Most visitors don’t associate Kimberley mountain biking with the area and usually think of the town for it’s well known alpine ski resort. My perception and the ski town moniker quickly changed as soon as I had the chance to visit town recently on assignment with ZenSeekers. I quickly discovered that Kimberley Mountain Biking is incredible and a must visit when traveling in the Kootenay region in the summer.
Kimberley Mountain Biking
My first experience with Kimberley was with the well planned and laid out urban Kimberley mountain biking network. This network is highlighted by the Platzl to Peak trail which takes you from the alpine resort to downtown Kimberley. While the Northstar Rails to Trails connects downtown Kimberley to Marysville and all the way to Cranbrook 25km away following the path of the St.Marys River. Learn more about these trails in detail with my story over at ZenSeekers; Kimberley Rails 2 Trails – Exploring on two wheels.
The town of Kimberley is a diverse and beautiful community located at the southern end of the Purcell Mountains in British Columbia’s Kootenay region. With its river valleys, wide open grasslands, dense forest and mountainous terrain it is now wonder that it is home to a massive mountain biking network.
Something worth bragging about for the community and Kimberley mountain biking scene would be the fact that their trails access the largest municipal park in Canada. The Kimberley Nature Park spans across 840 hectares of forest and mountain foothills right located right within the urban boundaries of town.
Then adding in the fast fun of the Kimberley Alpine Resort for long descents and even the 10km long “Round the Mountain” trail you will be set for hours of fun. Explore all the trails and create your own connections to make that perfect loop.
For bike rentals, supplies, parts, the best local trail advice and if you happen to need some maintenance be sure to visit Trevor right downtown in the Platzl at Kootenay Mountain Works. Also a short pedal away for a good meal is Pedal and Tap and then a bit further down the road is Kimberley’s new craft brewery, Overtime Beer Works.
Kimberley Mountain Biking on TrailForks
Visiting Kimberley and the Kootenays
For more information on Kimberley Mountain Biking and other great things to do in the region check out these links.
ZenSeekers : Kimberley Rails 2 Trails – Exploring on two wheels
For Cranbrook Mountain Biking opportunities if you do decide to give the Northstar Rails to Trails a go check out my blog post; Cranbrook Community Forest : Discover the Kootenay Diversity
