Even though Vancouver’s North Shore is the birthplace of freeride mountain biking, home to one of the biggest mountain bike scenes in the world, and boasts three different ski resorts in the mountains above the city, riders have always had to drive to Whistler for lift-served bike park laps.
Until now.
Grouse Mountain, located just minutes from downtown North Vancouver, BC, has just announced plans to build a lift-accessible bike park in addition to a mountain coaster as part of a $9 million investment. Grouse has already been working hard to revitalize the resort with the installation of a “new state-of-the-art gondola” set to open for the 2024/25 winter season.
However, the bike park won’t utilize the gondola. Instead, the new park will be served by the Screaming Eagle chairlift.
According to a press release from Grouse Mountain, “Building of the bike trails is already well underway, with Grouse Mountain enlisting the expertise of Gravity Logic, who helped build the acclaimed Whistler Bike Park. Works will continue across the summer and fall seasons to complete as much as possible before the first snowfall arrives later this year.”
The park will provide a well-rounded trail offering, ranging from beginner- to expert-level trails. The beginner trails will be easy and flowy, while some of the expert lines will lean into the North Shore’s renown as one of the most technical mountain bike destinations on Earth.
That said, Grouse Mountain sees an opportunity to fill a crucial gap in the North Shore’s trail offerings: approachable, beginner-friendly trails. “With a focus on family-friendly fun and progression, the trails at Grouse Mountain will be a great stepping stone to the world-class trails already present on the North Shore, and will allow for quicker, more frequent laps by eliminating the need for climbing or shuttling,” wrote Grouse Mountain.
With 1.3 million annual visitors, Grouse Mountain is already one of the most popular tourist attractions in the region. Adding a bike park surrounded by such a passionate community of mountain bikers is sure to send that number through the roof.
