These Are the Top 5 Motorcycle Roads in Ontario

What makes a great road to ride? Of course, we all love a good section of twisties, but there are other elements that can make a road fun to ride. Are you interested in history? There are some roads that are as old as the country and retain to this day vestiges of another era. Others may possess spectacular natural views, and some take you through small towns that provide a sense of local culture.

I’ve ridden fairly extensively throughout Ontario, Canada and, while I don’t claim to know all the roads, here are my 5 favourites. They are all good in different ways so are presented here in no particular order.

1. Highway 17 from Sault Ste. Marie to Thunder Bay

Let’s start with a bang. I’ve written about this road before when asked to choose only one. Highway 17 in the northwest of Ontario is far enough away from the urban sprawl of the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) to feel remote and pristine. Soon after leaving the Sault, travelling west, you enter Lake Superior Provincial Park with several campgrounds, but regardless of whether you’re camping or not, be sure to pull off at Agawa Bay for the sandy beach and Agawa Rock containing ancient Ojibwe pictographs. When you leave the park travelling west, keep your eye out for the Wawa goose, and then settle in to miles and miles of excellent rolling tarmac with spectacular views of Gichigami, Ojibwe for Great Sea, or Lake Superior. Although only two lanes, there are passing lanes on many hills so you can get past that RV and stretch your bike’s legs. At the end of the day, there’s Pukaskwa National Park to rest your head, get down to the shore, or hike inland to The White River Suspension Bridge. If you want a sense of northern Ontario, Highway 17 is it.

2. Historic Highway 2

The first ride I ever did, the day after I got my licence, was along Highway 2 from the Quebec border to Kingston. It borders water almost its entire length, first in the east with the St. Lawrence River and opening up to Lake Ontario west of Brockville. It’s also one of Canada’s oldest roads with a ton of history to explore, particularly Loyalist history. Be sure to check out the Lost Villages Museum, containing replicas of buildings flooded when the Long Sault dam was built, and the Long Sault Parkway, known as the Florida Keys of the north. (It’s actually a series of islands created by the flooding and strung together by bridges.) Windmill Point still contains the original windmill that was the focal point of the 1838 uprising, when Americans invaded across the river in a failed attempt to overthrow the fledging government. Just down the street in Prescott is Fort Wellington, an important early military location, and in Brockville you can walk the first train tunnel in Canada. And while we are on the road of firsts, once you get to Kingston, you can tour the first penitentiary and, a little further, the original milestone marking Highway 2 as the first asphalt highway in Canada. Riding Highway 2 is like riding back in time to the birth of Canada.

• Check out my guide to riding Highway 2.

3. Highway 11 north of Kingston

Now that you’re in Kingston, head north on Highway 11, another favourite of mine. Highway 11 starts off pretty tame but be patient: the further away from metropolitan Kingston you go, the twistier it becomes, luring you up into the adrenaline zone as it carves its way through the heart of Frontenac County. It passes through the town of Battersea, from which it takes its secondary name, Battersea Road, before seamlessly turning into Jones Falls Road further north. There aren’t falls here anymore because they were replaced with a lock station when the Rideau Canal was built. The Jones Fall Lock Station comes near the end of Highway 11 so is a good place to take a breath, or a few deep breaths, while you take a walking tour of this National Historic Site. It’s been kept largely the way it was in the 19th Century. In fact, why not make it a destination ride and stay for the night at the adjacent Hotel Kenney, established in 1807, that offers waterfront rooms, a restaurant, lounge, bakery, and snack bar. Highway 11 is a roller coaster ride that comes to a lurching halt in the tranquility of another era.

4. Highway 6 from Espanola onto Manitoulin Island

Sometimes you don’t want the rush of twisties but the cruising calm of sweepers, especially if you want to enjoy the scenery. Highway 6 descends down from the Trans Canada Highway west of Sudbury onto Manitoulin Island, officially crossing onto the island at Little Current. This is Canadian Shield geography and at the sides of the road are several different types of rock, so as you descend, it’s like you’re passing through layers of the earth’s crust and back through deep time. If geology isn’t your thing, the countryside is beautiful with rolling forested hills and dotted with many small lakes which Highway 6 weaves between as it undulates toward the final destination of the island, canola farmland, and the beaches of Lake Huron. When you climb off the bike, you are on island time, which is not a different time zone but a slower pace that allows you to forget about urban life and fully relax. Be sure to enjoy some local seafood at Lake Huron Fish & Chips followed by some also local Farquhar’s Ice Cream. Sometimes the destination is equal to the ride.

5. Highway 533 north of Mattawa

As far as pure riding goes, I’ve saved the best for last. The 533 is only 52 kilometers long, but it will be the best 52 kilometers you’ve ever ridden. There’s not much to look at on this road because it’s passing through some dense bush, but you want to keep your eyes and mind on the road anyway. I’ve never been to the track but I imagine this is what it must be like, minus the straightaway, because the 533 is a constant series of tight, twisty turns, some so long it feels like you have ridden an entire circle by the time you exit the corner. Have fun, ride responsibly, always leaving a 15% buffer for error or unexpected hazards, and let me add that there are moose and deer and therefore hunters on this road, so ride accordingly. At the end of your joyride you will pull into the charming town of Mattawa with its sidewalk wood carvings and Turcotte’s Chipstand, a family-owned stand now in its 3rd generation. Let your bike cool while you enjoy the best poutine outside of Quebec and saunter along the sidewalk, taking in some local folk art and small-town atmosphere.

What's Your Best Road in Ontario?

Which of these Ontario roads have you ridden? More importantly, which roads did I miss? Drop a comment below or email us at info@northernontario.travel and let us know what your favourite road in Ontario is and why. We’d love to hear from you, and I’d love to ride some more great roads. 

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