Town, Province/State: Oro Station, Ontario
Location: 402 Old Barrie Road, Oro, ON, L0L 2E0. Hardwood Ski and Bike is located just 15 minutes north of Barrie at 402 W Old Barrie Rd.Take hwy 400 north of Barrie, exit on Forbes Rd towards Edgar. HSB is 8 km from the 400 on the left.
Facilities: This is a great spot for races or biking with a group of riders of varying abilities. There are bike rentals, a bike shop, showers, parking, cafeteria, washrooms, climbing wall, 4 cross track, trail maps, trail signs, Retail shop, rental bikes, repair shop, cafe, bike patrol on weekends, lessons and group instructional camps, Team Hardwood mountain bike racing program and much more. Hardwood Ski & Bike is now under new ownership, and mtbiking.ca was invited to see the changes made to the facilities. The entire chalet has been refinished which makes it bright and open, and much more inviting. The repair shop is fully stocked and has a variety of accessories and clothing for riders looking for new gear. Hardwood Ski & Bike offers a variety of Ride & Stay options for riders who come from out of town that begin as low as $30.00.
Cost: $12.50 for adults per day - memberships available Students 13 to 19 $10.50 Kids 7 to 12 $8.00
Children under 6 - free
Trail Description: This is a great race facility or for people who are just getting into the sport. There are officially six different trails but you can mix and match them while you are riding because they intersect quite often. The trails are very well marked with both direction and skill level. The trails are fun and some of the trails have a lot of climbing. The trails make very good use of space. Hardwood is not a huge facility but the trails are so well planned out you get the impression that it is a lot bigger than it really is. The sidewinder trail is my personal favorite and is very technical with a lot of tight turns and switch backs. All the trails begin and end at the chalet area. On the weekend there tends to be a lot of people so don't expect to be alone on the trails. These trails are very well maintained by a professional trail crew. Trails range from the 6 km FUN trail to the 15 km RADICAL trail. 49 km of single track with another 30 km of ski trails. When mtbiking.ca sat down with the new ownership of Hardwood Ski & Bike, you could tell there was a real sense of pride and passion for this facility. Hardwood Ski & Bike now keeps the trails and trail features in impeccable condition, considering the amount of riders that ride these trails, it is amazing how well maintained these trails are. On top of keeping the trails in impeccable shape, the trail builders at Hardwood Ski & Bike alter/change each trail in the off season. What better way to get riders pumped about the upcoming season.
Other Information: Great Wednesday Night race series starting from May to September. Open for all ages and abilities. Rentals available for school groups. Parents! Check out the variety of kids mountain biking programs. Whether your kids are just starting to ride or are into racing, hardwood is your child friendly mountain biking facility.
Rating: 8 out of 10 New Rating 9 out of 10 WOW GREAT JOB!!!!
Submitted By: Andrew Bernier & Jack Sasseville