Touring Routes | GTAMotorcycle.com

Touring Routes

northerntouring

Active member
Hey All,

For the past four years I've been working on Ontario Tourism's motorcycle blog, and one thing we've worked hard on is creating routes for riders who are going out for more than a day trip. Last year I put on 15,000kms over 60 days, and 8000km the previous year over 40 days.

Of all the routed we'd ridden, this one struck me as the best balance of scenic and technical riding. I'm wondering who else has ridden it and if they agree.

http://northernontario.travel/motorcycle-touring/the-grand-algoma-tour

Let me know!

Mike
 
I always chuckle at what Ontarians call mountains. Good to know there's somewhere to ride in Ontario at least. I'm curious how much time (or how little time) this would require.
 
I always chuckle at what Ontarians call mountains. Good to know there's somewhere to ride in Ontario at least. I'm curious how much time (or how little time) this would require.

Basically, anywhere north of Haliburton has some fantastic riding roads. Not mountainous but quite twisty thanks to the Canadian Shield.
 
One trip plan to consider in a general sense is: One day to Espanola, Another Day to Wawa and then Back to Espanola, home - 4 days. Excellent ride route that I have experienced twice. The twisties were a surprise.
Very good site northerntouring.
 
Thanks Pearlzzzzz! The loop itself would be three days, two nights I would guess. I had to stop so often for photos my timing wasn't really useful. I will say that there aren't many times where I smile that hard for that long. It really felt so different that much of the rest of Ontario.

And yeah, I know, these ain't no rockies, but they sure are fun.

If you were coming from the GTA, I like Pearlzzzzz! suggestion. One day to Espanola (the ferry from the Bruce peninsula is closed right now, but should be opening up any day now), one day to Wawa (although I did 129 twice because I liked it that much) and maybe one day to the SSM. Wawa to the Soo isn't very far, but the scenery had me pulling over every 20 minutes. And I may have fallen asleep for half an hour at Old Woman Bay, and spent too long in the Lake Superior Provincial Park Visitor Centre.

And eaten too much at the Salzberger Hof.
 
Nice route! I have taken it with friends to Thunder Bay and back to Wawa (must be the coldest place as I saw frost in the morning in August), if you are lucky you will not even see a single car when going towards Chapleau - for me that was priceless.
 
I did that route 3 years ago - really nice. Chapleau, ON was cool.
BTW. my friend and I found a trailer park where they had one tent site they rented out for $10/night, with free firewood. Interesting lifestyle.
 
I also found that riding the 129 there, there were dozens of single tracks off into the woods, up the sides of these "mountains." Even followed one for a bit but got in over my head. But there are definitely nice places to stay too, if budget isn't your primary concern.
 
I think you should mention that 129 has a long stretch of gravel road on the south end. This may be fine for your ADV guys but those on cruisers may opt not to have to endure that much gravel.
 
Sweet route thanks. Me and my buddy are considering riding it in two weeks. How long is the gravel road stretch and where is it?

Any one know how these roads are http://goo.gl/maps/JwhWA Google streetview was on them, so they should be paved all the way. Could be a good loop to throw in.
 
I don't recall gravel on 129 but I will never forget a moose on the road
 
Nice route!
I did that route a couple of years ago. From Toronto some of the highlights were the ride on the Chi Cheemaun ferry to Manatoulin Island. Stayed at a great B&B on the island so unpacked and rode around the island before calling it a night.
The following day rode to Sault Ste Marie. Again, enough time to unpack and explore. Enjoyed the ride out to Searchmont and back.
The ride north on 17 to Wawa was beautiful, in fact the group split at Wawa as some turned around and rode 17 back to the Soo while myself and a couple others took 101 to Chapleau, fuelled up but skipped lunch before taking the 129 back to the Soo with some Garmin induced off road adventures on said "single tracks into the woods" LOL.

Thanks for your efforts on the Northern Ontario Travel/Motorcycle blog/website!

I have been eyeing the 144 to Timmins since...
 
Just checking if there is a gpx file somewhere. Looking to do this mid June.
 
Sweet route thanks. Me and my buddy are considering riding it in two weeks. How long is the gravel road stretch and where is it?

Any one know how these roads are http://goo.gl/maps/JwhWA Google streetview was on them, so they should be paved all the way. Could be a good loop to throw in.

That does look like a great "detour" and you don't miss too much of the 17, I have not been on it so cannot comment on its condition but on my trip a few of us peeled off 17 just before Sault Ste Marie and did this route into town before meeting up in the Soo. Great change of pace from 17, it was like we had the road to ourselves!

I'm all for jumping off the beaten path when the chance comes up and finding the roads the locals ride when staying in different towns.

Enjoy your trip!
 
I have been eyeing the 144 to Timmins since...

Damn - that brings back some memories from a long loop on the RD400..it had one service station the whole way. I blew a fuse and ghosted most of the way into Sudbury behind another car - had only a stuck on turn signal for light and did not dare pull off ( there WAS ) no place to pull off

Not sure the car driver was even aware I was shadowing him. Wow was it dark.....this was 30+ years ago, the road was new and aside from that ( then closed ) station there was nothin.
 
I haven't 'ridden' that route, but I spent my honeymoon last September camping at Agawa Bay in Lake Superior Provincial Park.

It's an amazing park and very beautiful. Old Woman Bay is beautiful and there's a few nice side trails and lookouts. If it's calm enough, you can walk out on a rock ledge and look at petroglyphs that face Lake Superior. Unfortunately, the backcountry access roads (Gargantua and Mijenmunjing) are very rough so I wouldn't ride them unless you're on a GS/Enduro bike.

Hwy 17 from Wawa to Soo would be a pretty good riding road. It's curvy with hills (at least through Lake Superior Prov Park) and very scenic, although there's truck and car traffic.

I look forward to riding Hwy 129 at some point.
 
Damn - that brings back some memories from a long loop on the RD400....Not sure the car driver was even aware I was shadowing him..............

Someone, somewhere is telling the story of how they were chased from Timmins to Sudbury by someone with a chainsaw and a blinking orange light!

Adventure only happens when the best laid plans go awry.
 
hehe

Lovely day at the north end of 507 - bloody shoulder still aches but sweet ride east with the big tail wind. Interesting when it became a crosswind.
 

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