There are places where nature opens up and lets you put some miles of trail between you and your problems. Northern Ontario is one of those places, and hands down one of the best. This place was simply built for ATVing, and the trails here are kept with care by riders who use and love them. But for those who haven't been, let me go over why Northern Ontario is where you want to ATV this year.
Hands down, Northern Ontario has one of the most comprehensive and diverse, dedicated ATV trail networks in the world. Much like our snowmobile trails, they are maintained and sanctioned by dedicated local volunteer groups organized by regional clubs, many of which can be found under the OFATV banner (Ontario Federation of ATV Clubs). Another plus of the Ontario trail systems is the wide-ranging terrain, which includes but is not limited to tree-lined corridors, hydro fields, elevation changes, and river crossings. You might even see a line-up of quads at the local Tim Horton’s drive-through!
Northern Ontario boasts some truly jaw-dropping sightseeing opportunities, some of which are conveniently located off of main trails. Two of my favourites in this class can be found in the Northeastern part of the province. The first is located in the Madawaska Valley region overlooking Algonquin Park, while the second can be found along the iconic Voyageur Multi-Use Trail System (or VMUTS). If you can make it to either during the fall foliage season, the photo opportunities (or better yet, bring a drone!) would be off the charts, producing ‘viral’ worthy social media content.
Not too long ago, if you wanted to go trail riding for the day, you had two options: buy a machine or beg a friend to borrow theirs. Thankfully, rental outfits have filled that particular void in the market, offering new and reliable machines, as well as rider training and head-to-toe safety gear for ‘newbies’. Some outfitters even run private guided tours with experienced and knowledgeable staff. One outfitter I’ve had personal experience with that checks all these boxes is Mukwa Adventure Tours. Based out of Spanish, ON in the Algoma region, Mukwa offers year-round ATV tours on over a thousand kilometres of picturesque Northern Ontario trail systems. They include complete instruction and guided tours running in all four seasons, using current BRP machines (in winter they even run tracks instead of tires for optimal traction and performance).
The landscape of what is considered “ATVing” changed drastically in the 2010s with the explosion in popularity of the UTVs (Utility Terrain Vehicles). Commonly known as ‘side-by-sides’, the biggest difference to their ATV cousins is that you actually drive a UTV as opposed to riding an ATV; It’s closer to a little off-road car that fits on the trails. Other big pluses are the added safety of protective roll cages and 5-point safety belts. UTVs give people with old injuries (or those averse to new ones) the opportunity to participate in the sport safely. The other notable benefit is storage space. A typical UTV provides several times the luggage capacity of a traditional ATV. Thanks to their current popularity, machines catering to every segment of the market now exist, from full-on workhorses to high-performance racers. The only perceivable downside is the added cost, as these sell for two to three times a traditional quad.
Arguably, the most important reason to go ATVing in Northern Ontario this season is for the sheer joy and sense of freedom that trail riding provides. Imagine doing something that doesn’t involve your phone, and in fact allows you to completely disconnect from it all. Due to its physical nature and inherent risk, you’re forced into a constant state of attention and readiness. I’ve always found this had a therapeutic effect that allowed me to shut down my brain and just exist in the moment. When you add in all the beauty of nature, maybe ATVing in Northern Ontario this summer is a pretty easy sell after all.
