Description
The Almaguin Community Trails are a project led by community volunteers in partnership with the Near North District School Board, Almaguin Highlands Secondary School and Discovery Routes.
The aim is to provide the community with a center for cross-country skiing both competition and leisure as well as other forms of recreation including snowshoeing, dog sledding, cross-country running and hiking. As of 2016, the trails network is comprised of 2km of regulation cross-country ski trails and 3km of narrower ski trails. An additional 3km of snowshoe and hiking trails are also open for use by the public. The ski trails are track-set by volunteers. Trail expansion and improvements are ongoing.
Almaguin Community Trails have hosted International Dog Sled and skijoring races.
The group has a Facebook page devoted to the trails with regular updates on the trail status throughout the winter months, and can be found here: Almaguin Community Ski Trails
An ongoing fundraising campaign helps the volunteer-driven effort to achieve this ambitious goal. Charitable receipts are issued for donations through Discovery Routes and Canada Helps: Click to Donate.
Trailhead Parking: 21 Mountain View Rd, South River, ON P0A 1X0
Google Maps Directions
Trailhead UTM 17T 626456m E 5075177m N
Ownership Near North District School Board
Management Almaguin Community Trails Volunteers
Length 7+ km
For More Information
Find them on Facebook: Almaguin Community Ski Trails
ADVENTURE TRAILS MAP
Print map with 1000 kms + of hiking, cycling, paddling, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing trails across Ontario’s Near North
Meet ACT Trail Champion Steve Todoroff |
 Trail volunteer with Almaguin Community Trails
Why do you volunteer? “I was a longtime teacher at Almaguin Secondary School, coached many sports and saw a need for kids to have activities in and outside school. When the new school was built there was an opportunity with the land that was available to develop a trail system so Al Bottomly and I put our minds together and said okay lets get this done…” |
Stephen Todoroff is a true champion of trails as one of the masterminds behind the Almaguin Community Trails at the site of Almaguin Highlands Secondary School. As a now retired teacher at the high school, Steve recognized the importance of outdoor activities to the social and physical development of his young students, especially throughout Almaguin’s rural communities where opportunities for organized sport are limited.
In 2012, when the school board had committed to building a new school, the community spoke up for a trail system that could be used by the school to host competitive cross-country ski races but also be open to the public for skiing and snowshoeing, hiking and mountain biking. Despite many barriers in the early days, Steve together with a small team of volunteers never gave up and slowly the school administration began to understand the value of the trails to the students and the community. With Discovery Routes signing a land use agreement with the school board and providing liability protection for volunteers, the group was away to the races! The network has grown to 8 km of groomed trails. Community support is outstanding with donations of equipment and materials, and, of course, people power. “Volunteers show up and want to help because they are doing it for their kids,” says Steve. Steve and his grooming partner, Tim Butson are never far from the trail in any season. They are both proud of the fact that a young athlete, Trevor Kiers on the Canadian Biathlon Team, got his start on the Amaguin Community Ski Trails. In 2024, the trails hosted World Cup qualifying dog sled races on a trail system that exists thanks to the perseverance of Trail Champions like Steve. |
