Kelowna might just be the spot you will want to live in 5 years. An incredible amount of riding is on tap in the area; from XC loops through incredible scenery to advanced technical trails that challenge every rider. Behind these trails stands Mountain Bikers of the Central Okanagan (MTBco), a group of dedicated volunteers who are set on building Kelowna into a true riding destination. With support from local landmanagers, a great canvas, and a strong trails organization, Kelowna (and West Kelowna) is sure to grow and thrive as a trail centre.
Part of the clubs’ efforts in growing Kelowna is to gain stewardship over a select network of trails to the North of downtown, known as Knox Mountain Park. With a huge draw and high impact from locals and tourists of all user types, the trails on Knox can use all the support they can get. With a particular focus on managing the impacts and needs of mountain bikers, the club hopes to place themselves in position to provide key feedback and maintenance to help enhance the fun and sustainability of the network.
Our small project in Knox Mountain Park was part of an effort to enhance the overall flow of the network. Our trail re-aliged a short fall line section of trail to be more along the contour. With the help from many seasoned trailbuilders, we were able to leave behind a textbook section of singletrack that is both more sustainable and flow friendly than the existing trail.
MTBco hopes to leverage the professionalism and education that was part of our Trail Care Crew visit to show the City of Kelowna (the landmanager for Knox Mountain Park) that they have the skills and capacity to undertake trails projects on city land that serve to benefit all users and enhance the sustainability and recreation capacity of the land.
If you are planning your next riding trip through the Okanagan, make sure you get out for a ride in Kelowna! You won’t be disappointed.
For more info on MTBco, click here
For more pictures from our build, click here