When it comes to mountain biking in British Columbia, Canada most people hear about the trails around the North Shore in North Vancouver and the trails and bike park in Whistler. However, taking a 1.5 hour ferry ride over to Vancouver Island is well worth the trip with most of the trails being within 2 hours of Nanaimo.

There are four ferry routes to get to Vancouver Island from the Mainland, which are found on the BC Ferries website.  The most scenic are the Tsawwassen to Schwartz Bay route or if you have time, the Sunshine Coast route which is a series of three ferries and is the route the BC Bike Race follows. Reservations are highly recommended if you’re planning on travelling in June, July or August.

After disembarking the ferry head north to Campbell River, a 2 hour drive from Nanaimo, and check out the trails in the Snowden Demonstration Forest.  The Snowden Demo Forest has something for everyone however make sure you pick up a map of the area from Cowabunga Coffee which is on the way there. (You can’t miss it, it’s a trailer painted like a cow.)  It’s easy to lose your way in this 150 km network of trails the first time you visit.  The owner of Cowabunga is a fellow mountain biker and is extremely knowledgeable about the trails in this area so don’t hesitate to ask him questions.  If you plan on travelling there over the Labour Day Weekend in September, enter the Campbell River 50 km Trail Challenge and experience the best the trails here have to offer.

The next place to go is Cumberland which is a village just 10 minutes outside of Courtenay and a 35 minute drive south of Campbell River. There are two main trail networks here, one in Cumberland itself and the other on Forbidden Plateau.  The trails in Cumberland are more appealing to the cross country rider whereas most of the downhill trails are on Forbidden, however there are a mix of trails in both areas.  These trails are continually being added to and updated maps can be purchased at the Riding Fool Hostel, Dodge City Cycles, Black’s Cycles, and Simon’s Cycles.   You can also find trail updates here.   Cumberland is also a host to several mountain bike races and events every year.  These include the BC Bike Race, the Island Cup, and the 12-Hours of Cumberland among others. For the downhillers, Mount Washington has an excellent mountain bike park that is open from June to September.

Parksville is another great place to ride with a great series of trails in Top Bridge Park. This network of trails is rated as moderate and great for getting the legs moving again after riding the trails in Campbell River and Cumberland. After the ride, continue down the road and you’ll find some great swimming holes to help you cool off. Parksville also hosts the Hammerfest Mountain Bike Race. The information for the 2010 race hasn’t been released yet so keep an eye on the Arrowsmith Mountain Bike Club’s website.

20 minutes down the road from Top Bridge Park are the Dumont Road trails in Nanaimo. This area has 90 km of singletrack trails and with trails for every level of rider. The trails are comparable to the trails in Cumberland however there isn’t much information online. For more information on trails in Nanaimo and Parksville stop by Arrowsmith Bikes.

Which brings you back to the ferry to Vancouver. However, this is just a taste of the cross-country trails on Vancouver Island.  There is a lot more riding to be had on South Vancouver Island as well! But I’ll cover that another time.

Related posts:

1. 2010 Howler 2 Day- Mountain Bike Race in Nicaragua
2. Lodi Farms 12-hour Mountain Bike Race
3. BC Bike Race 2010
4. 2010 San Luis Mountain Run
5. D.I.Y. H.I.D. Bike Lamp