Nestled in the heart of the Selkirk Mountains, Nelson is home to an extensive network of trails built by generations of passionate local riders. Shaped by a community with a deep love for mountain biking, these trails have earned a reputation for delivering some of the most authentic riding experiences in British Columbia.

Long descents, steep pitches, roots, rock slabs, wooden features, and technical singletrack define Nelson's classic riding style. These trails embody the rugged character that BC mountain biking is known for. At the same time, the network continues to evolve, with newer trails offering smoother flow, progressive features, and cross-country-friendly options that welcome a broader range of riders.

Whether you're seeking challenging backcountry descents, all-mountain adventures, or fun and accessible trail rides, Nelson's diverse trail network offers something for every style of rider.

Below you will find an area map broken into riding zones, with descriptions of the riding you can expect to experience.

Giveout / Gold Creek

Giveout - Providing the mountain backdrop south of Nelson’s town site, this upper face of Morning Mountain is commonly referred to as Giveout. These trails link into longer descending lines that are of the typical old-school, technical variety, but with a new wave of trail work focused on creating more flow and speed that is slowly influencing everything here. Be sure to check out Powerslave and Bears Den, or roll through the Ballers (Highballer & Lowballer)

Morning Mountain - Located on the slopes below Giveout, Morning Mountain represents the newer generation of Nelson riding. Purpose-built climbing trails allow riders to earn their descents, while a growing network of intermediate and advanced trails offers everything from flowing singletrack and adaptive jump lines to technical rock features. Trails such as Bottoms Up helped transform the area into one of Nelson's premier pedal-access destinations. Rhythm and Blues, Turnstyles and Lefty offer machine groomed goodness and great oppourtunity for skill progression. The result is a network that balances progression, accessibility, and the technical character that defines riding in the Kootenays.

Gold Creek - Held on the dank north flank of Toad Mountain between Giveout and Gold Creek, the trails here are best known for being tight and steep. These are big DH singletracks that almost always have an uphill start and despite the reputation, the scarier sections are broken up by lots of less-intense riding.

Smallwood

While the Nelson area is dominated by steep mountain sides and downhill trails, Smallwood hold a rarity in some true cross-country out-and-back and loop style singletracks. The Smallwood Creek trail system is part of a BC Recreation Site area created from a vision of the founding members of the NCC to have more user-friendly biking and rider designed XC and all-mountain trails. Sweet and Salty is the new climb trail, giving access to scenic and epic trails of Vallelujah and Below the Gods. Wanting a shorter lap? Check out the all new Brake Jack for a fast and fun descent.

Mountain Station

The closest riding to town, Mountain Station is a tightly packed nucleus of trails. Except for The Vein and Spacejunk, these are all short but sweet rides that you can link together for a nice long run. Before you hit the trails, make a mental note that the entire riding area lies on private property managed by Anderson Creek Timber, and thanks to the generosity of the local landowners, mountain biking is allowed. Do your fellow riders a favour and don’t car-drop Mountain Station Road, don’t ride here in the wet, and please, no new trail building. Logging and road building operations are possible anytime throughout the year, please respect any trail closures and don’t put future access at risk by poaching.

Blewett/49er

This picturesque rural area west of Nelson may only have a handful of trails, but they've long been considered local favourites. The trails in Blewett pack a remarkable amount of variety into a compact network. Rides begin with a climb up the forest service road, where riders can choose from several distinct descents. Don't miss Blindside, one of the zone's signature trails. This unique sidehill route traverses back toward the parking area from the riders left flank, showcasing the creativity that has made Blewett a favourite among local riders for years.

North Shore/Kokanee

The north shore of Kootenay Lake’s West Arm covers a large variety of terrain with impressive slab lines everywhere that range from fun to insane. A popular zone for shuttling, access up various FSR’s gets you to Slabalanche, Sitkum or Hitman. The lower trails that run through Kokanee Creek Provincial Park offer fast shuttle laps, but riders may choose to pedal up Goosebumps instead. Rock slabs and features define this zone, with Nooner and Morning Sickness as local favourites.

Svoboda

For riders seeking a more rugged and natural experience, Svoboda delivers. Located within West Arm Provincial Park, this zone is known for steep terrain, exposed rock slabs, technical line choices, and a distinctly backcountry feel despite being only minutes from town. The riding here starts with a long grind uphill that is rewarded with some steep, boney trails and lots of nice slab lines. All of these trails are within the West Arm Provincial Park and should be treated with respect. Riding is allowed by BC Parks but should be avoided when the weather is extremely dry or wet, and please, no new trail building. Trails like Log Jam, Paper Bag, Middle Earth and Una Canuma offer challenging riding through open forest and rocky outcrops, rewarding riders with impressive views of Kootenay Lake and the surrounding mountains.

Shannon Pass

Wrapping around the northern edge of Elephant Mountain, Shannon Pass holds one of the longest and largest descents you can ride on any single trail in the Nelson area. Brings you down to Kootenay Lake on beauty singletrack that mixes technical and flowy sections, with a few minor climbs and loose steeps. The challenge here is the access, a long ascent up Grohman Creek FSR is required.