The 710 km Gold Rush Tour Loop will take you past several active and historic mining operations that will give you a true picture of how tough and resilient you had to be to carve your place in this wilderness.
The member clubs of the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) groom and maintain over 30,000 kilometres of trails across the province, and those trails cover just about every type of terrain. But beyond the creation of the huge trail network is the recognition that every region has unique touring opportunities and experiences. One such area is Northeastern Ontario which features a number of unique touring loops for you to choose from.
The mining industry has been a major economic force in northern Ontario for over a century. Extracting gold, silver, uranium, and of course nickel and other metals in the Sudbury area has been the lifeblood of communities. The 710 km Gold Rush Tour Loop will take you past several active and historic mining operations that will give you a true picture of how tough and resilient you had to be to carve your place in this wilderness. In terms of riding, you’ll run everything from hydro corridors to winding forest trails… history has never been this much fun! Communities on the tour route include Temiskaming Shores, Kirkland Lake and Timmins.
In the same region, you’ll want to consider the Abitibi Canyon Loop with the town of Cochrane as your starting point. The loop follows the A103 Trail and as it rounds the top, you come to the Abitibi Dam, which offers amazing views down the river. Another interesting stop before or after your tour is the Polar Bear Habitat in Cochrane, billed as the only captive bear habitat in the world dedicated solely to polar hears. If you’re a vintage sled fan, they’ve opened up the new Cochrane Classic Vintage Rider Snowmobile Museum adjacent to the Polar Habitat Welcome Centre.
Links:
www.norteasternontario.com will give you a complete picture of the activities available in the region.
Access to the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs Interactive Trail Guide, for up-to-date trail status reports, points of interest, services and amenities: www.ofsc.mapbase.ca/viewer
A guide to the “Ontario 8, the must-see tour loops across Ontario”: www.northernontario.travel/snowmobiling/ ofsc-snowmobile-tour-loops