The OFSC's showcase trails are an 18,000 kilometre border to border system called Trans Ontario Provincial (TOP) Trails. TOP Trails came into being from 1992-95 under a $21 million partnership between the Province of Ontario and the OFSC. Called SNO-TRAC (Snowmobile Trail Rehabilitation and Construction), the program provided $14 million in government funding for trail development to be matched by $6.8 million raised by local clubs. Under SNO-TRAC, OFSC clubs actually spent $1.5 million more than required and as a result, the Government acknowledged full return on investment only two years into the program - at least three years ahead of all projections!
In some cases, new TOP Trails had to be carved out of the bush. In others, substantial improvement was required as existing trapper's paths, abandoned rail lines and old forestry roads were brought on stream. Sometimes, existing club trails were upgraded to improve riding conditions. Throughout, the primary mandate was to create a trail system for touring snowmobilers that is safe, signed and well connected, with easy access to the necessary amenities and services. Each local snowmobile club is responsible for priority grooming of its own section(s) of TOP Trail.
Today, OFSC TOP Trails are showcased on the OFSC's annual TOP Trail Guide as a three tier system. Trunk Trails are the main border to border snow highways, designated by one letter ("A") and shown on the Guide in red. Feeder Trails channel traffic onto Trunk Trails from communities and local trail systems. They are shown in blue and designated by one letter and a three digit number ("A101"), the letter indicating what Trunk Trail it connects to. Finally, Connector Trails are designated by two letters and three digits ("A101D") and shown in green. These trails connect two Trunk Trails (in this example, "A" and "D"). All of the new TOP Trail signs are colour coordinated with the trails shown on the Guide.
The next time you ride a TOP Trail, remember that you're travelling a system that, if you have the time, will take you anywhere in Ontario and connect you to trails in neighbouring provinces and states too. No wonder they're called TOP Trails!