ADVERTISEMENT

About Bathurst Trails

The lodge is conveniently located at the junction of trail 23 and 52 and is accessible by vehicle offering both food and gas daily throughout the winter. The club, which is the oldest snowmobile club in the province, has the largest membership in New Brunswick with 1034 registered for 21/22 last season (947 for 17/18), (826 for 16/17), (849 for 15/16), (794 for 14/15), (809 for 13/14), (765 for 12/13), (579 for 07/08) with a strong Nova Scotia and PEI contingent and maintains a trail system just under 300 kilometers in length. The club has over 700 members from Bathurst and different parts of N.B. and 392 from out of province who regularly travel to Bathurst throughout the winter to enjoy the abundance of snow and the superb trail system. We take pride in ourselves to offer one of the most friendly atmospheres in the system and tourists just love the product that our club puts out.

The club has three trail groomers, which were purchased new for the 10/11 season, along with three 9.5 by 18 foot drags that are continuously grooming the system throughout the winter from as early as the first sufficient in December through to April. The 17/18 season had an early start-up Which began on opening day on Dec 15th and proved to be one of the best on record. Trails remained decent into right to April 15th. This type of season is getting to be the norm for this area as the further south you go has been hit with less snow for the past few winters, hence more traffic here in the north and as a result, we groomed well over 2000 hours, which was again the most in the province. The snow came early last year and sleds were in the trail system in the higher elevation by mid November.

Our club employs 7-10 employees each winter in order to provide a level of service that can meet the expectations of our members and guests. This requires a tremendous amount of work from our volunteers who work very hard to keep the system signed, trimmed and safe as best we can. Also, in order to meet financial requirements of servicing this system our club must raise additional funds beyond the trail permits fees. We do this through special events such as our now famous Wednesday night lodge suppers which are hosted and sponsored by many of our local business leaders who recognize the importance of the industry to the Bathurst area.

"Bathurst is the Snowmobile Capital Of Atlantic Canada"

Begin your “Snowmobiling Odyssey” by dropping off in Bathurst and blaze a trail through the northern section of the Province and tour your way through the Acadian Peninsula, Campbellton, Edmundston, and the Miramichi. Together, these communities offer you continuous loops where you rarely have to retrace your steps. Believe us, it’s a genuine snowmobile rush… a White Gold Rush!

With an average temperature of –5.2 C, an average snowfall of 400 cm and well over 3000 km of well groomed trails and add in the Appalachian Range, and then this area really has the best "snowmobiling experience" New Brunswick has to offer.

From the typically deep snowfalls are carved some of the best snowmobile trails you will find anywhere. The trail system leading from Bathurst to the Apalachian Range

Apalachian Range between Trail 19 & Trail 23 further inland towards the center of the province is continually being shaped with the latest grooming equipment on the market. This to ensure that all members and guests of the Bathurst area system are treated to the safest and best trails we can offer. There are also excellent oportunities to ride off trail especially above Popple Depot in the Christmas Mountains, but is only recomended with people that know the area.

Convenient lodges are located throughout the system to provide essential services to the snowmobilers and their machines. Additional shelters are also strategically located along the system to offer rest stops and a chance to warm up on those extremely cold days.

The Bathurst and area clubs pride themselves in offering the best signage possible so that sledders can relax and enjoy their trip knowing to where they are travelling with confidence. All major intersections are dressed with detailed signs and even maps indicating the distance in kilometers to major destinations.

Over the years the annual membership has kept pace in the Bathurst area because of the support of the out of town snowmobilers. These people recognise the importance of buying their annual trail permit "where they ride" as this is the only way the necessary revenue can be obtained to continue the level of trail maintenance required to offer the best. Most of the out of town members are actually out of province and are from PEI, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec, and the New England States. Even with the support of these members the volunteers of the local clubs must find other fund raising sources to cover the heavy costs incurred keeping the trail system in place. In the case of the Nepisiguit Snowmobile Club of Bathurst, they have several fund raising suppers at their lodge throughout the winter to raise additional revenue. Additionally, they have the extremely popular Dannyburger Run which is a hit with snowmobilers across the area plus the annual Wings and Mussels Fest. These events help to offset the increased costs each year as it is needed to subsidise our grooming costs with the ever increase in expenses. The NB government is taking a more active role since 06/07 as it finally recognises the tourism impact that snowmobiling has for NB. They’ve supported the industry with helping in the way of groomer purchases and trail infrastructure such as roads and bridges.

One of the main attractions to the Bathurst area has been the special accomodation packages that are available from all the hotels. Typically, you will find room rates at 50% less than rates in some of the other larger cities in the province. As well, our level of service to our guests is recognized everywhere as nothing but first class. Everyone is welcome in the Bathurst area and we want your stay here to be a memorable experience. The Nepisiguit system of trails starts in Bathurst at the Atlantic Host Hotel, which is one of the most treasured places to stay for all snowmobilers. Located on Trail 19 it is the perfect drop-off for anyone starting off on their Northern Odyssey trip. Heading east on 19 you come to our Nepisiguit Lodge on trail 23. Trail 23 is a favourite trail for snowmobilers out of Bathurst as it has four lodges in our stretch of trail of 170 Km. The next lodge is Rogers Lake Lodge at the beginning of the famous Piston Alley, which is revered by sledders far & wide. At the end of Piston Alley you come to one of the icons; Governors Wilderness Lodge, which unforunately has downsized its operation to lodging only. Continuing on Trail 23 you head to Serpentine Lodge, a famous stop-over for gas and food. Most Lodges in the Bathurst area, of which there are seven, have food, gas and lodging.