I live in North Vancouver, and British Columbia is my home province. The province is generally very mountainous and forested, providing excellent topography for scenic, ripping, steep descents throughout. The most popular regions are along the southwestern coastal areas in North Vancouver, Squamish and Whistler. However, for those willing to venture further afield, there are great trails in Cumberland on Vancouver Island, the Okanagan Valley (including the cities of Kelowna and Penticton) and the smaller towns of Revelstoke, Rossland and Nelson in the West Kootenay mountain range.
The Okanagan Valley is reminiscent of the Mediterranean wine regions of Europe and offers visitors incredibly scenic vinyards, with wine tasting and great lakefront beaches to swim while you visit. Alternatively, the towns of Revelstoke, Nelson and Rossland, nestled within the West Kootenay mountain range, offer visitors incredible “Alps like” environment with excellent hiking and backpacking among the revitalized formerly railway and mining towns. Below, I show you a map of southern British Columbia, where I circle some of my favourite riding regions.
The best riding weather is typically obtained in the July through September timeframe since the higher elevation, mountain top rides are typically snow covered until mid-July. However, you can still ride at lower elevations nearly throughout the year in North Vancouver, Squamish and Vancouver Island – if you don’t mind the rainier weather.
The best regions to ride for steep, technically challenging trails are North Vancouver, Squamish and Whistler. North Vancouver has dozens of unique, man-made wooden features to challenge the most nervy riders. You will find the best flow trails and steep rock slabs in Squamish (on the highway from Vancouver to Whistler) and flow trails in both Squamish and Cumberland on Vancouver Island. If you are looking for outstanding mountain-top vistas, you can find them in Whistler, Revelstoke and Rossland. However, you will also find outstanding mountain biking, small town hospitality and excellent craft breweries throughout the province – towns such as Valemont, Revelstoke and Nelson for example, you just need to be adventurous to head further afield. For those visitors to BC who might be more familiar with US ski towns, you will find the towns of Revelstoke, Rossland and Nelson similar to those in: Truckee and South Lake Tahoe in California, Park City in Utah and Telluride and Crested Butte in Colorado.
In addition to the list below, have a look at my Top 100 List for other outstanding trails in BC!
Of my Top 150 Trails, I count 34 trails within the Vancouver, Squamish and Whistler highway corridor – all within a short 90 minute drive!
Top 10 Trails in British Columbia
| Rank | Trail | City | Difficulty |
| 1 | Ladies Only | North Vancouver | Double Black |
| 2 | Lower Crippler | North Vancouver | Black |
| 3 | Bobsled | North Vancouver | Blue |
| 4 | Frisby Ridge | Revelstoke | Blue |
| 5 | Bring on the Weekend | Whistler | Black |
| 6 | Duncan’s | Whistler | Black |
| 7 | Boogyman | North Vancouver | Double Black |
| 8 | Whiskey | Rossland | Black |
| 9 | Happiest Days | Whistler | Black |
| 10 | Dark Crystal | Whistler | Back |
And for a further detailed list of recommended trails in Whistler, North Vancouver and Whistler, see the list of the Top 10 trails in each city below.
Top 10 Trails in North Vancouver
| Rank | Trail | Region | Difficulty |
| 1 | Ladies Only | Mount Fromme | Double Black |
| 2 | Lower Crippler | Mount Fromme | Black |
| 3 | Bobsled | Mount Fromme | Blue |
| 4 | Boogyman | Mount Seymour | Double Black |
| 5 | Pipeline | Mount Fromme | Black |
| 6 | Pangor | Mount Seymour | Black |
| 7 | Boundary | Mount Fromme | Double Black |
| 8 | CBC | Mount Seymour | Black |
| 9 | Expresso | Mount Fromme | Black |
| 10 | 7th Secret | Mount Fromme | Black |
Top 10 Trails in Squamish
| Rank | Trail | Region | Difficulty |
| 1 | Pamplemousse | Alice Lake | Black |
| 2 | Dirk’s Diggler | Alice Lake | Black |
| 3 | Value Added | Alice Lake | Double Black |
| 4 | Half Nelson | Diamond Head | Blue |
| 5 | Pseudo Tsuga | Diamond Head | Blue |
| 6 | Rupert | Alice Lake | Black |
| 7 | In-N-Out Burger | Alice Lake | Black |
| 8 | Cakewalk | Diamond Head | Black |
| 9 | Marc My Word | Alice Lake | Black |
| 10 | Boney Elbows | Alice Lake | Black |
Top 10 Trails in Whistler
| Rank | Trail | Region | Difficulty |
| 1 | Bring on the Weekend | Whistler North | Black |
| 2 | Duncan’s | Cheakamus | Black |
| 3 | Happiest Days | Whistler North | Black |
| 4 | Dark Crystal | Blackcomb CRA | Black |
| 5 | Clown Shoes | Bike Park | Double Black |
| 6 | Schleyer | Bike Park | Double Black |
| 7 | Detroit Rock City | Bike Park | Double Black |
| 8 | Original Sin | Bike Park | Black |
| 9 | No Joke Upper | Bike Park | Black |
| 10 | On the Rocks | Westside-Sproatt | Blue |
If you have any thoughts or comments on my trail lists, please comment in my Blog Post section. Thanks!