Mountain Biking in Vancouver

Vancouver's mountain biking heritage dates back to the 1980s and 90s and is still going strong today. With easy access to nature and trails, there are lots of places to ride near the city.

Tips for Mountain Biking in Vancouver

• The best months to ride are between May and September, when the trails are dry and snow-free. You can ride lower elevation trails the rest of the year, but expect mud and slippery conditions.

• AdventureSmart recommends bringing essential safety and first aid gear on every ride. Check the forecast and pack extra clothing for the weather. Leave a trip plan so someone knows where you are going and when you will be back.

• Bears are common on Vancouver’s mountain bike trails. Consider riding with bear spray. The North Shore Black Bear Society has great tips for mountain biking in bear country.

• Download the Trailforks app to help you navigate the trails. You can also use the app's Trail Karma program to donate to the volunteer-run non-profit organizations that build and maintain local trails.

• The difficulty ratings on Vancouver’s trails might be a bit harder than you’re used to (some blues here would be rated black elsewhere) so go slow and roll features before you ride them. Most big features have ride-arounds.

Bike Shops, Rentals, and Guiding Services

Local mountain bike shops can help you out with gear, a tune-up, and advice on local trails. Many also offer rental services and can recommend the best bike for your experience level and the type of trails you plan to ride. Some shops also offer guiding services. Going with a guide is a great way to maximize your time on the trails and get confidence boosting tips for tricky sections.

Endless Biking in North Vancouver has a full rental fleet and offers guided mountain bike tours for all levels. You can also book rentals, lessons, and tours with Ozmosis Training. If you want to rent a North Shore-ready bike, head to Lynnn Valley Bikes, Essential Cycles, or Reckless Shipyards.

Where to Ride

Grouse Mountain

The grand opening of the brand new Grouse Mountain Bike Park is on June 6. As the only lift-accessed bike park on the North Shore, it will have seven trails with a mix of greens, blues, and blacks designed to help you progress and refine your skills. There will be two jump lines and lots of long flow trails as well as an advanced tech trail with drops and rock gardens.

Mount Fromme

Located next to Grouse Mountain in North Vancouver, Mount Fromme is the most popular riding area on the North Shore with lots of blue and black trails. The parking area at the top of Mountain Highway has a toilet and bike wash station, but it fills up early on weekends. You can access most trails by climbing up Old Mountain Highway, a gravel road. Bobsled, rated blue, is a popular flow trail with lots of berms.

Mount Seymour

The trails on the lower slopes of Mount Seymour have a good mix of blue and black trails. Many of the trails, like Pangor, are classic North Shore tech with roots, rocks, woodwork, and skinnies. You can park at the bottom at Old Buck parking lot and then use the Old Buck Trail to climb up into the trail system. Or use Mount Seymour Road to shuttle up to the Mushroom Parking Lot.

Cypress Mountain

Don't plan to ride on Cypress Mountain in West Vancouver unless you're an expert rider, confident on black and double black trails. You can shuttle to most trailheads using Cypress Bowl Road. One of the most popular trails in the zone is 5th Horseman, a double black diamond tech trail with lots of high-consequence rock features.

Other Riding Areas

While the North Shore is the most popular area to mountain bike, there are lots of trails a little further away.

Burnaby Mountain east of Vancouver has a network of trails descending from the SFU campus. The trails are mostly blues with a few blacks and greens, so it's a great zone for intermediate riders.

Eagle Mountain and Burke Mountain in Coquitlam both have small trail networks popular with locals. There is a good mix of blue and black trails in both zones.

You can find world-class mountain biking in Squamish, about 1 hour north of Vancouver. The trails range from steep slabs to cruisy flow. You can shuttle in the Diamond Head zone via Garibaldi Park Road, but you'll have to use climb trails in the other zones.

Whistler, a two-hour drive north of Vancouver, is also world famous for mountain biking. The Whistler Mountain Bike Park has dozens of lift-accessed trails for all experience levels. You can also explore a myriad of trails outside the park. Beginner and intermediate riders will like the Lost Lake Zone. Experienced riders with lots of endurance should check out the alpine trails in the Westside-Sproatt Zone.