Cycling in Alberta/Prairies
Biking the routes of champions
Alberta's Rockies offer ideal terrain for mountain bikers. Mountain bike trails are found all over the province.
Banff, Jasper, Yoho and Kootenay National Parks together have over 372 miles (600 km) of mountain bike trails alone. The longest trail is Brewster Creek located in Banff National Park.
The Canmore Nordic Centre, built for the 1988 Winter Olympics held in Calgary, has trails ideal for mountain biking. These trails can also be used for cross-country skiing in winter.
Kananaskis Country and the Crowsnest Pass area each boast 186 miles (300 km) of bike trails, and great mountain biking can be found in the Cooking Lake-Blackfoot Recreation Area near Edmonton .
Leisurely road cycling can be found in Saskatchewan, where the Qu'Appelle Valley, Big Muddy Badlands, Cypress Hills and Duck and Moose Mountains offer quiet back roads with light traffic and gorgeous scenery. Here you'll cycle scenic highways through Grasslands National Park and perfect nature trails in Anglin Lake, Little Red River Park and the Wascana Trails near Regina.
In Manitoba, serious mountain biking awaits. Mountain bike enthusiasts should visit Birds Hill Provincial Park, which has been redeveloped with trails that cover a variety of terrains to challenge all levels of riders. Riding Mountain National Park was built for mountain bikers, with over 62 miles (100 km) of trails winding through forests, valleys and grasslands.
Mountain biking in the Birch ski area in southwest Manitoba will be a challenge. These uphill climbs and fast downhills played host to the 1999 Pan American Games. Other cyclist vacation destinations include Porcupine Provincial Forest, with the steepest hills on the entire Manitoba Escarpment, and the 'Jewel of the Prairie Ride.'
