Touring Elliot Lake, Ontario, is an adventure-filled experience with so much potential. Explore stunning landscapes with scenic hiking trails, serene lakes, and lush forests. Visitors to this region can enjoy fishing, hunting, RVing, powerboating, and ATVing, or venture to local attractions like the fire tower lookout, museums, and wildlife sanctuaries. The town's rich mining history adds unique charm, offering both adventure and cultural exploration with some of the best lodges in all of Ontario, making it an especially ideal getaway for ATV enthusiasts looking for a mini vacation.
Before you head off on your ATV Lodge tour, check out the Elliot Lake ATV Club—one of Ontario's first-ever organized ATV clubs, and a group of riders with the inside track on best trails and rides around Elliot Lake. The club members maintain existing trails and construct new trails around the city and the surrounding region. Members also plan social events and coordinate organized rides, so check them out before heading north. The Elliot Lake ATV Club is also now part of the Ontario Federation of All-Terrain Vehicle Clubs (OFATV).
The Ontario Federation of All-Terrain Vehicle Clubs is a nonprofit organization committed to promoting safe and responsible ATV riding across Ontario. The organization represents a network of local ATV clubs, advocating for access to well-maintained trails while ensuring riders follow safety and environmental guidelines. The OFATV plays a crucial role in managing public relations, lobbying for ATV-friendly policies, and fostering partnerships with government agencies and landowners. It also offers educational resources, hosts events, and provides insurance coverage for local clubs. The OFATV play a pivotal role in ATV riding throughout Northern Ontario, especially around Elliot Lake.
Our first stop along our Elliot Lake ATV lodge tour is the cozy Wilderness Lodge on Mount Lake, located approximately 30 minutes from Elliot Lake. Wilderness Lodge is the ideal stop for smaller ATV riding groups, with four available cabins that sleep up to ten people. Each cabin comes equipped with a kitchen, running water, washrooms, utensils, and beds. Guests can enjoy the ATV trail network just north of Elliot Lake and surroundings and return to Wilderness Lodge at the end of the day to relax in the Sauna. Call the Lodge at (705) 848-2843 to book your ATV stop—you will not be disappointed.
Now we hop back on our machines and head south from Wilderness Lodge, towards Elliot Lake, and our next destination, Laurentian Lodge. This spectacular lodge offers accommodations in a variety of cabins. Starting with their brand-new Bayview Cottage, a large-bedroom, two-bathroom cabin overlooking Flack Lake, situated near the beach. This amazing space includes a master bedroom with a double-seater jacuzzi tub, a fully equipped kitchen, and a living room with gas fireplace—the ideal resting place for a weary group of ATV enthusiasts. Laurentian has many other cottages available in two- and three-bedroom configurations down to the bunkhouse with individual rooms available. Recently visited by my famous angling friend and former colleague, Ashley Rae on one of her fishing adventures, Laurentian Lodge is equally at home with angling guests as it is with powersport enthusiasts. Be sure to check them out!
Another few kilometres down the road towards Elliot Lake, you will arrive at Ten Mile Lake Lodge—a place the owners refer to as "a little piece of heaven" and I tend to agree! This lodge offers beautiful log-built housekeeping cabins, or cottages with access to shower rooms with hot water on demand. Ten Mile Lodge is the perfect setting after a long day on the trails, a place to disconnect and rejuvenate. The remote setting with secluded cabins offers privacy with wonderful views of the lake, wildlife and nature. The cabins accommodate two to six people, are fully equipped for housekeeping with propane stoves, refrigerators and self generated electricity and wood stoves for extra warmth. Cooking utensils and dishware, comfortable double and single bunk beds with central shower and sauna, also available upon request.
Another friend and former colleague, "Big" Dave Baker, an avid ATV enthusiast from Winchester, spent considerable time touring Elliot Lake on one of his big Northern Ontario ATV trips. Dave and his group found the network of trails run by the Elliot Lake ATV Club to be very well marked and maintained. This is great news for folks coming from out of the region looking for new but well-marked adventures.
Along with the always-important safety precautions required, while operating an ATV around Elliot Lake, or anywhere for that matter, proper etiquette and decorum are also necessary. Be mindful of private property and never use excessive speed on established trails. Consider possible damage to the terrain. Avoid sensitive wetlands. Minimize tree and shrub cutting and avoid discarding waste along the trails.
Your ATV Lodge tour of Elliot Lake is enhanced by the thrill of discovering remote, quiet spots, where nature’s beauty remains unspoiled. Northern Ontario’s ATV trails offer excitement and serenity, making it the perfect destination for outdoor enthusiasts seeking a true wilderness escape. Do yourself a favour this year: turn your ATV towards Elliot Lake and plan for a few essential stops along the way!
