10 Best Mountain Biking Trails In Whistler Canada

10 Best Mountain Biking Trails In Whistler Canada

Whistler Mountain Resort is located in British Columbia, Canada. It’s for years been hailed as one of the best places to go if you’re a serious mountain bike rider. 

 

With challenging tech trails, massive jump lines, and perfect berms, it isn’t a stretch to say that Whistler Mountain Resort is a must-ride destination for mountain bike riders of all ages and skill levels around the world.  

Mountain Biking in Whistler, Canada

If you want to experience Whistler’s mountain bike riding fun for yourself, you’re reading the right article. Here you’ll find our top 10 picks for must-ride trails as well as information on what to expect once you’re out there.

 

1. Whistler Valley Trail: The Easiest 

The first entry on our list is the easiest trail in Whistler. The Whistler Valley Trail provides an easy way to link up to other singletrack trails in the area. This trail is 64.4 kilometers of paved trail and boardwalk with an elevation of +994/346 ft. 

 

As mentioned, this trail network is a great way to connect to the rest of Whistler’s singletrack trails. That said, the Whistler Valley Trail itself can be ridden as a family-friendly trail. With its paved paths, restroom availability, and access to the lake, this trail is a good choice for a fun day with the family.

 

2. Sea to Sky Trail: Epic Beginner Trail 

If you’re a beginner-level rider looking for an epic mountain biking adventure, then the Sea to Sky Trail is for you. This beginner out-and-back trail stretches over 180 kilometers. The trail itself consists mainly of double track with an elevation of +393/416 ft. 

 

The Sea to Sky Trail is a great non-motorized multi-use trail that connects the communities in the Sea to Sky Corridor, from Squamish to D’Arcy. Feel free to enjoy the scenes and sounds of nature along with the opportunity to learn more about the human history of the Sea to Sky Corridor. 

 

3. Farside Trail: Family-friendly Trail with River Views

Our final beginner-level trail is the Farside Trail. This out-and-back trail stretches 3.2 kilometers long and is open to hikers and MTB riders. The trail itself consists mostly of singletrack with an elevation of +1,052/437 ft.

 

The Farside Trail takes you through the north side of the Cheakamus river. Feel free to enjoy this minimally technical, well-maintained gravel-based, trail with your family. Do note though that some sections will have some climbs, though none of them should be too hard.

 

4. Whistler Bike Park Garbanzo Zone: Amazing Intermediate Downhill

Moving on from beginner to intermediate trails, our next entry is Whistler Bike Park’s Garbanzo Zone. This trail takes its name from its propensity for thrilling downhills and awesome jumps. The Garbanzo Zone trail network covers 3.2 kilometers of intermediate-advanced singletrack with an elevation of +557/916 ft.

 

If you plan to ride this trail, expect to encounter huge flowy trails complete with tangled roots, awesome berms, and massive jumps. Do note that not all routes in this system are suitable for intermediate riders. If you see a sign pointing towards an intermediate and an advanced-level route, you may want to choose the Intermediate one first.

 

5. Lost Lake Doubletrack: Great Intermediate Connector Trail 

If you’re an intermediate rider looking to ride your way to the next Whistler trail, you might want to take the Lost Lake Doubletrack. This 2.8-kilometer route is part of a larger trail system. The trail itself consists mostly of a spacious doubletrack with an elevation of just +21/10 ft. 

 

The Lost Lake Doubletrack trail is a good route to take if you’re going from Whistler Village to the Zappa Trails and vice-versa. While this route is usually ridden as a connector trail, nothing is stopping you from riding it as an out-and-back trail. 

 

6. Westside Trails: Awesome Collection of Intermediate Trails

If you’re an intermediate-level rider looking to spend your day riding in Whistler, you may want to check out the Westside Trails. This trail network spans a total of 80.5 kilometers of singletrack with an elevation of +655/695 ft.

 

While some of the routes in this trail system can be ridden by beginners, most of them are rated for intermediate-level riders. The Westside Trails include all the trails west of Hwy 99 and south of Rainbow. These trails offer a mix of everything from fast flowy singletrack to technical downhills. 

 

7. Emerald Forest: Interesting Forest Track Close to a Village 

If you’re an intermediate rider looking for a fun ride close to civilization, definitely check out Emerald Forest. This network of forest tracks spans 8 kilometers long with an elevation of +697/35 ft. The trail itself can vary in difficulty from moderate to challenging depending on your skill level. 

 

Expect to encounter lots of roots and rocks along the way. Feel free to take in the sights and sounds of the beautiful forest this trail is set in. For a longer ride, you can link this trail with the trail called “A River Runs Through It”.

 

8. Cut Yer Bars: Technical Climbs 

Moving on to more advanced trails, we start with Cut Yer Bars. This trail is rated advanced not because of how tough it is going down but for how difficult it is to climb. Cut Yer Bars is a singletrack loop trail stretching just 3.2 kilometers long with an elevation of +1,159/1 ft.

 

This trail is a dream to ride downhill, especially after a good rain. Before you get your reward, though, you have to contend with the climb. Make sure you pack your grippy tires as the loose rocks and slippery roots are going to challenge your bike as much as your cardio. 

 

9. Lord of the Squirrels: Zippy, Rowdy, and Super Fun  

Our next entry straddles the line between super fun and technical blue track to gnarly-when-wet black diamond track. Lord of the Squirrels is an advanced-rated trail network stretching 6.4 kilometers. The trail itself is mostly singletrack with an elevation of +1,891/1 ft. 

 

This hand-built trail is easy to ride super fast. Do watch out for wet conditions, though, as that’s when the roots become sketchy, to say the least. You also have to do some climbing on Into the Mystic to get to this trail.

 

10. In Deep: The Most Difficult 

Perhaps the toughest trail in all of Whistler is the one called “In Deep”. This downhill-only trail lies just 894 meters long with a descent of -519 feet. Average times to complete fall at just a bit over 9 minutes (9:16).

 

Expect this trail to throw lots of technical features at you from start to finish. This a long skinny, rock rolls, roots, rocks, drops steeps, some chunky switchbacks, and ladder jumps. There are some easy lines to find but not too many as to take away from the fun.