience over 1000 km of the most remote groomed trails in existence.

According to the Thunder Bay Adventure Trails Snowmobile Club’s Facebook page, they have been out clearing trails and getting them prepped for the season. The Dryden Power Toboggan Club has got some trails opening up and The Emo Borderland Snowmobile Club has over 160km of trails open right now. The current forecast calls for continued cold weather and more snow in the region. So if you’re ready to experience the best of what Northwestern Ontario has to offer, load the sleds up and start driving north! 

Where to Stay in Northwestern Ontario 

Due to highway regulations in and around the City of Thunder Bay, there are few hotels that are snowmobile friendly (ride from the hotel type deal). It’s the smaller towns that lie between Thunder Bay and the Manitoba border that you’ll want to set up at. 

Where to Eat in Northwestern Ontario

Much like Timmins, Thunder Bay is a larger city and offers many different options from fine dining, casual, pizza joints, ma & pa restaurants, Chinese and everything in between. 

Stay Up to Date with Trail Conditions in Northwestern Ontario

Borderland Snowmobile Club

Borderland SC on Facebook

Thunder Bay Adventure Trails Snowmobile Club

Atikokan Sno-Ho Snowmobile Club

Northern Corridor du Nord Snowmobile Association

Sunset Trail Riders

Red Lake Trail Masters

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