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Where are we going to ride?
This question is often discussed huddled around a fire the night before or over a cup of coffee the morning of a snowmobile adventure. It bears serious weight and often determines the experience.
Any avid rider knows there are lots of incredible winter views only a snowmobile can offer. From the rugged and technical mountains of British Columbia to the smooth and scenic trails of Saskatchewan – and every kind of terrain in between – there are endless opportunities to get outdoors and make memories aboard your snowmobile in Canada.
We reached out to Yamaha staff across the nation to get their favourite riding spots to help you plan your next ride. See you on the mountains and trails – waving from a socially responsible distance of course!
Randy Swenson – Regional Sales Manager – British Columbia
My choice is Revelstoke, with its varied terrain, deep snow, vast mountain ranges, relatively mild temps, and great snowpack. The Revelstoke Snowmobile Club, BC’s largest, maintains several kilometres of access trails to huge alpine play zones. Not to mention, it has some amazing shelters and cabins at 6000 feet. Check out the Yamacam.
One of my favourite areas is Turtle Mountain, which offers more of a challenge with technical terrain and complex travel patterns. The “Kitchen” boasts amazing views, incredible tree riding, and some of the larger hill-climb zones in the area. Make sure you get some local knowledge before you endeavor.
Kelowna Snowmobile Club area is another must-visit with staples such as Graystokes Provincial Park hosting over 300 kilometres of groomed trails, four warm-up shelters, and the most amazing series of Alpine Meadows found in the province. With grooming most of the year, this is an ideal family zone that I learned how to ride in and have also coached my wife and sons at. To hit meadow after meadow after meadow with 3 feet of fresh after a decent storm cycle is near heaven without the Avalanche concerns.
Jeff McGirr – District Sales Manager - Ontario
Lookouts are one of my favourite ride-to destinations. There's something special about being able to peer way out into the great Canadian wilderness. This ride has three of them packed into one day!
The Explorers Snow Tour boasts 10 incredible points of interest over 234 kilometres. Boulter Lookout is located on the north edge of Algonquin Park outside of Bonfield on the BF205. Bird's Eye View is 32 kilometres north of Mattawa on the A112A and the remarkable Redbridge Lookout on NB304.
Northern Ontario is filled with endless riding opportunities; it’s also been “coined” the World’s Best Snowmobile destination. The City of Timmins and surrounding area makes my top ride list with its wide highway-like trails and incredible northern hospitality. For riders looking to get off the groomed trail and explore the Wawa area, Algoma Country is the place to go! And, if there’s one thing you can be sure of in Northern Ontario, winter is guaranteed!
Pat Hicks – District Sales Manager – New Brunswick
My favourite riding is from my home club in southeastern New Brunswick. In particular, the Fundy Highlands region offers up some of the best comradery as I often run into both family and friends!
One of the many notable lookout spots is Martin Head, where you’ll be greeted with a spectacular view of the long strand of coarse gravel connected to a rocky head at the mouth of the Quiddy River. Northern New Brunswick traditionally kicks off their season before the south with early snow, the central, northeastern and northwestern areas of the province are all great places to ride as well. There are lots of great clubs and volunteer support coupled with strong federation and government support.
In some places, the riding season usually kicks off in December in and extends well into April or early May. I would be doing an injustice if I didn’t give a shout out to Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island as well. They too have plenty of great places to ride.
Steeve Bolduc- District Sales Manager- Quebec
There are several wonderful places to go snowmobiling in my corner of the country. Mont-Valins is very popular but the lesser known Northern Lac St-Jean is just as magical. The snow is always plentiful in this area so there is breathtaking scenery everywhere you look.
For those who love hybrid snowmobiles, like me, this is the perfect playground to get off the trails a bit. A new trail was finalized last year to everyone's delight. It offers loops of 202, 236 or 397 kilometres for those who like to accumulate some distance. No matter which loop you choose, make sure you go to the new 49th parallel footbridge – it’s a must see. And the best thing about this area is that you can usually enjoy riding from December 15 to the end of April.
Douglas Bryshun- Business Relationship Manager- Saskatchewan
There are some amazing snowmobile riding in Saskatchewan, with spectacular hills and forest trails that would surprise many sledders!
Eastern Saskatchewan, starting around Prince Albert and east to the town of Hudson Bay, offers some of the best riding anywhere in Canada with areas like the Pasquia Hills and the amazing eskers of Narrow Hills Provincial Park. These areas are safely accessed via groomed trails through the Nisbet Provincial Forest, Lakeland and Candle Lake areas. These are all part of more than 10,500 kilometers maintained by various clubs in the Saskatchewan Snowmobile Association.
For a multi-day trip, I access the trail head in Melfort then head north into the provincial forest before looping down to Hudson Bay and finally travelling west back to Melfort. Overnight lodging, food and fuel is available at Piprell Lake, Nipawin, Carrot River and Hudson Bay. For a day trip, I start out in Prince Albert, head north to Lakeland then over to Candle Lake before returning to Prince Albert. Honorable mentions are Duck Mountain, Porcupine Hills and Moose Mountain areas.
Wherever you choose to ride in Saskatchewan, be prepared to discover a winter smile that only a Yamaha snowmobile can deliver!