Plan your Group Ride in Ride the Highlands
Riding season is just around the corner, and if you haven’t started already, it’s time to get planning your 2024 Ride the Highlands adventure with your crew.
Before any trip planning can start, you need a rock solid map. Order your free Ride the Highlands map for you and all of your riding buddies to hand out at your next meet up. The Ride the Highlands team mails out maps year round, so expect to see yours in about 2 weeks (timeframe could be longer for those ordering outside of the province of Ontario of off-season). If this map isn’t enough to get your buddies geared up for Ride the Highlands, which we think it will be; here is a list of our top 5 reasons why your crew should plan their next group ride here:
1. The Epic Roads
It’s very rare to find a boring road in Ride the Highlands. The road builders of the past knew what they were doing; building roads that hugged the terrain and made a mockery of the straight boring roads built elsewhere.
“Just finished a weekend of riding up there with friends and was amazed! You can’t find a boring road!! The ‘Ride the Highlands’ map/guide I picked up at the bike show was very useful.” Paulo (Rider)
Ride the Highlands offers different riding options for your riding crew. If your group likes doing long hauls, we suggest doing the Highlands Loop. This is the largest loop of our four themed routes at 1,000kms and gives you a full tour of Ontario’s Highlands from end to end to end. Give your group three days to complete this loop since there is so much to see, eat and do along the way.
If your group prefers ‘hub and spoke’ riding, Ride the Highlands has some accommodations that can handle large groups and are situated in the middle of Ontario’s Highlands making them ideal for day trips. Calabogie Peaks Resort is located smack dab in the middle of the Local Rides. These five routes are between 150km and 300kms each.
2. The People
You will find some of the friendliest people around in Ontario’s Highlands. There’s no doubt that when your large group rolls into town, you will be greeted by locals curious about your trip and where you are headed next. Don’t be afraid to say hello and ask about the area. They love sharing stories and telling you about those secret spots you would only know about if you were a local.
3. The Accommodations
Dotted throughout Ontario’s Highlands are rider approved accommodations reviewed by the Ride the Highlands team. Our accommodators are all about small-town hospitality and love welcoming motorcycle groups to the area. For large groups, we suggest checking out the following locations as they can better accommodate your group:
- Bonnie View Inn – Haliburton
- Lakeview Motel – Haliburton
- Spectacle Lake Lodge – South Algonquin
- Sands on Golden Lake – Golden Lake
- Somewhere Inn Calabogie – Calabogie
- Calabogie Peaks Resort – Calabogie
- The McAlpine House – Calabogie
- Comfort Inn Pembroke – Pembroke
- Best Western Pembroke – Pembroke
- Petawawa Quality Inn & Suites – Petawawa
- Best Western Plus Perth Parkside – Perth
- Sir Sam’s Inn & Spa – Eagle Lake
Many of our accommodators are motorcycle riders themselves, so be sure to ask your hosts for riding suggestions since they can direct you to the best roads in the area.
4. The Food
If your riding crew loves to eat, the food alone in Ride the Highlands is reason enough to plan a trip. As you wind your way through the towns in Ontario’s Highlands, you will find unique food stops that will get your mouth watering. Many of the restaurants in Ride the Highlands are able to host large groups; we just suggest calling ahead so they can be prepared for when your gang rides in. Here’s a list of restaurants we’ve selected that we think you would enjoy and can accommodate your group:
- Iron Rooster Rotisserie and Grill – Marmora
- Wilno Tavern – Wilno
- The Granite – Bancroft
- Hidden Goldmine Bakery – Madoc
- Maplehaus Grill – Hardwood Lake
- McKeck’s Tap & Grill – Haliburton
- South Algonquin Diner – Wilberforce
- Whitewater Riverside and Lakeside Brew Pub – Forester Falls and Cobden
5. The Ride the Highlands Team
Let us help. Our team is happy to help with your group planning needs. Who better to ask about the area than the people who created Ride the Highlands? Don’t hesitate to send us an email or Facebook message. Even when you’re en route, we try our best to answer your questions as quickly as possible. What can we say? We care about our riders.
“Unrepentant Riders would like to thank Ride the Highlands for all your help in setting up 5 ride routes in the Highlands. We had a fantastic 7 days. Road conditions were some of the best we have been on. Every business we attended was very MC friendly… We are already talking about going back to the area next year!” – F. Wessels (Unrepentant Riders)
In 2024, be the rock star of your group and give them the perfect pre-planned ride. Ride the Highlands creates motorcycle memories that you and your crew will talk about for years.