The 150 km drive from Vancouver to Pemberton along the Sea to Sky Highway will deliver you to four of the best trail networks in the world. These trail systems are all unique, and represent a variety of builder styles. There is also a big difference in geography, dirt and weather at each spot. This rad MTB road trip includes North Van, Squamish, Whistler and Pemberton. If you can ride well here, then you can ride pretty much anywhere. The trails are all beautifully constructed and meticulously maintained. Even though it rains often, there are very few days when people refrain from mountain biking. Big days in the back country or one-hour rides are available at every stop along the way. A full week of riding along this highway is an amazing bike trip that you should seriously consider.
North Van
The origin of trail building has a lot to do with North Van. For sure one the best places to ride steep and technical trails. The most popular trail systems are on Mount Seymour and Mount Fromme. Seymour has a super fun climb trail by the name of Good Sir Martin. The trails are surrounded by old growth forests and massive stumps from the logging days. Everything is old and awesome. The black diamond trails on Fromme are rocky and super technical. The slightly different flavor of riding right next door to Seymour is real special. Keep an eye out for old trails and lines from the early days of Freeride. Even if you don't want to ride, you should walk down a north van double black diamond just to have a look. Boogy Man and Ladies Only are two legendary double black diamonds. North Van is at the top of the Best MTB Trails in BC list.
Squamish
Squampton. The land of slabs and ridiculously steep lines. I don't think there is another other place that comes close in comparison. There is a serious variety of trails. The best stuff can be found in the Alice Lake Provincial Park trail region. This place will bully you into becoming a better rider, due to the fact that most of the rock in the area is extra grippy white quartzite. Rupert's Trail is a crowd favorite. The next best trail region is Diamond Head. This option has minimal slabs, but you get bigger climbs with fast and flowy trails like Half and Full Nelson. This Trailforks Loop will show you some of the best flow in Squamish. There are a few other trail systems in Squamish, plus a few back country routes like hanging gardens, that only the locals know about.
Whistler
No surprise that Whistler has a little bit of everything. The No Flow Zone pays homage to the early days. A river runs through it has a ton of skinny features. The Green Monster is close by, if you want to check out some gnar. You can't go wrong with the chairlift. If you prefer to earn you decents, Comforably Numb is an IMBA Epic certified trail. Lord of the Squirrels is another awesome climb up and rip down day. If you want something shorter, Kill Me Thrill Me is another wicked XC trail. There are trails, roads and bike paths literally everywhere, this can make it a bit tricky to navigate. But, a fully charged Trailforks enabled device will take care of that. Surprisingly, the singletrack in Whistler is usually not that busy.
Pemberton
Permberton is the one of the best all mountain riding destinations. Ride up, and ride down. The valley floor is flat as a pancake, but man does it ever look pretty. There is something special about the flat empty valley running in between two giant mountain ranges. Most trails have shuttle access! On the other hand, if the legs are fresh, then the Nimby Climb Trail is one of the best ways to get up the mountain. On the way back down, you can't go wrong with Cream Puff and Cop Killer. It can get pretty dry in Pemby, so if its hot, expect the dirt to be loose and dusty. There are some really fun slabs and sketchy lines to push your limits. The vibe here is awesome. The people are super nice and friendly. Best place to go after a long ride is the Beer Farmers Brewery.
The Chiefer, Bears and Tacos
The Stawamus Chief is the giant granitic dome looking down on Squamish. It is one of the best classic BC hikes. You can climb one peak in an hour, or hit All Three Peaks to make it a two hour loop (7 km). The climb trail is strenuous and will require some level of fitness. There are ladders and ropes to assist ascending multiple sections. There are no bears near the Chief, but they are everywhere else along the sea to sky highway. Do some reading up on proper BC bear edict, and bring some spray. Its also not a bad idea to look on Trailforks comments section for bear activity when planning your route. Last step is to plan a strategy for eating as many tacos and burritos as possible along the way. So many other great places to ride, but its hard to beat. These trails are super fun and challenging. Please don't ride above your ability, but when you are ready to ride, the best MTB trails in BC are here for you.
Trip Advice
7-10 Days
150 mm Rear Travel (Minimum)
Bears, Breweries and Tacos
Old Growth Forests Everywhere
Ride Safe, Wear Pads