Three Unique Spots to Mountain Bike in Kamloops

Intro

Mountain biking popularity has rocketed over the past few years most notably in summer 2020. Biking stores and manufacturers ran out of stock of almost every type of bike before the end of June. I worked in a bike shop and saw firsthand as new riders beamed with excitement as they walked out the door with their new trail smashing machine.

I can’t count the number of times I was asked, “Hey, where is the best place to ride? Where do you ride? Where is a good place to learn?” Instead of directing people to websites like Trailforks, I decided to write a personal blog describing some of my favourite spots to ride.  

Bike Ranch

The Kamloops Bike Ranch is located just outside Kamloops on Highway 1 heading towards Salmon Arm. The Ranch offers super fun flowy gravity trails mixed with some cruisy cross country. For beginner riders looking to quickly develop basic riding skills, I recommend practicing on the green and blue trails. A fantastic intermediate trail is called Rattlesnake, and although it sounds intimidating, the low angle descent and berms provide an opportunity to ride as fast or slow as you’re comfortable. To get the most out of the Ranch, I recommend using the shuttle service provided for a small fee or get some friends and trade shuttle runs. My personal favourite trail at the Ranch is Wrangler, which is a combination of massive berms, step downs, big jumps, and fast single-track which creates a super fun trail and a stepping stone for developing skills. And if you’re looking for a real adrenaline rush, Fist Full of Dollars provides expert riders, or those tricked by their friends, with a series of massive gap jumps, unforgiving step downs, and an experience, as one friend described as the closest thing to flying on two wheels. One downside of this increasing popularity of biking is the frequency of lineups at the top of each trail. One way to avoid this is to arrive early in the morning before the crowds show up. That being said, the Ranch offers a variety of trails to beginner, intermediate, and expert riders.

Photo by – Graeme Paterson

Pineview

Pineview trail network is located at the very end of Hugh Allen Drive and is my personal favourite area to ride around Kamloops. As no shuttles are available at Pineview, trails can only be accessed by pedalling to the top following one of the numerous up tracks. The trails at Pineview are not as busy and provide more variety than at the Ranch. There are a good number of surprisingly steep and technical trails mixed in with some intermediate and beginner tracks. The majority of the Pineview trails are long, single-track downhill trails, with tight turns, faster flowy sections, bumpy rocks, and the occasional jump, often with a ride around option. Pineview is a fantastic place to go for a quick ride if you’re riding alone, don’t have a ton of time for an all day adventure, or just want to practice some new skills on a variety of awesome trials. My favourite trail, Blaze on A Hillside, has a series of technical rock features which makes for some exhilarating moments with tons of options to make the trail more difficult or easy. It’s also one of the longer trails which makes the pedal up worth it. If you’re riding at Pineview, make sure to use the app Trailforks as it is very easy to get lost in the spiderweb of trails. Overall, I would highly recommend Pineview for any beginner, intermediate, or expert rider, and the natural tree cover is a great sun shield on a hot day.

Photo by – Trailforks

Kenna Cartwright Park

This trail system is more suited for fans of cross country. Kenna offers a few steep sections of trails, requiring some technical skill, but the majority of the trails are longer and involve a lot of pedalling. It’s a great place to get in shape and offers some stunning views of the surrounding landscape. You can access Kenna a few different ways depending on where you live in town. From here you can pedal up to the top of the road which leads to the Ridge trail, or duck off onto the numerous trails weaving through the park. I highly recommend Kenna for those looking for some simpler trails as the trails here don’t pose such a high risk as to the others. Ridge Trail is my favourite here as it traverses the ridge along the top of the park, providing incredible views of the valley. Overall, Kenna is a great place to get out riding, work on your cardio and endurance, and cruise on some amazing cross country trails.

Photo by – Trailforks

Conclusion

Kamloops is a fantastic mountain bike mecca for riders of any ability. Options for mellow trails with smooth banked turns can quickly facilitate confidence and skill development.  The three areas talked about, The Ranch, Pineview, and Kenna, each offers a unique selection of trails to suit all riding styles.

Photos from Trailforks, video from OwlLaps youtube. WRANGLER, Kamloops Bike Ranch, BC, Canada Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoMyiNxboik