Boreal forests, swamplands and Saskatchewan’s largest vertical drop—these are just a few of the land features found around Big River and Candle Lake. Bill Gerow, a member of the Timber Trails ATV Club in Big River, has been involved with motorsports for much of his life.
Gerow was more than happy to tell RidersWest about the club and the abundant recreation opportunities near by.
Ride from dawn until dusk
“The ATV club got going about four years ago,” said Gerow. “We formed it because we wanted to get people onto trails, rather than farmlands.”
There are hundreds of kilometres of trails within the area, many of which pass by local resorts. Gerow said it’s easy to go straight from your doorstep to your ATV or sled for a ride.
One exciting thing that the ATV and snowmobile clubs were involved with this past winter was grooming and signing their trails. Gerow said that they received a grant from the government of Saskatchewan to enhance the trail system. The government and the clubs each contributed half the money needed for the upgrades.
Got your GPS?
Before hopping on a sled or quad, Gerow had some advice for visitors and local trail users alike.
“I really suggest that you take a GPS with you as there are so many trails,” he said. “We have (some of) them marked, but not all. Even the local guys say, ‘Wow, you can get lost here!’”
With such an extensive riding area, it’s no surprise that the ATV club is holding a rally in May. At 65 kilometres long, the rally is the perfect length to give visiting ATVers a taste of what the area has to offer.
Lakes full of fish
There are pristine lakes dotted across the region that, in some cases, are accessible only by ATV or snowmobile. In total, there are 40 lakes in the immediate area, resulting in another popular pastime—watersports.
“Every (lake) has something different to offer,” said Gerow. “Most of them have beautiful sandy beaches and fish—everything from lake trout to pickerel and walleye.”
If you’re in the area, make like a local and bring your fishing rod along on your ATV—Gerow said that many quadders will catch their dinners before heading home after a day on the trails.