Snowmobile season hit hard with limited trail access in Simcoe County, Muskoka

The 2022 snowmobiling season has not been kind to snowmobilers in Simcoe County and Muskoka.

With trails closed or down to dirt, businesses that rely on snowmobiling tourism, such as sled rentals, have been hit hard.

"We don't get the snow, the groomers won't be moving. There's nothing to work with. No snow there to work with," said Bill Watts, Hill & Gully Riders assistant trail coordinator. "

The dwindling sledding season has impacted the local economy, with a significant decline in business.

"Hotels, motels, restaurants, it affects the whole Muskoka area. There's a lot of money to be made there. People come up from the city or even up from the states to snowmobile up here," Watts said.

The manager of Mid Ontario Snowmobile Trails calls this the worst snowmobile season since 2009.

Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs website shows most trails across the region closed, while others are limited on Thurs., Feb. 16, 2023. (OFSC)

"The season is so short anyway," noted Muskoka Wild co-owner Miriam Dick. "The previous seasons, we've gotten anywhere from six to eight weeks. This season it's only been two weeks already, with the other two being questionable."

With limited trail access, some sledders desperate to ride are taking risks, including turning to lakes and roads.

"It's a concern for people that don't understand the lakes in the area and want to go on a lake because they see other people doing it and think it looks cool, but it's a big safety concern," Dick said.

In Muskoka, locals remain optimistic with snow in the forecast, potentially allowing groomers to be in action as early as Friday.

"If we got some good snow in the next, say, week, we could be open for a while. It all depends on how cold it is," Watts said.