New Pump Track and Bike Trails in Lake of Bays

Mar 31 2016

New Pump Track and Bike Trails in Lake of Bays

For cyclists seeking adventure in Ontario’s cottage country, a visit to the new Echo Valley Nature and Bike Trails  in Lake of Bays Township is a thrilling way to spend a day in the scenic woods of north Muskoka. Don’t let the serene name fool you – the 3.5 kilometres of trails are full of fun and challenging obstacles for riders of all abilities.

Fun Pump Track

Right at the trail head is a brand-new pump track – a looping route made of dirt mounds and berms that new riders and kids can ride (almost without pedalling) for easy skills development. More experienced riders can take it at a faster pace for leg-pumping, heart-pounding excitement. Once you warm up, hit the wider-reaching trails for some woodland action. The main trail is 1.5 kilometres of scenic, all-abilities terrain.

Pump Track 3If you want a challenge, veer off onto one of the side trails – they’re marked by difficulty level – to encounter a variety of obstacles like rocks, single-track bridges, hills and stairs. (Descending stairs was a first for me and – as an intermediate rider – an initially daunting but ultimately exhilarating experience.)

With fourteen trails that all loop back to the main artery, you could easily spend half a day or more exploring the woods without ever returning to the parking lot.

The trails are located a short drive off Highway 60 on Echo Hills Road, about 15 kilometres east of Huntsville, Muskoka.

 

For more information on the Echo Valley Nature & Bike Trails, click here.

For tourism info on the Lake of Bays area in Ontario’s cottage country, click here.

 

This article is a condensed version of the original that is posted at www.explorersedge.ca.