Biking the Okanagan: Guide of Where to Ride

In this column Biking the Okanagan, KelownaNow and Mountain Bikers of the Central Okanagan (MTBco) have partnered up to increase awareness of the efforts and organizations that lay down the dirt under your feet that make up the biking trails around the Okanagan. Follow this column bi-weekly as we share biking etiquette, tips and tricks, along with opportunities for you to get involved within the biking community.

Kelowna hosts over 800 km's of mountain bike trails for a variety of skill levels. Both new riders and seasoned shredders might have a hard time finding out where they should ride because Trailforks can’t possibly tell you everything you need to know about a given trail. With that in mind, let’s talk about the different trail networks around Kelowna.

Crawford (Myra-Bellevue)

Crawford is a mix of cross-country and technical trails, with plenty of viewpoints along the way. There’s over 150 km's of serviceable trails, most of which are rated green (easiest) or blue (intermediate) and requires pedaling to access. Well-suited to those learning the basics of riding, Crawford also offers more challenging routes. Shuttling is possible on June Springs road, but the vehicle fetch time is significant, and most trails are typically accessed by climbing Lost Lake or Pink Highway.

The trails closest to the parking lot on Stuart Road East are the most accessible for beginners. This area includes trails such as Salamander, Galloping, Fairlane, and Lost Lake. They all have calm descents, few hazards, and don’t take long to pedal to.

Popular blue trails in Crawford include Pipers, Myra Bailout, Boris, Heckle and the iconic Crawford Canyon DH. You can pedal up Pink Highway to Lookout trail, and then take Crawford Canyon DH most of the way back to the parking lot at Stuart Rd East. That’s 16 kilometres, half of it uphill. If you’re in a rush, you can pedal Pink Highway to Windfall, then take Windfall down to Jekyll, or Heckle if you like a little more challenge.

Further in, there are some challenging runs including one of the most loved black diamond (advanced) downhills in the Kelowna area, Vapour. From Vapour, you can link up to Connector and Rocky Screech, all of which boast technical rock rolls and drops to keep even the most advanced rider on their toes. Other advanced trails include Hillbilly, Big Drops and Race Classic.

Knox Mountain

Knox Mountain Park is located right at the north end of downtown Kelowna and features a handful of mountain bike trails amidst the many hiking routes. Trails are accessed by pedaling up the paved Knox Mountain drive or the multi-use Apex Trail; both options are steep, but brief.

For beginner riders, the best trails at Knox are located halfway up the mountain, above Lower Shale Trail. These include the Simpson Trail, which consist of berms, rollers and small jumps, and the various Kathleen Lake green and blue trails.

The lower portion of the Shale Trail is a berm-filled entourage of twists and turns, manageable by most intermediate riders. Be warned, there are also much steeper rocky lines adjacent for the skilled tech riders. Take care not to ride those by accident.

Aside from the steep alternate routes on Lower Shale Trail, the gnarliest part of Knox is the upper Shale Trail. Starting from the peak, with a panoramic view of the city of Kelowna, there’s an intensely steep and speedy descent down jagged rocks along a skinny trail towards a step-down feature, followed by an impressive step-up.

Gillard

The forest service road that the Gillard trail network gets its name from sits on the south side of town, against a backdrop of evergreen trees and dusty climbs. It primarily serves intermediate to advanced riders. Although there are several sections that novice riders can handle and ride-arounds for most difficult features, it is not recommended for beginners. It’s easily shuttled, but it currently does not have a dedicated pedaling trail, something that MTBco is working towards creating in the near future.

While Gillard definitely boasts the gnarliest features within the Kelowna riding network, it also has a greater degree of variety than most of the other trail networks in town, with a mix of natural and manmade features. Its primary user group is mountain bikers, and the design of the trails reflects that.

The best route for inexperienced riders from the top is Cat's Ass to Snake’s Back and Lower Snake’s Back. From there, it is recommended that new riders take the forest service road back down to the parking lot or walk the uncomfortable parts on Boss Hog. Other “must-ride” intermediate trails include Moose Knuckle, La Petite and Bearly There.

For the advanced riders, there is a wide variety of trails to be enjoyed. Whether it’s hitting the jumps on Yo Momma and Fists First or cruising your way down the rock and wood features on Wobbly Pops, Boss Hog and Casino Royal, Gillard also boasts the only double black (expert) trails in the Kelowna region; Dr. No, Rubber Down, and Therapist.

These trail networks are maintained in-part by MTBco with help from other local trail organizations such as FOSS. Stay tuned for a similar article showcasing the trails in West Kelowna - Rose Valley, Smith Creek and Powers Creek, maintained by our friends over at West Kelowna Trail Crew.

MTBco acknowledges that all the trails we ride and maintain are located on the traditional and unceded territory of the Sylix Tmixw (Okanagan) people.