Snowmachine season may be over, but ATV season is just gearing up.
Before you head out in search of mud, the Sudbury Trail Plan is reminding riders that the vast majority of trails located within the city limits are off limits once spring arrives.
“Most people assume that snowmobile trails are also ATV trails in the summer. This is definitely not the case,” Sudbury Trail Plan president Joel Brosseau said.
“One of the greatest challenges we face each year in creating a safe, legal snowmobile trail network is securing land use permissions from hundreds of landowners throughout the province. Our land use permissions are negotiated with individual landowners for the exclusive use of permitted snowmobiles on prescribed trails during the snowmobile season.”
Brosseau said the club, as well as riders, risk losing access to those private trails when other users like hikers, hunters, ATV riders and road vehicles use the trails during the off season.
“We work so hard to negotiate these land uses with private landowners in Sudbury and then you get ATVs and off-road trucks that tear up farmer’s properties and cause damage on private land. It causes a lot of problems,” he said.
Unlike other parts of the province, Greater Sudbury doesn’t have any organized ATV trails.
The grey-coloured areas shown on the map below indicate private land and are off limits outside of the snowmobiling season. However, ATVs are permitted to ride on Crown land, which is marked in pale yellow in the image below.
Those caught trespassing on private land may be subject to fines under the Trespass to Property Act.
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