Your Complete Guide to Riding on the South Bruce Peninsula ATV Trail Network For more information, please visit: www.sbpatvclub.ca Copyright 2015 TABLE OF CONTENTS About the Club . .1 About the Trails . .2 What You Need To Ride the Trails . .3 Trail Descriptions . 5 Where You Can (And Cannot) Ride . .7 2-Ups and Side-By-Sides . .8 Trail Etiquette . 9 Safety Tips . 11 How To Get Involved . .12 ABOUT THE CLUB ABOUT THE TRAILS Our Mission: The South Bruce Peninsula ATV Club operates over 160 kilometres of trails stretching from Highway 21 in the south to Wiarton in the north and To Design, Develop, Maintain and Monitor safe Lake Huron in the west to Georgian Bay in the east. Along with the Huron ATV trails in the Bruce Peninsula Region. Shores and West Grey ATV Clubs, we are the western division of the Eastern Ontario Trails Alliance. The club was formed in 2001 by a small group of off-road enthusiasts The trails are a healthy mix of off-road trails, multi-use rail trails, who wanted to see signed and regulated trails throughout the region unmaintained and gravel roads, and paved roadways connecting the for everyone to enjoy. After a great deal of hard work and trailblazing network together in a loop that takes approximately 8 hours to complete. with local stakeholders and government, the first trail in the region was opened in June of 2010. Every year since, new trails and connections A complete map of the trail network is included with each trail permit. have been added to make the trail what it is today. Volunteer Club members continue to work tirelessly to expand the range of the trail network. Food, Fuel, and Accommodations Food and fuel are available along the trail in Sauble Beach, Wiarton, and Shallow Lake. The trail map indicates where many of these businesses are Additionally, the Club is responsible for the maintenance of the trails. located. This includes repairing washed-out sections, trimming back foliage along the trail, and erecting signage for the safety of all. None of it Overnight accommodations are available in Sauble Beach and Wiarton would be possible without the help of volunteers who log hundreds of and most have direct access to the trail network. hours per year. 1 2 WHAT YOU NEED TO As Well As... RIDE THE TRAILS Trail Pass You must purchase a trail permit to ride on the South Bruce Peninsula ATV trail network. If you fail to do so, you are trespassing. Trail permits are available in the following formats: Protective Gear - Annual Permit ($150) - Weekly Permit ($75) When operating your off-road vehicle (ORV), you are required to wear a - Single Day Permit ($20) helmet that conforms to the same safety standards as motorcycle helmets (DOT, SNELL, etc.). It is also advisable to wear gloves padded on the Trail permits are available at the following locations: knuckles, long sleeves, pants, eye protection, and boots. - Thomboys Powersports and Equipment (Springmount) - Peninsula Sports (Wiarton) Documents - UPI Hepworth Gas & Convenience (Hepworth) - Naves Service Centre (Sauble Beach) You must possess a valid driver’s licence, class G2, M2, or higher. - Sauble Beach Motorsports (Sauble Beach) - Fretz’s Valu-Mart (Sauble Beach) All ORVs that operate on the trail system and on roadways must be - Shallow Lake Service Centre (Shallow Lake) registered with the Government of Ontario (MTO). According to provincial legislation, you must possess a valid permit for the ORV if you wish to operate it anywhere on land you do not own. Your permit also allows you to ride in Grey-Bruce on the Huron Shores, West Grey, and Dufferin-Grey ATV Club trails as well as the Further to that, you must also display a licence plate to the rear of your trails in other parts of the province that fall under either the Eastern ORV. It does not require to be validated yearly in the manner that the Ontario Trails Alliance or the Ontario Federation of ATV Clubs. licence plate on your personal vehicle does. For more information, visit www.thetrail.ca and www.ofatv.org or However, just like your personal vehicle, you must purchase and carry scan the following QR codes using your smartphone: proof of insurance for your ORV when operating it on trails and roadways. If you are stopped by the police, you will be required to provide the same three documents as if you were stopped in your personal vehicle -- driver’s licence, permit for the vehicle, and valid proof of insurance. 3 4 Bruce Caves Trail TRAIL DESCRIPTIONS The Bruce Caves Trail runs from Grey Road 1 just east of Oxenden to (All trails clearly marked on our map) Sideroad 20. At the west end, the trail is quite wet but offers solid Sauble River Trail bottoms. At about the halfway mark, the trail becomes very rocky. It is, however, incredibly scenic throughout. The Sauble River Trail runs on public land between Spring Creek Road from its south end to the Sauble Falls Parking Lot at the north end. It is a Kemble Mountain sand-based winding trail, portions of which run alongside the Sauble River. Picturesque views and wide, sweeping turns feature heavily on this trail. The most technical trail of all, Kemble Mountain features the deepest There can be some wet and muddy conditions at different times of the year, water and mud holes in the entire region. If your ORV is not equipped but it is generally dry. with a snorkel kit, do not attempt to traverse the water holes you will encounter along the trail. Luckily, dry detours are available at every hole Rankin River Trail and the views afforded by the elevation are well worth it. The Rankin River Trail begins at the Sauble Falls Parking Lot. It follows Coles Sideroad the Rankin River and stretches north past the intersection known as “The Junction” to the Boat Lake Trail. It winds through the Bruce County Forest The Coles Trail runs from Concession 20 at the north to Dawson Road at with some picturesque views of the river along the route. the south end. Beginning atop a rocky, solid ledge before descending down to a typically wet section of trail at the southern end makes this Boat Lake Trail trail a unique and enjoyable ride. The Boat Lake Trail runs north to Boat Lake Road and is primarily rock- The Rock Cut based, featuring several water holes. Recently repaired to be safer for all users, the Rock Cut connects Swamp Trail Sarawak-Keppel Townline to Concession 10. It rises 100 feet over a 400- foot portion of trail cut out from the Niagara Escarpment. At a safe If ever a trail lived up to its name, this is it. There are several deep mud speed, it is fun, challenging, and rewarding. holes, but for every mud hole, there is a dry detour for those who do not want to have to wash their off-road vehicle at the end of the day. It is Rail Trails advisable for at least one person in your group to be riding an off-road vehicle equipped with a winch! Willie’s Way starts at Centre Diagonal and heads north to Elm Street in Wiarton. Deer Run The South Bruce Peninsula Rail Trail starts at Highway 21 just east of Allenford and ends at Silver Lake Road, with a connection to the The Deer Run is an alternate route connecting the Rankin River Trail to the Georgian Bluffs Rail Trail, which starts at Bruce Road 10 north of Park Swamp Trail. It is extremely rocky, but is a fun and challenging technical Head and runs east through Benallen to the Owen Sound city limits. It is ride for those who enjoy low-range, four-wheeling rock crawls. a multi-use trail, so please watch for other users, slow down, and give 5 them plenty of room to pass. 6 WHERE YOU CAN 2-UPS AND (AND CANNOT!) RIDE SIDE-BY-SIDES All of the South Bruce Peninsula ATV Club trails are marked with white and green signage. As a general rule, staying on the marked trails ensures As of July 1, 2015, legislation was passed to permit the operations of you are following the law and not riding anywhere that an off-road vehicle purpose-built passenger ATVs (commonly known as 2-ups) and side-by- is prohibited. sides on the same public roadways that were previously only permissible to single-seater ATVs. If you choose to operate one of these types of vehicles, please familiarize yourself with the specific laws surrounding their use, such as the proper use of seat belts, helmets, and applicable age restrictions for passengers. Both the Town of South Bruce Peninsula and the Township of Georgian SBPATV does allow operation of these vehicles on our trails. Bluffs allow off-road vehicles on municipal roads (with some exceptions below). The following roadways are prohibited to Off-Road Vehicles: - Highway 6 except from Bruce Road 9 to Dyers Bay Road - Highway 21 - All Grey County Roads except: If you are operating a side-by-side that is wider than 50 inches, please be - Grey Road 1 from Zion Church Road to the Bruce Caves Trailhead aware and respectful of the foliage immediately adjacent to the trails, - Grey Road 17 from Highway 6 to the Rail Trail Entrance particularly on the Sauble and Rankin River Trails. - All Bruce County Roads - Lakeshore Boulevard North between Main Street and Sauble Falls Road - Sauble Falls Road between Lakeshore Boulevard North and the end of What about dirt bikes? Sauble Falls Road at Groves Point - Main Street between Sauble Falls Parkway and Lakeshore Boulevard We do not allow dirt bikes on our trail systems.