Like many trail systems in the Great Lakes region, Trowbridge Forest (also known as "Shuniah Mines") began life as a Nordic ski center. Eventually, mountain bikes came on the scene, and local riders began scratching singletrack into the same area. Today, Trowbridge boasts "30km (18 miles) of mountain bike-optimized singletrack trail, a bike skills park, and 25km (15 miles) of Nordic doubletrack," according to the Black Sheep Mountain Bike Club.
The trails at Trowbridge deliver a distinctly rugged riding experience that reflects Thunder Bay's location on the Canadian Shield. The network features rocky, rooty trails winding through a boreal forest, with terrain that ranges from flowy XC loops to technically demanding descents. The newer gravity-fed downhill lines like Mag'ma' Day and Scary Canary are true intermediate-friendly crowd pleasers, according to the Blacksheep Trail Committee. For truly massive tabletop jumps reminiscent of A-Line, head to The Vein.
In recent years, Trowbridge has seen substantial investment, including $1.5 million in funding in 2020 for trail upgrades, including "a bike skills park with jump lines and a pump track, 10km+ (6 miles) of multiuse singletrack, [and] downhill bike-only gravity trails." In addition, $510,000 was awarded in 2024 for winter fat biking infrastructure expansion, including more kilometers of fat bike trails. While most of the trails on this list also offer fat biking in the winter, Thunder Bay — the northernmost town featured here — is all-in on winter riding.
-Greg Heil
8
Great flowy trails, technical riding as well. Great well marked trail system.
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