ATV Trails in the Kawarthas

By Carolyn Richards President,

Kawartha ATV Association katva.ca

The Kawarthas are home to some of the most desirable trails in off-road motorsports. We have something for everyone, from a beginner new to the sport looking for a nice leisurely scenic ride to those looking for a challenge riding on rocky ridges or waste deep water and mud holes.

“You can even ride into Fenelon Falls on your ATV for lunch or dinner.”

Every year thousands of people travel to the Kawarthas to ride the Kawartha ATV Association (KATVA) trail systems. KATVA is the largest ATV club in Ontario with over 1500 annual members and have two unique trail systems they manage.

The first is in the City of Kawartha Lakes. These trails include the Victoria Rail Trail Corridor, which is 84 kms of railway bed stretching from Bethany north to Kinmount. There is also the Somerville Forest Tract, which is a 6000 acre block of pine compartments and dense bush that are actively forested by the Municipality. These trails are very popular with the local residents and cottagers, and you can even ride into Fenelon Falls on your ATV for lunch or dinner. The village of Kinmount is also very ATV friendly, and even went so far as to build a parking area for recreational vehicles only.

The second trail system is best known as the 5 Points. This riding area in the municipality of Trent Lakes, just north of Bobcaygeon, extends to Kinmount and Gooderham. These trails are located on a mix of crown land and private land. They vary in type, from abandoned logging roads to rocky ridges, and are the most popular trails in the Kawarthas. They are so popular in fact, that KATVA made an unprecedented move by purchasing a section of this trail system in January 2019, thereby securing

“All motorized trail users including off-road trucks, off-road motorcycles and snowmobilers”

access to these trails for their members for many years to come. The benefits to their club members and other trail user groups are significant. These trails are a main attraction to all motorized trail users, including offroad trucks, off-road motorcycles and snowmobilers. KATVA has a plan to work with these groups to build trails on their land for everyone to enjoy. This multi-use trail plan will be the first of it’s kind in Ontario, and will only enhance the tourism opportunities for the area.

Trail permits are required on all KATVA trails with the exception of crown land only trails, which are very scarce as most crown land trails cross over private property at some point. The revenue from trail permits goes back into the development and maintenance of the trails, as well as promotion of the sport throughout Ontario. KATVA has a long standing reciprocal agreement with Haliburton ATV Association (including their chapter clubs), Algonquin West ATV Club and Lake of Bays ATV Club, or as they call themselves the “Family of Clubs”. The most recent addition to the family was Quad Niagara, which operates a trail system in the Welland area. This reciprocal agreement means that members of these organizations have the benefit of enjoying each others trails, at no additional costs.

The agreement has been in place for almost 10 years, and continues to be the most successful partnership between ATV clubs in Ontario.

As the sport of ATVing continues to grow, so will Kawartha ATV Association and their trail systems. New trails are opened every year for their riders and they continue to work with adjacent municipalities to create access for their riders. There is really no end in sight.

By Carolyn Richards President,

Kawartha ATV Association katva.ca

The Kawarthas are home to some of the most desirable trails in off-road motorsports. We have something for everyone, from a beginner new to the sport looking for a nice leisurely scenic ride to those looking for a challenge riding on rocky ridges or waste deep water and mud holes.

“You can even ride into Fenelon Falls on your ATV for lunch or dinner.”

Every year thousands of people travel to the Kawarthas to ride the Kawartha ATV Association (KATVA) trail systems. KATVA is the largest ATV club in Ontario with over 1500 annual members and have two unique trail systems they manage.

The first is in the City of Kawartha Lakes. These trails include the Victoria Rail Trail Corridor, which is 84 kms of railway bed stretching from Bethany north to Kinmount. There is also the Somerville Forest Tract, which is a 6000 acre block of pine compartments and dense bush that are actively forested by the Municipality. These trails are very popular with the local residents and cottagers, and you can even ride into Fenelon Falls on your ATV for lunch or dinner. The village of Kinmount is also very ATV friendly, and even went so far as to build a parking area for recreational vehicles only.

