Mountain Biking

The Sunshine Coast’s singletrack is the stuff that mountain biking dreams are made of. Sculpted by the Strait of Georgia, the peninsula’s rocky shoreline quickly fades into a mystic, coastal rainforest. Duck inside and you’ll find a labyrinth of diverse trails that flow to the rhythm of nature. Paired with year-round trail access and a passionate community of friendly riders, the Sunshine Coast is one of the best places to go mountain biking in North America.

The only requirement? A sense of adventure! Half the fun is discovering the Sunshine Coast for yourself.

We encourage everyone planning a trip to the Sunshine Coast to explore safely, responsibly, and respectfully. We’re all visitors on the traditional territories of the Tla’amin, Klahoose, shíshálh, and Skwxwú7mesh nations.​​​
 

Where to Ride

Over 700 kilometres of bike trails stretch from the southern end of the Sunshine Coast to the northern flanks in Powell River. Start small and meander your way through the smooth contours of old growth forest for an introduction to the Sunshine Coast’s unique terrain, or feast on technical cross-country and gravity-fed downhill runs as you explore the area’s most famous zones. Wherever you roll, you’ll find a carpet of roots, rocks, and moss that lead you to an exciting adventure, no matter your skill or style.

Southern Sunshine Coast

With mountain bike trails located just a few minutes from the Langdale Ferry Terminal just outside of Gibsons, the Southern Sunshine Coast is an easy choice for visiting riders. More than 380 kilometres of trails—coloured with natural features, man-made stunts, and hand-built singletrack—wind their way through five main trail networks, each with their own distinct flavour:

  • Sprockids Bike Park sets the bar for access, flow and diversity. Warm up on smooth trails and wooden practice stunts, minutes from the ferry terminal, before exploring higher up the mountain, where you’ll find connecting trails designed with progressive berms, log rides, ladder bridges and rocky ridgelines. Click here to view the Sprockids map and directions.
  • Roberts Creek holds Sunshine Coast’s most diverse network of trails. Whether it’s casual pedaling, big elevation gains or shuttle laps you’re after, Roberts Creek has thrills for all styles of bikers.
  • Wilson Creek is one of the Sunshine Coast’s newer riding zones, and features challenging trail rides with a hearty dose of rock rolls, skinny bridges, and unmarked trails. Talk to a local bike shop for trail information.
  • Loam, berms, flow, roots. West Sechelt features a sample of cross-country and all-mountain features. Designed for the movement of bikers, the mostly-intermediate XC trails provide non-stop entertainment mixed with natural (and fun) features.
  • Halfmoon Bay is an exhilarating introduction for beginner riders and more experienced alike, and features many trail options and connecting routes, from easy cruisers to moderate tech.

Trailforks offers a comprehensive map of the mountain bike trails around the southern portion of Sunshine Coast along with a mobile app—click here for details. 

Northern Sunshine Coast

Journey a little further north and uncover 350+ kilometres of mossy singletrack all to yourself. The Northern Sunshine Coast might be remote, but it rewards the adventurous with some of the most premier cross-country trails in the region, giving both new and established riders a choice between mellow thrills or challenging skills.

  • Credit a community of loggers, hikers and bikers for a combination of old-school challenge and new-school flow in Powell River. Twisty, mossy cross-country trails hug the contours of old growth forests, bringing natural flow and all-level fun to areas like the popular Duck Lake network.
  • Texada Island has plenty of dirt roads and trails to explore. Note that they are mostly multi-use and single-track, and are not well-marked. 

Trailforks offers a comprehensive map of the mountain bike trails around the northern portion of Sunshine Coast along with a mobile app—click here for details.
 

Bike Parks

Feed your adrenaline rush or hone your skills at one of the many bike parks on the Sunshine Coast:

  • Sprockids Skills Park — Wooden features, man-made stunts, and practice trails to introduce you to riding on the Sunshine Coast.
  • Coast Gravity Park — Discover world-renowned, shuttle-accessed downhill trails built for riders, by riders. Open year-round.
  • Powell River Bike & Skate Park — This urban bike park is open to the public with jumps, ramps, wall rides, and two pumptracks.
     

Inspiration

Check out Michael Overbeck’s PINKBIKE blog: 48 Hours on the Sunshine Coast and watch the videos below.

Stan's NoTubes athlete Brice Shirbach explores the connection between three very different communities: Powell River & qathet Regional District of British Columbia, Fuita, Colorado, and the southern coast of Oregon.

Safety Tips

Certain sports, like mountain biking or running, increase your risk of encountering wildlife due to your speed and minimal sound. While mountain biking, call ahead with your voice, especially around blind corners and carry bear spray on you and not your bike. Learn more about wildlife, their behaviour, and staying safe in wildlife country at WildSafeBC.
 

Bike Shops

Rent a bike, buy gear, pick up a map or get local knowledge from the people who are always out riding:

Mountain Biking Resources

Check out some of the Sunshine Coast’s local bike clubs and other resources: