About the
Great Pine Trail Riders
The Great Pine Trail Riders (GPTR) is a not-for-profit, volunteer-run dirtbike riding club rooted in the Ganaraska Forest and built around a shared respect for trails, community, and responsible recreation.
GPTR began in the early 2000s as a way for local dirtbike riders to connect, ride together, and build community in a forest that had long been part of local riding culture. Over the years, the GPTR and its volunteers partnered with other local groups to organize and host enduro events within the Ganaraska Forest. Riders from all over the province attended these events, and for years the spring and fall events were mainstays of the Ontario offroad riding community. What started as a simple effort to organize group rides naturally evolved as conversations around access, safety, and shared trail use became more important.
Over time, GPTR grew beyond its original scope. Today the club still primarily represents dirtbike riders, but also includes equestrians and other trail users who share a commitment to fair access, cooperation, and thoughtful forest management.
As the forest and its use have changed, so has GPTR’s role. The club has become a consistent voice for recreational users, focused on participation, communication, and ensuring that decisions affecting the forest reflect the experience and input of those who know it best.
Our Values
GPTR membership is grounded in a few core principles that guide how we ride, interact, and advocate.
Responsible Trail Use
Respect for the land, other users, and long-term sustainability.
Community
Building positive relationships between riders and across different trail user groups.
Fair Access
Supporting transparent, inclusive processes that recognize responsible recreation.
Stewardship
Caring about the future of the forest and how it’s managed.
The Ganaraska Forest
The Ganaraska Forest is one of southern Ontario’s most significant and well-known public forests, spanning roughly 11,000 acres and widely recognized as the largest continuous block of forest in southern Ontario, drawing visitors from across the province year-round.
Established through ambitious reforestation efforts beginning in the 1940s, the forest transformed what had been erosion-prone farmland into a thriving, managed landscape. That work stabilized the watershed, reduced flooding downstream, and created a unique environment designed to serve multiple purposes simultaneously.
The forest operates under a mandate built around three core pillars: conservation and watershed protection, sustainable commercial forestry including active timber harvesting, and recreational access for the public. These three pillars are meant to coexist and be balanced through long-term planning and transparent management — recreational access is one part of a larger framework, not an afterthought.
Today, the Ganaraska Forest supports a diverse mix of uses and plays an important role in outdoor access for nearby communities and urban residents alike. Its size, proximity, and history make it a rare and valuable public resource, one shaped not only by planning and policy, but by the people who use and care about it.
Looking Ahead
GPTR remains committed to a future where the Ganaraska Forest continues to be managed through transparent, collaborative processes that recognize both conservation goals and responsible recreational use.
Whether you’re joining to ride, to connect with other trail users, or to support fair and balanced access, GPTR welcomes those who believe the forest is strongest when its community is informed, engaged, and involved.