From Toronto's backyard to the wilds of Lake Superior, Ontario's best MTB trails are seriously underrated

Hiawatha Highlands. Photo: Nick Iwanyshyn

With over 15 million residents, Ontario is the most populous province in Canada — by far. While Ontario technically has vast expanses of federal Crown land, much of it is remote boreal forest in the province’s northern reaches, accessible only by logging roads. The trails closer to population centers sit on a patchwork of provincial parks, conservation areas, and municipal land, requiring dedicated advocacy groups to navigate many layers of bureaucracy. But if there’s one thing we know about mountain bikers, it’s that we’re a resilient bunch — and the riders in Ontario have succeeded in building some pretty rad trails.

While the trail selections on this list are all located relatively close to population centers, they stretch much further north from the US border than our top 5 list in nearby Quebec. While Hydrocut and Durham Forest are located in the south near the metropolis of Toronto, Hiawatha Highlands and Trowbridge Forest are located many hours to the north on the shores of Lake Superior.

Trail systems close to Toronto are densely packed as they try to eek out the most flowy singletrack mileage possible. The northern trails are a bit more spread out, and they also offer much more rugged terrain. The Canadian Shield — an ancient geological formation covering most of the province — offers up steep, exposed granite slabs for technical downhills. In many places, twisted root webs cling to the exposed bedrock, providing a double-edged technical challenge.

Whether you’re looking for a close-to-home hit near Toronto or a true MTB destination in Northern Ontario, this list has a trail for you.

Hiawatha Highlands, Sault Ste. Marie

Sault Ste. Marie’s Hiawatha Highlands has quietly evolved into one of Ontario’s most impressive mountain bike destinations, boasting over 40 miles (64km) of purpose-built singletrack. Thanks to a massive $3.7 million CAD investment in trail development that kicked off in late 2020, this expansive network now delivers everything from gnarly rock slabs and technical enduro lines to bike park-quality jump trails — all free of charge. Travis Anderson, Director of Tourism and Community Development for Sault Ste. Marie, calls it “Ontario’s BC,” noting that “the slabs are long” and riders will find “the steepness that you would see in some of the networks out west… there’s nothing like it between the Rockies and Quebec.”

The trail system is divided into four distinct clusters, each offering a unique riding experience. Crystal Creek serves as the focal point of recent construction, featuring professionally-built jump lines where “we’ve got 20-plus-foot-long tabletops [and] some big step downs,” according to Anderson. The enduro trails near Farmer Lake deliver the gnar with seven technical downhill lines ranging from intermediate to expert, packed with brutal rock gardens, root webs, and steep slab rolls. For those seeking a backcountry adventure, the Farmer Lake Loop ventures deep into the wilderness where “you lose cell service,” rolling through wild northwoods terrain and connecting to multiple inland lakes. Nearby, the new Mile High Club trail showcases some of the tallest rock slab rolls in the entire system. Finally, Red Pine offers classic tight and twisty singletrack running over exposed bedrock slabs and tricky root webs.

Hiawatha offers an incredible variety of mountain biking opportunities packed into one trail system. With new additions like the 2025 Mile High Club and the Wishart Park Connector linking downtown to the trails, and more in the works in 2026, there’s always a new reason to visit — and return to — Hiawatha Highlands.

Full story: “Mountain Biking Sault Ste. Marie: A 3-day guide to the best trails“

Durham Forest Main Tract, Uxbridge

Durham Forest, located about 45 minutes northwest of the greater Toronto area, is renowned as one of the highest-quality MTB trail systems in this major metro area. The 22 miles (35km) of top-tier trails “stand out because they truly offer something for everyone, from beginners to seasoned riders,” said Dan Little, Director of Communications & Marketing for the Durham Mountain Biking Association (DMBA).

“The network features a mix of flowy singletrack and engaging elevation changes, making every ride dynamic and fun,” Little continued. The trails have all been hand-built by dedicated volunteers: DMBA is one of the largest MTB advocacy groups in the province, with about 1,200 members.

Little noted that the Main Tract of the Durham Forest is just one part of a larger trail system that totals almost 125 miles (200km) of interconnected trails, “including the Uxbridge Town trails, Walker Woods, Three Rocks, Dagmar, and the Trail Hub.” Despite the challenges of building on such fragmented land, DMBA has persevered and created a truly outstanding MTB destination.

Trowbridge Forest, Thunder Bay

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.

The Hydrocut, Kitchener-Waterloo

The Hydrocut is the “best trail system in Southwestern Ontario,” according to one stoked local rider.

When asked what makes the Hydrocut so special, “it’s the ingenuity, the creativity,” another rider answered. “They do everything so perfect, it makes you feel better than you are.”

The Hydrocut, located in the Kitchener-Waterloo region southwest of Toronto, has long been a mountain biker magnet. Today, the trail system features “Over 40km (25 miles) of flowing singletrack that draws more than 100,000 riders annually,” according to Brent Ellis, Chair of the Waterloo Cycling Club Trails Committee. “It’s completely free to ride and offers a mix of terrain with features like bridges, berms, jumps, and drops, providing excitement for all skill levels.”

It takes serious dedication for a trail system to remain relevant over the decades. Our first Ontario trail roundup was published in 2011, and of the five top trails on that list, two of them have been completely shut down. While the Hydrocut didn’t make that original list, riders had already been pedaling Hydrocut for years — and the trail system is astronomically better today.

“The entire system is maintained by a dedicated volunteer community, contributing thousands of hours each year to keep the trails in top shape,” Ellis explained. “This grassroots effort has made Hydrocut one of Ontario’s most popular mountain biking destinations.”

Today, Hydrocut is known for its fast, flowy trails and well-built jump lines. Some of the most popular trails in the system include Monkey Boy, Stinky Girl, and Sweet Street.

Wilderness Tours Bike Park, Beachburg

For 50 years, Wilderness Tours has been the go-to outfitter for tackling Class V rapids on Ontario’s legendary Ottawa River. But when they relocated to a property sitting 300 feet higher in elevation, those forested hillsides proved too tempting to ignore. What started as just two trails three years ago has exploded into a 15-mile (25km) bike park spread across 500 acres—and they’ve been doubling their trail count every single year since.

The park currently offers over 40 trail segments ranging from beginner greens to gnarly pro lines, with standout features like a 60-foot rock roll on the double black Gladiator trail. River Runner delivers old-school tech that rewards line choice, while Kessel Run serves up modern flow with berms and tabletops. The trails may top out at just three-quarters of a mile long, but the 300-foot elevation drop and natural terrain features—loamy chutes, janky tech sections, and hard-packed clay—punch well above their weight. A six-minute shuttle turnaround keeps the laps flowing, though pedaling up is always an option.

Unlike the other trail systems on this list, Wilderness Tours provides a complete adventure package: you can raft world-class whitewater one day, then shred bike park laps the next, all without leaving the resort. And they aren’t done building yet. “We have room for another dozen or so enduro-style trails,” McGuire told us. “That is what we’ve mapped and planned for the next two seasons of building.” Add in a 12-13-mile (20km) XC loop coming next year, and this is one destination that’s just getting started.

Full story: “An all-inclusive resort in Ontario lets you raft Class V rapids one day and shred bike park laps the next“