RED Mountain Bike Park: British Columbia's Newest Gravity Destination

British Columbia, a region celebrated for its innovative mountain bike parks, now boasts a remarkable new gravity-fed destination: the RED Mountain Bike Park. This substantial investment is already drawing considerable attention from the biking community.

During an early visit, YouTube personality and professional rider Mark Matthews described Obsidius, the park's premier expert route, as an intensified version of Whistler Mountain Bike Park's renowned A-Line trail, known for its expansive, machine-crafted jumps. The park's completion was marked by the recent opening of Upper Obsidius, its most demanding and technical segment. The entire project was spearheaded by Dane Tudor, a professional skier and native of Rossland, who dedicates his off-season to trail construction.

Max Nutini, a Sweet Protection bike ambassador and a veteran of British Columbia's lift-served biking scene for over two decades, lauded the trails, calling them “world-class.” He particularly commended Tudor's leadership, highlighting his commitment to the local community and the exceptional quality of his work. While the RED Bike Park offers 13 challenging trails for seasoned riders, it also caters to families and novices with progressive jump lines and rollers across its 11 miles of singletrack, ensuring enjoyment for all skill levels.

Tudor served as the project manager, designer, and lead machine operator for Gravity Logic (GL), the internationally recognized firm credited with establishing British Columbia as a global mountain biking hub through its work at Whistler. Tudor expressed his aspiration that these trails would provide both enjoyment and a secure environment for riders of all abilities to hone their jumping and overall biking skills. The park's design incorporates key principles such as progressive trail development, machine-built flow trails complemented by manual shaping, and effective drainage systems. To achieve this vision, Tudor assembled a team of British Columbia’s most accomplished trail builders. Former freeride professional Garett Buehler crafted Columbia, the park's introductory green flow trail, while Dave Satanove, known for his work with three-time Red Bull Rampage champion Kurt Sorge, meticulously hand-built the park's intricate wooden features. Rick Schneider, a GL machine operator since 2009 and owner of Groundbreaking, noted that while Rossland historically featured extensive hand-built mountain bike trails, it lacked the machine-built, bike-park-style trails that RED now provides, characterized by wider paths, compacted dirt, jumps, and wooden elements. RED Bike Park has successfully filled this void.

RED Bike Park has two jump trails that are generating considerable excitement. Obsidius, described by Nutini as a “masterpiece,” is a half-mile trail featuring 17 distinct elements. Its upper section, which is more technical, demands immediate focus with a 12-foot wooden drop and nine jumps, including a 20-foot berm-to-berm transfer and a 30-foot shark fin. Tudor emphasized the goal of creating visually appealing features that offer riders a seamless, flowing experience, akin to riding inside a wave. The lower part of Obsidius is fast and fluid, boasting five jumps and a prominent step-on, step-off wooden feature with a wall ride. Lapis, another crowd-pleaser, is an intermediate trail with 35 progressive jumps and nine large berms, ideal for pushing new riders beyond their comfort zones. The park’s network is designed with variety in mind, with flow and freeride trails making up 39% and technical trails 61%. Beginner trails account for 15%, intermediate trails 46%, advanced trails 31%, and expert trails 8%. This ensures a suitable experience for every skill level. Conveniently located just 10 minutes north of the U.S.–Canada border, RED Mountain Bike Park offers an attractive destination for American riders, especially given the favorable exchange rate. The park operates from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with extended hours until 7 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays. Ticket prices for adults range from $34 CAD for extended play to $159 CAD for a three-day pass. The park will host the BC Cup (Dunbar Summer Series) provincial downhill race from September 4-6, coinciding with the Into The Trees Music Festival. The biking season concludes on September 20 with the traditional Whip Off competition.