VIDEO: Exploring Simcoe County

Just an hour and change north of the GTA, the COATV trails offer adventure for the whole family.

By Graham Adams Graham Adams is an ATV enthusiast and videographer.

April 12, 2023

If you're ever looking for a good trail system in Ontario and don’t know where to look, I might just have what you are looking for. The Central Ontario ATV trail system is an awesome way to enjoy a good day of riding with family and friends. Located 15 minutes north of Barrie, in Anten Mills and Phelpston, the trail runs through parts of the Simcoe County forest and is also located in the Township of Springwater. The trails consist of many different terrains.

Before making your trip to ride the COATV trails, make sure to buy a pass online. Once you've done that and you've got your day planned, there are two parking areas for you to use, one located just off of Nursery Road and the other just off Crossland Road. Once you unload your machine and get riding, you will find easy-riding sandy sections through the pine plantation and through both Anten Mills and Phelpston trails. Both trails are connected by an old railway bed. There is a road allowance connecting both trails located on Flos Rd 3, West of Phelpston road in Springwater Township. As you enter the Phelpston trail, you will pass over a nice a bridge where your fun begins.

coming down from 2nd bridge reshaped and cropped

You'll find a variety of different riding features as you weave through a nice tight ATV trail with a thick hardwood bush canopying overhead. As you drive around banked corners and some muddy sections, you will come across some hill sections for the riders who like the mud, and a nice bridge that the COATV club has just built for the riders who don’t want to try their luck in the mud.

coming out of the mudhole — There are other options for riders to try out such as some rocky, tight sections where you’re driving your four-wheeler around stumps and thick forest, trails designed for the more experienced riders in the group. If you forget to pack up on snacks or cold drinks before heading out on the trails, don’t worry: there is also a general store along the trail in Anten Mills, where you can stop and stock up for the rest of the day.

The COATV club, as well as Simcoe County and Springwater Township, have worked hard to maintain these trails and allow ATVs to be a part of the trail system in the Simcoe County forest. This is a growing sport, generating more popularity every year, and these trails are a good example of why. For the ATV enthusiast, the Central Ontario ATV trails are an awesome way to spend a day of riding. Being so close to Barrie, Wasaga Beach and Collingwood, you are in the epicenter of hotels, restaurants and other activities. This is a big bonus if you are planning a few days' stay in the area with family or friends.

For more information on the trails and permits sales check out www.coatv.ca or join their Facebook page.

Get Your Central Ontario ATV PowerPass and get on the trails!

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About Graham Adams

Growing up, ATVing was always a passion of mine. Ever since my dad introduced me to the world with a Kawasaki he bought when I was about 8 years old, ATVing has become more than just a sport; it's become a story. A story that I can tell with a video camera, my second-favourite hobby being videography and photography. Its something that I am also very passionate about because I have been filming events and rides since I was 13 years old. With many years riding, and working in a factory saving money, I decided it was time to go back to school. That's where I graduated with a diploma in TV Broadcasting and Video Production at Canadore College in North Bay. The experience in offroading, mud racing, extreme trail riding, and the video camera is something that comes naturally to me, and I hope to help this sport grow with every click of the record button and every push of the throttle...