Advocating for Mountain Bike Trails and Access
Cycling Nova Scotia is proud to support volunteers, community groups and community partners in creating and maintaining MTB trails throughout the province. Over the past several years we’ve seen an explosion in popularity in mountain biking all over the province, as well as the creation of incredible trail networks thanks to groups like the McIntosh Watershed Run Association and ECMTB. Since late 2018, the province has also eased restriction barriers on protected lands all around the province; opening up around 100km of off-road trails and fire-roads for riders to enjoy.
Whether you’re a competitive MTB rider, or ride for fun, the future for MTB is bright in Nova Scotia!
In addition to the access granted by the province, several community groups and partners are “feeling the berm” and have developed, or are developing world-class MTB infrastructure. One of the oldest trail networks can be found at Keppoch Mountain in Antigonish. Aside from being a great Cross Country Ski and Hiking destination, MTB riders can enjoy 15KM of technical single track, 10K of wide double-track, nine downhill areas and a kids/learning zone. Definitely an exciting site to check out!
Towards the Annapolis Valley, the Town of Kentville and Trail Flow Outdoor Adventures have done an incredible job at maintaining the Gorge —a 64.5 acre natural woodland that has been used in the 2018 and 2019 Kentville Canada Cup. With a series of beginner and advanced trails to follow, the Gorge is the perfect summer and weekend venue for beginner and expert MTB riders alike!
Truro also hosts a stellar MTB venue quite close to downtown. Found in Victoria Park, the Railyard contains 40km of bike trails that caters to skill levels ranging from beginner to “Extreme”. Aside from the trails criss-crossing the park, the Railyard also has a skills park where new riders can hone their skills.
Finally, we take a look at one of the newest additions to the MTB circuit. Thanks to efforts by the Links at Brunello, HRM riders have a quality MTB park available in their backyards. Although the Brunello MTB trail system is in the first phase of its rollout, their launch event on July 11th got both city riders and South Shore shredders amped-up about the new addition to the MTB circuit in Nova Scotia.
There are more MTB trails to discover in Nova Scotia. If you’d like more information about access to protected areas, or you would like to know more about MTB competition in Nova Scotia, don’t hesitate to contact us!