ATV clubs provide a place to ride

Related Stories

Off-road fun for all
THE MUSKOKAN - Park to Park is a network of 230 kilometres of multi-use trail running from Parry Sound to...

THE MUSKOKAN - ATV riders everywhere know the drill: buy a machine, then look for a place to ride.
In central Ontario, logging roads and Crown land trails are the routes of choice, but a growing number of riders are opting for something a little more organized: ATV trail clubs.
Joining a club can be a great way for riders to get a bit more territory to explore, says Brent Stapleton of the Algonquin West ATV club. Centred in the Almaguin region, the club maintains around 400 kilometres of trails for its members to enjoy.
“Some of them are on Crown land, as well as on private land where we have an agreement with the landowners,” said Stapleton.
The club has also formed partnerships with other ATV clubs, and formed a reciprocal agreement with the Park to Park Trail Association, allowing members of both groups to use each others’ trails.
The agreement with the Park to Park group has given Algonquin West club members access to an addition 100 kilometres of trails.
Stapleton said the club runs along very similar lines to the way snowmobile clubs are formed, with members buying trail permits and volunteers performing a host of duties, from trail maintenance to negotiating with landowners to addressing municipal governments to arrange for road access.
“That’s always a challenge,” Stapleton said.
Some of the landowners also allow their property to be used for snowmobile trails in the winter, but most of the property is restricted to ATV use only. The trails are typically open from May 1 to Nov. 30.
Another challenge for the growth of the sport is the lack of a unified provincial voice — the various ATV clubs belong to one of two provincial organizations, ATV Ontario or the Ontario Federation of ATV Clubs, each with their own approaches and styles and their own reciprocal agreements. Algonquin West is part of ATV Ontario; the Baxter ATV club in the Port Severn area is part of the OFATV.
Like the snowmobile clubs in their early days, the ATV clubs still have some growing to do, said Stapleton. One of his goals is to see a larger, more connected trail network that would allow riders to travel greater distances and tour.
“The goal is to create a destination for riders,” he said.

Small - Large
|
Print
|
Email
|
|