KATVA – The Largest ATV Club in Ontario
Spring is finally here and that means the trails are getting ready to go.
Did you know that some of the best ATV trails in Ontario are right here in
the Kawarthas? Yes, that’s right.
We have something for everyone from a beginner new to the sport looking for a nice leisurely scenic ride, to those looking for a challenge riding on rocky ridges or waste deep water and mud holes. Every year thousands of people travel to the Kawartha’s to ride the Kawartha ATV (KATVA) trail systems. KATVA is the largest ATV club in Ontario with over 2500 annual members and we now have the third largest dirt bike club called Kawartha Off Road Motorcycle (KORMA). You’re one stop destination for some of the most desirable off-road trails in Ontario is right here in the Kawarthas.
We steward two unique trail systems. The first is in the City of Kawartha Lakes. These trails include the Victoria Rail Trail Corridor which is 84 kms of railway bed stretching from Bethany all the way north to Kinmount. There is also the Somerville Forest Tract which is a 6000-acre block of pine compartments that are actively forested by the municipality, and dense bush. Local towns such as Fenelon Falls and Kinmount recognize the economic value these clubs bring to the community and because of this Kinmount even went so far as to build a parking area for recreational vehicles only.
The second trail system is best known as the 5 Points. This riding area is in the municipality of Trent Lakes which is a part of Peterborough County and is just north of Bobcaygeon. The system extends all the way to Kinmount and Gooderham. These trails are located on a mix of crown land and private land. The trails vary in type from abandoned logging roads to rocky ridges and are the most popular off-road trails in the Kawartha’s. They are so popular in fact that KATVA made an unprecedented move by purchasing a section of this trail system in January 2019, thereby securing access to these trails for their members for many years to come. The benefits to our club members and other trail user groups are significant. Since purchasing the land the club has started to develop new trails on the property and even opened it up to the world-renowned Corduroy Enduro. These trails are a main attraction to all motorized trail users including off-road trucks, off-road motorcycles, and snowmobilers and KATVA has a plan to work with these trail groups to build more trails on their land for everyone to enjoy. This multi-use trail plan that includes motorized and non-motorized users will be the first of its kind in Ontario and will only enhance the tourism opportunities for the area. 
Trail permits are required on all KATVA trails except for crown land only trails which are very scarce as most crown land trails cross over private property at some point. The revenue from trail permits goes back into the development and maintenance of the trails as well as promotion of the sport throughout Ontario. KATVA has a long-standing reciprocal agreement with Haliburton ATV Association, Quad Niagara, Algonquin West ATV Club and Lake of Bays ATV Club, or as they call themselves the “Family of Clubs”. This reciprocal agreement means that members of these organizations have the benefit of enjoying each other’s trails at no additional costs. This agreement has been in place for almost 15 years and continues to be the most successful partnership between ATV clubs in Ontario. As the sport of ATVing continues to grow, so will Kawartha ATV Association and our trail systems. What are you waiting for? Get out here and check out the trails. You won’t be disappointed.
Kawartha ATV Association,
PO Box 21, Lindsay 705-328-0931 www.katva.ca
