The Rides of March

With their historic snowfalls, and deep freeze temps, these towns know the best month of the riding season is March!

By Mike Jacobs Mike is passionate about sharing his love for the North with the rest of the world.

September 26, 2024

Snowmobiling in Northeastern Ontario is all about taking advantage of the great white North—a long, deep, snowy cold that can make the season two weeks or two months longer than the rest of the province.

Snowfalls and deep cold throughout February dusted white gold all over the trails in the North, and the polar vortex froze everything deep and solid. Northeastern Ontario is poised for the best March sledding in years with trails open for hundreds of miles in every direction.

OFSC Interactive Trail Guide - March 4, 2020

So if you've lamented the end of winter, and thought about fogging your engine and getting out your sled cover—THINK AGAIN. The Rides of March are upon us, and they reward those who make the drive to the borders of this vast sledding playground.

Looking for a place to start? These snowmobile-friendly communities are known for going late into the season:

Temiskaming Shores

6 Hours from Sault Ste. Marie Border
8.5 Hours from Detroit Border

Kirkland Lake

9.5 Hours from Detroit Border
7 Hours from Sault Ste. Marie Border

Black River-Matheson

7 Hours from Sault Ste. Marie Border

Iroquois Falls

7 Hours from Sault Ste. Marie Border

Timmins

6 Hours from Sault Ste. Marie Border
10.5 Hours from Detroit Border

Cochrane

7 Hours from Sault Ste. Marie Border
11 Hours from Detroit Border

Hearst

6 Hours from Sault Ste. Marie Border

Or try these Snow Tours:

Missinaibi Expedition - 165 km - Begins in Hearst
Abitibi Canyon - 300 km - Begins in Cochrane
Gold Rush - 20 0km - Begins in Temiskaming Shores
Gateway to the North - 215 km - Begins in Cochrane

Northeastern Ontario has hundreds of miles of connected trails, often billing itself as the #1 snowmobile destination in the world. There's almost always snow throughout the season.

Ontario Snowmobile Trail Permits here are available for $35/day, which means you can get a permit just for the days you're planning on riding.
If you're new to snowmobiling and want to try it, check out one of a dozen rental places all across the province.
If you think winter is over, think again. Over 80% of all trails in Ontario are still open and conditions for trails look good until MID-APRIL. Check trail availability HERE.
If you've already done every trail in your own backyard, click here for a list of all the Snow Tours in Ontario.
If you want to find some people to ride with, check out our listing of clubs on Facebook or our complete list of events.
To view more information on riding in March, check out this article.
Curious to see if our winter forecast for this year matched up to reality? Check this article.
If, for some insane reason, you haven't bought your permit yet, BUY ONE NOW!
To learn more about OFSC Snowmobiling, click here.

Special thanks to all the volunteers of the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs that create the world's best snowmobiling!

The Official Ontario Tourism Snowmobile Page

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About Mike Jacobs

Mike is an avid Northern traveller, having spent years traversing its backroads, and visiting its remote lodges and fun cities by car, RV, motorcycle, and boat. There's always something new to discover in the North and Mike never shies away from the next great adventure. Mike is the chairman of the board for the Tourism Technology Company.