Mountain Biking.
Haliburton Forest's mountain-bike network covers over 400 kilometres of trails and gravel roads inside the 80,000-acre privately owned reserve, with day-use riding from Victoria Day weekend through the weekend after Thanksgiving. Sir Sam's Ski/Ride at Eagle Lake operates a separate 23-kilometre cross-country and downhill bike park accessed by chairlift in summer — the same hill that runs 12 alpine ski runs in winter has been a year-round operation since 1965.
The brief.
The two networks are different products. Haliburton Forest is a forest-roads-and-singletrack stack across a private reserve; access is governed by the operator's day-use fee and seasonal calendar (Victoria Day to weekend after Thanksgiving).
Bring a helmet, repair kit, and a paper map — the reserve is large enough that GPS coverage thins. Sir Sam's is a chairlift-served bike park with a more compact downhill-and-XC mix on a 23-kilometre network; the chair takes the climb out of laps and the chalet is open for food and bike-shop access.
Glebe Park's multi-use trails inside the village run a third, smaller set of cross-country options on Head Lake's north shore — easier for casual riding without the drive to Haliburton Forest or Eagle Lake.
3. places.
- 01
Haliburton Forest mountain-bike trails
Over 400 km of trails and gravel roads inside the 80,000-acre reserve; season Victoria Day weekend through the weekend after Thanksgiving.
- 02
Sir Sam's Ski/Ride bike park
23 km of cross-country and downhill mountain-bike trails at Eagle Lake (1054 Liswood Road); chairlift access in summer.
- 03
Glebe Park MTB trails
Multi-use trails inside the 175-acre Glebe Park, off 297 College Drive.
Today's read.
Cold but firm — winter-ready conditions · light winds · clean air.