ATV Trail S

The 5 Points Trail System

IN THE KAWARTHAS

By Carolyn Richards President, Kawartha ATV Association katva.ca

“You will come across bridges overlooking winding rivers”

Known as one of the most exciting off road adventure destinations in Ontario, the 5 Points trail system will not disappoint even the most seasoned powersport enthusiast. This trail system set in approximately 30,000 acres of bush made up of a mixture of crown land and private land is an outdoor lovers paradise.

As soon as you enter the system from one of the many trail heads you know instantly that you’re somewhere special. Within minutes you start to relax and forget about the stresses of daily life. At any time you might come across wildlife such as deer, moose, bear and pheasants are plentiful as well. Every year more than one trail is submersed in water as a result of the local beavers. They can be seen working away in the many ponds adjacent to the trails. Trap lines can also be found in areas of the trail system.

When exploring the trails you will come across bridges overlooking winding rivers, waterfalls, untouched marshes and swamps, Canadian shield, and stunning canopies of trees. It doesn’t matter whether you ride an ATV, SxS, dirt bike, jeep, mountain bike or hike, these trails are enjoyed by everyone. If you’re lucky enough you might even get a chance to camp on one of the few crown land campsites available within the forest.

Most trails are at least nine feet wide to accommodate the snow grooming equipment in winter, so they are also wide enough for ATVs, SxS and Jeeps to use. There’s also an abundance of single track trails throughout the forest with more trails being built each year by Kawartha Off Road Motorcycle Club which is a chapter of Kawartha ATV Association. If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to ride the trails that the Corduroy Enduro race is held on, you’ve come to the right place. Every year riders come from around the world to compete in this race that runs right through the 5 points trail system.

Many of the ATV and snowmobile trails on the crown land were originally built by loggers over the decades and were often found by the off road vehicle organizations to be abandoned and grown over. The trails going through the many sections of private property were often built and maintained for access during the hunting seasons. Eventually the local snowmobile clubs started maintaining the trails for the snowmobile season and for the last 15 years Kawartha ATV Association has worked with them as well as other off road vehicle organizations to manage and maintain the trails in a safe condition for all trail users to enjoy while still leaving some of the rocky terrain untouched for those looking for a challenge. These organizations act as land stewards for the MNRF and the private landowners who have signed land use agreements with them. They are all volunteers and if not for them the trails would have become impassable over the years.

Be sure and add the 5 points trail system to your bucket list. Maps and trail permits for ATVs, SxS and off road motorcycles can be found at www.katva.ca.