My wife and I and the kids are heading to Manitoulin for a week or so in early August to visit family, with a 3 day stop in Mattawa so my 9 year old and I can explore the VMuts trails for a bit. Does anyone know of any trails or off road riding places on Manitoulin, or even Espanola area? It would have to be off-road only. I have a blue plate but my 9 year old doesn’t! The internet tells me there was an MX track in Providence Bay in 2012 or 2014, but i can’t find any recen info about it anywhere. I’m wondering if it will be worth trailering the bikes all the way or if I’d be better off leaving them at a friend’s place in Sudbury. Thanks, Trevor
There is a good rail trail that runs from Espanola to Birch Island or thereabouts. It's easy to find in Espanola, it is behind the beer store. I don't know if that on it's own is worth hauling your bikes up for, but it is a nice trail with decent views.
Thanks for that Visser. I know where that beer store is! Is it an old rail line that’s been converted to a trail?
I don't know the history of it, but yeah it was a rail line that weaved it's way around the hills and lakes. It is pretty scenic. I think the Snowmobile federation maintains in for winter use now, and am not sure if it falls under any ATV or bike club during the summer months. It seems to get a lot of use, especially near the Reservation on the Southern end (lots of No Trespassing signs to tell you to turn around before you get into the Reservation lands).
Last time I was up there three years ago the trail was impassable. It had many washouts and could not be rode with bikes. I was told màybe with an ATV or snowmobile in winter. Someone please correct me if I am wrong.
If it is the one I am thinking of I rode it a few years ago. It has some fantastic views! And if I remember correctly some pretty great bridges too!
Ugh.... bridges like that would scare me! We encountered a giant bridge like that over the wanapitei river a few weeks ago near Sudbury, but we turned around for fear of falling off. Then I had a nightmare the other night that we tried to cross it and my 9 year old lost control and went off the side.... So I’m not sure I’d let him ride over those.... I might ride his bike across, just to be safe. Are there a lot of bridges like that on the trail?
Also, just in case anyone is wondering, I’ve contacted the fairgrounds at providence bay and they’ve confirmed to me that the MX track is no longer in operation, and they don’t know where a kid could ride a dirt bike around there.
There was 2 or 3 I think. This one was likely 40-50' drop. I was alone so it made my butt pucker a little! I likely wouldn't let my kid ride across it either. I think I would be worried about the old look where you want to go not where you could possibly fall to your.... Well you know.
I think I remember three bridges all together, but they are in good shape and not too scary. Not like the one over the Wanapitae River -- that one has gaps from missing and rotten ties and is much longer and higher. Here are two views of the largest bridge on this trail: Most of the trail looks something like this: There were also a couple spots of water, but nothing too deep. The longest was about 50 yards and was pretty well right under highway 6. It looked like it could be deep but wasn't. It has a solid base with no surprises. I think this was the spot where the biggest water was, and the one that might give some trouble or intimidate your boy: https://goo.gl/maps/frYxB2is7QNyoEWJ7
I also remember it as being one of the smoother less wooped out rail trails. I really enjoyed it as an easy going scenic run
Ok great! Thanks for your help and photos.... really helpful. I think we’re going to give it a try. Might walk across the bridges, but that will be fine!
Thanks to those who offered some helpful advice! My 9 year old son and I, joined by my 75 year old former-enduro-racer-but-hasn’t-been-on-a-dirt-bike-in-30-years-father-in-law Mike on my daughter’s CRF100, took the trail from Espanola to the Lawson quarry near Whitefish Falls. We turned around before we had to because we were a bit tired, but had a great time. The deep water spot that Visser mentions above was pretty deep. Mike and I were able to cross it with little trouble, but my 9 year old on his CRF110 with the slanted forward engine was not able to ride it across - too deep. For reference, on my drz400 the water at the deepest spot was about 3 inches above my skid plate. I walked his bike through it, while it was running and helping me push it along, until the deepest spot where I shut the engine off for fear of sucking water into the airbox because it was that deep. Even avoiding that deepest spot the spark plug got wet and the bike had some trouble starting and ran kinda crappy for a while. We also all soaked our boots pretty good, and the trip I took ensured that my gloves and shirt got wet too, but nothing serious. I also rode his bike across the long bridge, which was actually scarier to walk across than ride across, which I had to do a couple of times to go get the little bike and then my son. But other than that, it was smooth sailing and quite a nice easy ride for a young kid and an older man. We all had a great time.
