Awesome ATV Group Ride in Northern Ontario

Events in this blog post took place prior to 2020 and before the COVID-19 pandemic. Follow all local regulations related to social distancing, group sizing and trail access.

By Cody McGhee
Marketing Coordinator
Yamaha Motor Canada

ATV riding in early spring is unmatched. The snow has melted almost everywhere, yet still lingers in the forest shadows. The trails are muddy (in a good way) and there isn’t a single bug to be found. It’s the perfect time to load up a couple of ATVs and head north and ride all weekend long, which is something I love to do.

Lucky for me, a few springs ago I got invited to join one of my colleagues on an annual group ride. The location always changes, but the premise was simple. Book your stay at the lodge, load up your ATV and gear, and head north to for some good times.

So off we went towards Northern Ontario for a weekend of riding ATVs. Our destination this time was the Sportsman’s Lodge and Wilderness Resort, which offers affordable rooms, bagged lunches to take with you, maps of the surrounding trails, and even a wash pad for after the ride!

This was my first time on a “destination” ATV weekend where lodging was booked in advance – a home base to eat, sleep, clean up and reminisce about the day’s activities while planning the next. Plus, the day doesn’t just end when the ride is over; you actually get to enjoy the whole day since you don’t have to load up for a long drive home.

We showed up around mid-afternoon on the Friday and wasted little time upon arrival. We checked in and made sure we were good with our rooms and then it was straight to ATVing (we figured the rooms could wait). We unloaded the trailer, put on our gear, grabbed a map from the front desk and hit the trails to make the most out of the limited daylight we still had! The surrounding trails were a mix of everything from deep mud holes to tight and technical uphill rock climbs that lead up to a lookout. It was great to ride trails I had never been on before.

That night we met up with the rest of the group at the dining hall, getting to know each other as we exchanged stories from the day’s ride. The group of guys out for this week was as varied as the terrain we rode on earlier that day: law enforcement officers, real estate agents, tradesmen, and an age gap of nearly 40 years between the youngest and oldest rider. We were just a group of guys united over our shared passion of ATVs. The next day we would cover more than 100 kilometres that promised to showcase the raw nature of the surrounding area.

The next morning everyone gassed up and geared up. If you’ve never embarked on an early Spring ride, my one tip is to pack lots of riding gear and be prepared for anything. Every one of us was dressed in hip waders, waterproof jackets and gloves. We knew there would be lots of water, and there’s nothing worse than being cold and wet all day. You can always take off layers throughout the day as you get to know the conditions.

Once everyone was ready, it was awesome to see the variety in the group mirrored in the variety of the machines. The ATV selection included everything from bone-stock units fresh off the showroom floor to purpose-built machines with every modification you could imagine. Each rider had certainly added their own flair to their ATV, with some of them even sporting custom home-built components. There was no banter about what brand you rode or the size of your motor. All that mattered was the fact that everyone had an ATV and just wanted to ride.

The riding itself was top tier. Northern Ontario has a lot of offer when it comes to off-road riding: rocky Canadian Shield, rolling hills, deep mud holes and extensive logging roads. There are thousands of kilometres of trails, offering ATV riders the opportunity to explore areas you simply can’t access any other way. We rode all day, taking small breaks here or there at technical sections so no one was left behind, and stopped at midday to enjoy a trail-side lunch. I have to say, this was a day that will be hard to beat.

Returning to the lodge later, the owners put on great dinner for all of us as we started talking about where the next ride might be.