The second trail system is best known as the 5 Points. This riding area in the municipality of Trent Lakes, just north of Bobcaygeon, extends to Kinmount and Gooderham. These trails are located on a mix of crown land and private land. They vary in type, from abandoned logging roads to rocky ridges, and are the most popular trails in the Kawarthas. They are so popular in fact, that KATVA made an unprecedented move by purchasing a section of this trail system in January 2019, thereby securing

“All motorized trail users including off-road trucks, off-road motorcycles and snowmobilers”

access to these trails for their members for many years to come. The benefits to their club members and other trail user groups are significant. These trails are a main attraction to all motorized trail users, including offroad trucks, off-road motorcycles and snowmobilers. KATVA has a plan to work with these groups to build trails on their land for everyone to enjoy. This multi-use trail plan will be the first of it’s kind in Ontario, and will only enhance the tourism opportunities for the area.

Trail permits are required on all KATVA trails with the exception of crown land only trails, which are very scarce as most crown land trails cross over private property at some point. The revenue from trail permits goes back into the development and maintenance of the trails, as well as promotion of the sport throughout Ontario. KATVA has a long standing reciprocal agreement with Haliburton ATV Association (including their chapter clubs), Algonquin West ATV Club and Lake of Bays ATV Club, or as they call themselves the “Family of Clubs”. The most recent addition to the family was Quad Niagara, which operates a trail system in the Welland area. This reciprocal agreement means that members of these organizations have the benefit of enjoying each others trails, at no additional costs.

The agreement has been in place for almost 10 years, and continues to be the most successful partnership between ATV clubs in Ontario.

As the sport of ATVing continues to grow, so will Kawartha ATV Association and their trail systems. New trails are opened every year for their riders and they continue to work with adjacent municipalities to create access for their riders. There is really no end in sight.

By Carolyn Richards President,

Kawartha ATV Association katva.ca

The Kawarthas are home to some of the most desirable trails in off-road motorsports. We have something for everyone, from a beginner new to the sport looking for a nice leisurely scenic ride to those looking for a challenge riding on rocky ridges or waste deep water and mud holes.

“You can even ride into Fenelon Falls on your ATV for lunch or dinner.”

Every year thousands of people travel to the Kawarthas to ride the Kawartha ATV Association (KATVA) trail systems. KATVA is the largest ATV club in Ontario with over 1500 annual members and have two unique trail systems they manage.

The first is in the City of Kawartha Lakes. These trails include the Victoria Rail Trail Corridor, which is 84 kms of railway bed stretching from Bethany north to Kinmount. There is also the Somerville Forest Tract, which is a 6000 acre block of pine compartments and dense bush that are actively forested by the Municipality. These trails are very popular with the local residents and cottagers, and you can even ride into Fenelon Falls on your ATV for lunch or dinner. The village of Kinmount is also very ATV friendly, and even went so far as to build a parking area for recreational vehicles only.

The second trail system is best known as the 5 Points. This riding area in the municipality of Trent Lakes, just north of Bobcaygeon, extends to Kinmount and Gooderham. These trails are located on a mix of crown land and private land. They vary in type, from abandoned logging roads to rocky ridges, and are the most popular trails in the Kawarthas. They are so popular in fact, that KATVA made an unprecedented move by purchasing a section of this trail system in January 2019, thereby securing

“All motorized trail users including off-road trucks, off-road motorcycles and snowmobilers”

access to these trails for their members for many years to come. The benefits to their club members and other trail user groups are significant. These trails are a main attraction to all motorized trail users, including offroad trucks, off-road motorcycles and snowmobilers. KATVA has a plan to work with these groups to build trails on their land for everyone to enjoy. This multi-use trail plan will be the first of it’s kind in Ontario, and will only enhance the tourism opportunities for the area.

Trail permits are required on all KATVA trails with the exception of crown land only trails, which are very scarce as most crown land trails cross over private property at some point. The revenue from trail permits goes back into the development and maintenance of the trails, as well as promotion of the sport throughout Ontario. KATVA has a long standing reciprocal agreement with Haliburton ATV Association (including their chapter clubs), Algonquin West ATV Club and Lake of Bays ATV Club, or as they call themselves the “Family of Clubs”. The most recent addition to the family was Quad Niagara, which operates a trail system in the Welland area. This reciprocal agreement means that members of these organizations have the benefit of enjoying each others trails, at no additional costs.

The agreement has been in place for almost 10 years, and continues to be the most successful partnership between ATV clubs in Ontario.

As the sport of ATVing continues to grow, so will Kawartha ATV Association and their trail systems. New trails are opened every year for their riders and they continue to work with adjacent municipalities to create access for their riders. There is really no end in sight.