Sturgeon Falls
SNOWMOBILING
Snowmobiling has taken over the winter landscape of Northern Ontario, and West Nipissing is no exception. What is exceptional about West Nipissing are the trails. With over 336 km of groomed trails connecting to the other major trail systems in the area, West Nipissing is part of the exploding Great Canadian Snowmobile Adventure.
There is a beautiful variety in West Nipissing, from the wide open spaces provided by trails on Lake Nipissing, to the up and down and around-the-curve trails that meander through wooded areas, to trails that take you to some of the finest dining locations in the region, at beautiful out-of-the-way locations and small villages on the system. There are some wonderful accommodations available right along the routes (check the lodges to see whether they provide winter accommodation). In West Nipissing more and more businesses are opening up their accommodations to the winter traffic.
The West Nipissing Snowmobile Club has been working very hard over the past few years not only to provide a super natural snowmobiling experience, but to assure that all the amenities are in place for the perfect snowmobile get-away weekend.
Le Club Motoneige du Nipissing Ouest est un club bilingue, et tous les établissements sur les routes motoneige offrent ses services bilingue. Le district du Nipissing Ouest et les environs sont bilingue.
The local trails connect with the T.O.P. Trails (Trans-Ontario Provincial) system, by linking with trails in Sudbury, St. Charles, Temagami, French River, North Bay, and the Quebec border. The West Nipissing Snowmobile Club is a member of the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC), and if you purchase an OFSC permit you can ride the local trails to your heart’s content. The local club also organizes special events around this sport, everything from snowmobile runs (like the Coconut Run) to snowmobile fashion shows to dances and poker runs.
This very active club is volunteer-based, with two large pieces of grooming equipment in their possession which enables the club to maintain trails from Sturgeon Falls to Cache Bay, from Verner to River Valley, on to Marten River, to Field and Crystal Falls, to Warren and Lavigne, south to Monetville (Shuswap Camp). The trails are well marked with signage, and safety is a priority.
There are lots of places to go. Everywhere along the trails food, gas, and beverages are available. Some of the locations are extremely accommodating, providing for huge, delicious Sunday brunches for snowmobilers in winter, organizing their own snowmobile events, and going that extra mile to make the snowmobiler feel welcome. As well, the various winter carnivals are also organized with snowmobiling in mind, some offering snowmobile races on the frozen lake as part of the contested events. A schedule of all the winter events is readily available from the West Nipissing Economic Development Office.
But what is of particular importance, of course, is the SNOW! West Nipissing normally has more than enough of it to go around, with the snow season running from December to March, with lots of the white stuff creating the best conditions.
So, pack your suits, bring your helmets, hitch up your snow machine, and make West Nipissing part of your winter vacation plans! You’ll love it here… This is SNOWMOBILE COUNTRY!
