Snowmobilers looking for reliable snow in southern Ontario need look no farther than the Owen Sound area. Located between Lake Huron and Georgian Bay, it benefits from plenty of lake effect snow throughout the winter. Part of OFSC District 9, the Owen Sound area comprises Grey and Bruce Counties, commonly known as the Grey-Bruce.
This area is close to the border crossings at Windsor and Sarnia and an easy drive from the Greater Toronto Area.
Located on the eastern shore of Owen Sound Bay and right downtown, the Best Western Inn on the Bay is a good staging location for day trips. This full service hotel offers lots of parking, plus amenities including restaurant, hot tub, fitness centre and sauna. It’s accessible by sled off of TOP Trail B on the east side of Owen Sound.
OFSC District 9 provides a mix of club and TOP trails with loops of varying distance. Rather than number their club trails, this district
numbers its intersections both on their trail guide and on the snow, so it’s easy to verify turn offs.
One day, you can head southeast from TOP B on TOP B110 and loop back as soon as Chatsworth or as far down this abandoned rail line as Markdale. In either case, turn west and head across through farm country to Chesley or Walkerton before circling back north into Owen Sound.
A second day ride will take you on TOP B westbound to B108 north, turning east at intersection 52 to go into Wiarton, home of the famous Wiarton Willie and his festival, for lunch and fuel at the Shenstone Motel on TOP B107 south. For spectacular views of Colpoy’s Bay, go east of the club trail at intersection 45 before looping back southbound into Owen Sound. While day one featured wide-open trails in farm country, this day tour gets more into windy forest trails and more varied terrain.
If you need to add a third day, take TOP B east from Owen Sound past Meaford and turn south at intersection 167, following the club trail to TOP B111 westbound back to TOP B110 north to Owen Sound. Of course, any of these suggested day rides can be shortened or expanded by checking various options of the District 9 Trail Guide. One thing for sure, you will have no shortage of great trail riding out of Owen Sound!
Snowmobiling Tourism Contacts:
Bruce Peninsula, Southern Georgian Bay and Lake Simcoe Region
Contributing partners for this Ontario snowmobiling site about great Ontario snowmobile trails and snowmobile conditions include:Intrepid Snowmobiler,Murphy Insurance,Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs, Ontario Tourism,Snow Goer Media,Supertrax Media.
