Iroquois Falls has 20 km of groomed classic and skate skiing trails on five loops of varying difficulty nestled in a pocket of woods with small lakes and hilly terrain. It’s a great place for visitors to enjoy the outdoors and stay fit.
Just southwest of the town of Iroquois Falls, this area attracts local skiers (and some from as far away as Timmins) interested in doing a little skijoring. Unique to this ski area is a loop where dogs are allowed: the Jack & Joe 5 km doggie loop.
Here your furry friend can follow you off leash or pull you along the skijoring way. This yellow trail consists of three smaller loops south of Cemetery Rd. so you gauge how far you and the pooch want to go. No dog-sledding please, but a small kid sled is OK. And bring only “friendly” dogs.
The club has been operating here since the seventies. I am told the groomers do a good job keeping the trails available during the long winters.
Classic and skate skis can be rented from the club when the chalet is open on the weekends. Night skiing and ladies’ group events are scheduled.
You may see signs of a recent November ice storm that damaged many trees. Great efforts were taken to clean up broken and toppled limbs.
The 4 km green Promenade trail is flat with one hill—good for beginners to learn on. You can skate ski, but the track is a bit narrow.
The best trail is the 6 km blue Intermediate Jackpine loop. Wider than the Promenade trail, it starts with a gradual slope down and has a few good hills (with bypasses, if you’re nervous going downhill). It’s perfect for skate skiing and offers access to the red trail at a few points if you want to add more km to your ski.
The advanced red Nordic Trail loop has been shortened to a 6 km run but will still give you plenty of quick, challenging turns and dips. Admire the beautiful scenery at Escape Lake.
For those with snowshoes, a groomed 4 km yellow circular loop is separate from any ski tracks, wanders through the evergreens and crosses Cemetery Rd. for the other half of the leg.
In regards to skijoring elsewhere in the province, I know of few locations that allow it – Hilton Falls, Arrowhead, Larose Forest, Quetico Park.
There are a few places to eat and stay in town or in the large city of Timmins, about an hour away drive.
