BC Mountain Biking
British Columbia EH!

British Columbia mountain biking is a very popular activity in many regions of the province. Every type of mountain biking experience is available. There are well developed bike parks with lifts leading to alpine trailheads and downhill runs. There are long haul backcountry biking trails and gravel roads stretching for kilometres leading to wilderness campsites, remote lakes and mountain peaks. There are community paved biking paths connecting villages with local parks.

In many BC communities mountain biking is a way of transportation as well as a recreational activity. Some communities have developed a paved and gravel trail system carving out transportation routes connecting various points of the community together. Communities like Whistler, Victoria, Golden, Williams Lake and Fernie have good community recreation trail systems.

Many of British Columbia's backcountry mountain biking terrain follows the historical footprints of the forest, railroad and mining industries. It was the BC pioneers who first laid down the ground work for some very good long distance mountain biking routes. Routes like the KVR ( Kettle Valley Rail Trail) and it's many trestles in the Okanagan Valley; the Suncoaster Trail on the Sunshine Coast; the Christina Crest Trail near Rossland in the Kootenays and the Trans Canada Trail crisscrossing BC.

Throughout British Columbia there are some awesome backcountry trail networks where nature creates the routes. Trails which cut through forests, tumble over tree roots, navigate around boulders, cross creeks, drop off cliffs and race downhill. Some of the better backcountry mountain biking trail networks include the Mount MacPherson Trail Network in Revelstoke in the Kootenay region; Cumberland in the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island; the Desous Mountain and Fox Mountain Trails in Williams Lake in the Cariboo-Chilcotin-Coast region and the Duck Lake area trails near Powell River on the Sunshine Coast.

Winter ski hills gone summer is another popular destination for mountain biking. In the off seasons from late spring to early fall some of the ski mountains transform themselves into mountain bike parks. Some mountain parks have trick parks equipped with jumps, rails and ramps. The ski hills that operate mountain bike resorts in a big way during the summer months include Whistler Mountain in Whistler Village... and in the Kootenays there is Red Mountain in Rossland; Kicking Horse Mountain in Golden and the Fernie Alpine Resort in Fernie.

Many mountain bikers arrive in BC with their own bikes however not all. In many of the more avid mountain biking communities there are rentals, tours and guides. Some say the best way to experience mountain biking is with a guide because of their familiarity of the trail routes. Sometimes floods wash out bridges, logging changes routes and fallen trees block access. A guide knows the safest way to navigate around these opportunities thrown at us by nature.

Mountain biking companies offer various services. Some mountain biking companies include a guide, supply bike equipment, trail maps and more. Many tour groups offer half day, full day and multi day wilderness camping mountain biking trips.

It is important to keep your head up while exploring the trail systems in BC because many of the backcountry mountain bike trails are shared with hikers, dirt bikers and horseback riders.

Thank you for planning your mountain biking adventure with us on our BCeh.com Travel Planning Network!

Be well and enjoy,

The EH Team.