Rossland
Rossland lays claim to the title of "mountain
biking capital of Canada" with several hundred
kilometres of mountain biking trails in the region.
Many of the trails follow former wagon roads, rail
grades and pack trails, the vestiges of Rossland’s
mining history. Seven Summits Trail is an epic 30
km ride across seven alpine peaks. CLICK
TO GO TO THE KOOTNEY COLUMBIA TRAILS SOCIETY
Vertical:
Trails:
Getting there:
1070
m
170 km
A 615 km drive east from Vancouver or 560 km west
from Calgary. ¼ hr. drive from Trail Regional
Airport, ½ hr. drive from Castlegar Municipal
Airport, 2 ½ drive from Spokane Int’l.
Airport (Wash., USA), 3 ½ hr. drive from
Kelowna Int’l. Airport.
Whistler/Blackcomb
These are actually 2 mountains that both “empty”
into Whistler Village. Whistler/Blackcomb is not only
the best for alpine sports but also for mountain biking.
Whistler Village has everything, except cars, and
doesn’t slow down during the summer just because
the snow is gone. Everything’s open and the
ski/bike lifts are, for better and worse, busy the
whole summer through. CLICK
TO GO TO THE WHISTLER/BLACKCOMB WEBSITE
Vertical:
Trails:
Getting there:
1036
m
200 km
Only 2 hours from Vancouver along the scenic Sea
to Sky Highway, and 5 hours from Seattle, WA
Fernie
Fernie is becoming world-renowned for its alpine resort
and is also on its way to cellar status as a great
mountain-biking region. The region has a lot of great
trails but at Fernie Resort they offer cross country,
downhill, singletrack and dual slalom trails with
and without chairlift access. The chairlifts have
bike racks. CLICK
TO GO TO THE FERNIE
RESORT WEBSITE
Vertical:
Trails:
Getting there:
The
vertical for biking was unavailable but it is
the same as, or close
to, the alpine vertical of 857m.
Lots!
Fernie is a 3 ½ hr. drive from Calgary
Int’l. Airport, 1 ¼ hrs. from
Cranbrook regional airport and 2 hrs. from Kalispell
airport (Montana).
Silver
Star
is also an alpine resort that converts to bike racks
in the summer, and has been doing so since 1991. The
high-speed detachable lift is fitted with roll-on
bike carriers and has a ride-time to the top of just
under 8 minutes. With over 1,600 vertical feet of
great riding terrain they are a world-class mountain
biking resort and are continually host to world-class
events. CLICK
TO GO TO THE SILVER STAR RESORT WEBSITE
Vertical:
Trails:
Getting there:
500m
19.
A 20 min. drive from Vernon – or a 1 hr.
drive from Kelowna Int’l.
Airport.
Crowsnest Pass
High up in the southern Canadian Rockies, Crownest
has 26 trails totalling over 300 km that are open
to mountain biking. A web of single-track, old logging
and mining roads, and cut-lines make the Crowsnest
a mountain-bikers dream. Many of the mountain biking
trails are also open to motor vehicles but the Crowsnest
guide has a very good listing and description of trails.
CLICK
TO GO TO THE CROWSNEST GUIDE WEBSITE
Vertical:
Trails:
Getting there:
Appx.
500 m (most trails range in elevation between
1400m and 2000m).
Over 300 km
140 km west of Lethbridge, 225 km sw of Calgary.
Kananaskis Country
Situated at the foot of the Canadian Rockies, near
Calgary and Banff, the Kananaskis and Canmore region
offer close to 200 km of different trails in their
direct proximity. Although in the Rockies there are
many different types of trails, from steep climbs
to the Nordic Center at Canmore which is basically
cross-country ski-trails used for mountain-biking
in the summer CLICK
TO GO TO THE KANANASKIS COUNTRY WEBSITE
Vertical:
Trails:
Getting there:
670
m
200 km
Canmore is a 1 ½ hr. drive west from Calgary
Int’l. Airport and a 20
min. drive east from Banff.
Mont
Sainte-Anne
This four-season resort has 100+ km of trails, 6 downhill
trails, and a gondola. A North Shore park has stunts
such as teeter-totters, bridges and jumps. Mont-Sainte-Anne
hosted the 1998 Mountain Biking World Championships
and has been the site of a World Cup each year since
1991. CLICK
TO GO TO THE MONT-SAINTE ANNE RESORT WEBSITE
Vertical:
Trails:
Getting there:
Biking
verticle was unavailable but is about the same
as the alpine vertical of 625m.
100 km +
40 km from Quebec City, 250 km from Montreal.
Both with
international airports. Bus and train services.
Bromont
Located in the Eastern Townships, this four-season
resort has 100 km of trails, 12 downhill trails and
a chairlift plus a bike park with stunts. Bromont
has been the site of several Mountain Biking World
Cups. The National Cycling Training Centre offers
programs for all ages in every cycling discipline.
CLICK
TO GO TO THE BROMONT RESORT WEBSITE
Vertical:
Trails:
Getting there:
The
vertical for biking was unavailable but it is
the same as, or close to, the alpine vertical
of 385m.
100 km.
About 80 km east of Montreal on Highway 10 take
Exit 78 and follow
the signs a few km south to the resort.
