Ottawa Valley Upgrades Trails

With the good news received recently, snowmobilers should think seriously about including a trip to the Ottawa Valley in their snowmobiling plans for this winter. Ontario snowmobiling in that region takes a big step forward this winter thanks to a $230,000 tourism development investment in improvements for many of the trails you may ride.

The Snow Country Snowmobile Association of OFSC District 6 is undertaking 11 projects that include staging area signage, plus map boards and signs for TOP A & B, the RAP Tour trails that run through Snow Country.

Anchored by Pembroke and Renfrew in the east and Haliburton to the west, OFSC District 6 also runs along the Ottawa River behind Algonquin Park, the RAP route connecting to Mattawa and North Bay, and a main gateway to Northern Ontario. A renown snowmobile destination thanks to its great trails, varied terrain and good snow conditions, Snow Country can be accessed out of Haliburton via TOP B through Algonquin Park to Whitney and then along the beautiful Madawaska River to Barry’s Bay and points east. Riders out of the Bancroft area can also connect to TOP B at Whitney. From Ottawa and east, TOP A is the primary northbound route to Snow Country.

Besides the RAP Tour, Snow Country offers four other exciting snowmobile tours:

  • Voyageur Route (350 km, 1-2 days)
  • Madawaska Highlands Loop (180 k, 1 day)
  • Round Bonnechere Loop (230 km, 1 day)
  • Calabogie Highlands Loop (260 km, 1 day)

Popular staging hotels in the Ottawa Valley include the Best Western Renfrew, Best Western Pembroke, Sands on Golden Lake Resort and Spectacle Lake Lodge, near Barry’s Bay.  So whether you’re launching your RAP Tour from Snow Country or riding day loops out of one of the region’s many snowmobile friendly lodgings, you can’t go wrong with a winter visit to the Ottawa Valley. Snow Country’s 12 snowmobile clubs will make you feel more than welcome!

Snowmobiling Tourism Contacts:

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.

About Craig Nicholson—The Intrepid Snowmobiler

Popularly known as The Intrepid Snowmobiler, Craig Nicholson is an International Snowmobile Hall of Fame journalist who specializes in recreational snowmobiling activities. Craig has snowmobiled in every region of Canada and many states. His one-of-a-kind tour book, “Canada’s Best Snowmobiling – The Ultimate Ride Guide”, chronicles his adventures, as does his website and Facebook page.

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