Community Forest Trails – Sylvan Lake
An easily accessible maze of singletrack trails in the hills immediately east of town. Something for the whole family!
Where to start:
The main access points are at the Isadore Canyon Trailhead at the north, the College of the Rockies Campus, or any of the three trailheads along 2nd St S / Mt Baker Road.
The riding:
The Cranbrook Community Forest (CCF) contains most of Cranbrook’s “bread and butter” mountain bike trails. The CCF is really comprised of two areas. North of HWY 3 is referred to as the Eager Hills. The Eager Hills riding is described under the link to the “Sam Steele Racecourse.” The southerly portion is called the Sylvan Lake area, and this is the area most people are referring to when they say “I am going for a ride in the Community Forest.”
The CCF is a designated non-motorized recreation site under the authority of Recreation Sites and Trails BC, and is managed by the volunteer Cranbrook Community Forest Society. A new multi-use trail map produced by the Society will be available at outdoor retailers in the summer of 2013. New signage for the CCF is also being installed to make the trails more user friendly. The CCF has some fine trails ranging from the easy flat paths around Sylvan and the other alkali lakes in the south, to the steeper and more technically challenging trails around Kettle Lake and Windy Bluff in the north-east. Unfortunately, the CCF is literally a maze of trails and it can be a frustrating place to ride until you get to know your way around. There is also a block of private land in the southeast corner that is commonly traversed by users of the CCF. Please be respectful of the CCF as it is being managed as an interpretive forest as well as a recreation site, and be extra-respectful if you find yourself on private land.
To help with your explorations and discovery of this amazing place, a number of suggested mountain bike loops will be described and posted here over time. And of course it is also recommended that you join the WildHorse Cycling club and connect with us on a weeknight excursion during the riding season in order to receive a friendly and hassle free tour of the trail network. Get to know your Community Forest trails….
Roots and Rocks:
Big Tree, Knight’s, Migor, Forest Grove
Hills:
Windy Bluff, Upper Coaster, Bonehead, Pole 62
Flow:
Upper Bonehead, Going Up, Juniper Lane, Roller Coaster
Easy Travel:
Meander, Juniper Lane, Sylvan, Fenceline
DH, Drops and Stunts:
Stunty, Green Chicken
Suggested Loops
2012 Six’N’the’Stix Racecourse:
Start at the College and ride counter-clockwise up College Way to Going Up to Arbour to Forest Grove to Windy Bluff to Suck it Up Princess, then pass Kettle Lake and join Juniper Lane to finish on the Roller Coaster. Repeat for 6 hours!
