Mountain Biking in Vancouver

Vancouver helped shape modern mountain biking, with the North Shore’s riders and trail builders pioneering the sport in the 1980s and 90s. Today, that legacy lives on in a trail network that blends old-school tech with fast, flowy descents, making mountain biking one of the most exhilarating things to do just minutes from the city.

Trails for Everyone

While Vancouver's trails have a reputation for adrenaline-pumping, expert-level terrain, they also offer options for all skill levels and preferences. You can find riding options ranging from easy, flat green trails to serious, pro-level double-black jump lines. Traditionally, Vancouver’s trails were known for steep, technical terrain and skinny wooden features, but these days you can find smooth flow trails with berms and banked corners too.

While Vancouver’s trails use the standard North American green, blue, black, and double-black difficulty ratings, the grading is generally considered a bit harder here than in many other places. Go slow and roll each feature before you ride it. Except for the double-black and pro-line trails, most trails have ride-arounds that let you bypass big features.

Tips for Mountain Biking in Vancouver

Bike Shops, Rentals, and Guides

If you’re travelling with your bike, local mountain bike shops are your best resource for trail advice, tune-ups and gear. Many offer rental services tailored to North Shore riding, plus lessons or guided tours if you want to level up quickly.

One of the best ways to get introduced to Vancouver’s trails is to hire a mountain bike guide for a few hours. They can put together routes that link up the best trails so you can maximize your riding time. Guides are also great for boosting your confidence with technique tips or stops to session a tough feature. Many local bike shops have guides on staff or can recommend guiding companies.

Endless Biking in North Vancouver offers a full rental fleet and guided tours for all levels. You can also book rentals, lessons, and tours with Essential Cycles. For North Shore-ready bike rentals, head to Cycle BC, Lynn Valley Bikes, or Reckless Shipyards. Riding at Grouse Mountain Bike Park? Rentals are available on-site.

Where to Ride

North Shore Mountain Biking

Known as the North Shore, the trails in North Vancouver and West Vancouver are just a few minutes from downtown on the other side of the Burrard Inlet. This area is the epicentre of mountain biking in Vancouver.

Grouse Mountain

Open each year between June and October, the Grouse Mountain Bike Park opens as the only lift-accessed bike park on the North Shore. Grouse Mountain's 18 trails are a mix of greens, blues, and blacks, designed to help you progress and refine your skills on freeride and tech.

The park’s signature trail is the blue-rated Sooty’s Jump Line, a 1.2-kilometre-long flow trail with a variety of jumps and some tight berms that will test your cornering skills. Riders seeking old school North Shore tech should check out Paper Cut, a black-rated line with drops, rock gardens, and tight turns. The Grouse Mountain Bike Park is also a great place to learn to ride, thanks to the Lemon Squeezy Green Skills Zone for beginners, and the 3.5-kilometre-long Tim’s Trim, a green flow trail with wide turns and learner-friendly small rollers.

After your ride, head to The Observatory inside the Peak Chalet for a memorable meal with incredible views of the city below you.

Mount Fromme

Right beside Grouse, Mount Fromme is the most popular, dense riding area on the North Shore and includes over 90 trails. Expect a mix of classic tech and newer flow, with lots of blue and black options. Blue-rated Bobsled is a must-ride. It’s fast, bermy, and pure fun with some fun wood wall rides. Be ready to climb the double track Old Mountain Highway to reach most trails. Arrive early on weekends to snag a spot in the Mountain Highway parking lot.

Mount Seymour

Just east of Fromme, Mount Seymour offers a huge network of over 150 trails with a strong focus on technical riding. Roots, rocks, woodwork, and skinnies abound. Climb up via Old Buck Trail from the Old Buck Parking Lot or shuttle higher on Mount Seymour Road to start deeper in the network. For a classic tech trail in this zone, ride the natural drops, rock gardens, and skinnies on Pangor.

Cypress Mountain

The 77 trails in the Cypress Mountain zone are where experienced riders go to push their limits. Most trails here are rated black and double black, with steep, technical lines and high-consequence features. Shuttling up Cypress Bowl Road is the easiest way to access the trails. If you’re looking for a true test, double-black rated 5th Horseman is a standout. It’s steep, rocky, and not for the faint of heart. After your ride, head up to Cypress Mountain to enjoy a burger and beer on the patio at the Crazy Raven Bar and Grill.

Cypress will host the Canada's first Red Bull Hardline event on October 16 and 17, 2026. This event sees pro riders combining downhill speed with freeride-style features including massive jumps, rock gardens, and steep drops of over 10 metres.

Squamish Mountain Biking

Just one hour from Vancouver via shuttle bus, Squamish is a must-ride day-trip destination with over 500 trails and something for every style. Ride steep slabs in the Highlands, or flowy singletrack in Alice Lake and Diamond Head. You can shuttle in the Diamond Head zone, but elsewhere, expect to grind it out on the climb trails.

Whistler Mountain Biking

For world-famous riding, head to Whistler. The Whistler Mountain Bike Park offers dozens of lift-accessed trails for all experience levels. Outside the park, there’s even more to explore. Cruise beginner and intermediate XC-style trails in the Lost Lake Zone, or take on the big climb in the Westside-Sproatt Zone, for long alpine descents. Whistler is about two hours from Vancouver with regular shuttle service if you want to make a day of it.

Support Vancouver Mountain Biking

Volunteers from local mountain bike clubs build and maintain all of the trails in the Vancouver area. If you ride here, consider donating to the North Shore Mountain Bike Association or other local clubs through the Trail Karma program to help with ongoing maintenance, the development of new trails, and infrastructure like parking lots and bathrooms.