Nanaimo is one of the better riding towns on Vancouver Island, and plenty of people who have driven straight through it on the way to Cumberland or Squamish have no idea. Doumont alone carries over a hundred trails, from beginner flow to double black.
The other half of it is the season. Riding here runs year round in practice, because the ground does not freeze and the forest canopy keeps a good share of the trails rideable through the wet months.
Here is how the networks break down and what each one is for.
Is Nanaimo good for mountain biking?
Yes, and it is better than its reputation. There are three main networks within fifteen minutes of the city, and the Nanaimo Mountain Bike Club has spent years building and sanctioning trails, which is why so much of it is legitimate rather than informal.
What you get is range. Beginner flow trails, cross-country loops, technical rock, and some of the longest descents on the Island, all close enough that you can ride after work rather than making a day of it.
The main riding areas
Doumont
The biggest network, in the foothills below Mount Benson, with well over a hundred trails from green through double black. It is the one most riders start with and the one they keep coming back to, because there is enough variety to build any kind of day out of it. Fine China is the descent people name first.
Westwood
Built around the lake, with a wide multi-use trail circling the shore and a network of singletrack climbing away from it under dense canopy. The lake loop itself is the warm-up, and the trails behind it get progressively more serious as you climb toward Westwood Ridge.
Worth knowing: parts of the Westwood network are only partially authorized, so some of it is ride-at-your-own-risk rather than sanctioned trail.
South Benson and Wolf Mountain
The raw end of it. Long descents, technical terrain, and a properly wild feel. Chainsaw Ridge is the name that comes up. This is not where you take somebody on their second ride.
The Abyss and Extension Ridge
South of the city, and the network with the reputation. Mossy rock plateaus, technical riding, and scenery that riders from off-Island specifically come for. Trails branch and reconnect through mature forest, so it rewards knowing where you are.
How long is the riding season here?
Effectively all year, which is the part that surprises riders from the interior or the prairies. Nothing shuts for winter and the ground rarely freezes.
What changes is which trails work. Through the wet months the lower canopy-covered networks stay rideable while the exposed higher ground turns into a mudfest, and riding wet trails does serious damage, so it is worth checking conditions rather than guessing. Trailforks carries current status for every network here, and the club posts closures.
The dry stretch from roughly June through October is when everything is open and running fast. Autumn is a local favourite, with tacky dirt and nobody about.
Where else to ride from here
Being mid-Island puts a considerable amount within reach.
- Hammerfest, near Parksville. A large sanctioned network about half an hour north, and the site of a long-running race.
- Cumberland. The Island's best-known destination riding, roughly an hour and a half north, and an easy day trip.
- The Outer Bypass. A link of singletrack and gravel road connecting Westwood to Doumont, which turns two networks into one long day.
There is also a working bike shop scene in town, which matters more than it sounds when you need a part on a Saturday.
Where riders tend to live
Trailhead proximity decides how often you actually ride, more than any other factor.
- Westwood and Jingle Pot. Closest to the Westwood network and the climbs toward Mount Benson. The most direct ride-from-your-door option in the city.
- The north end toward Doumont. Puts the largest network within a short drive.
- Harewood and the south. Nearest to the Abyss and Extension Ridge, and to the wider trail network around Colliery Dam.
To compare areas on pace, feel, and who each one suits, see the Nanaimo Neighbourhood Guide.
Frequently asked questions
Where are the mountain bike trails in Nanaimo?
There are three main networks within about fifteen minutes of the city: Doumont in the foothills below Mount Benson, Westwood around the lake, and South Benson with Wolf Mountain. The Abyss and Extension Ridge sit south of town. Doumont is the largest, with well over a hundred trails.
Can you mountain bike year round in Nanaimo?
Effectively yes. Nothing shuts for winter and the ground rarely freezes. Through the wet months the lower canopy-covered trails stay rideable while exposed higher ground turns muddy, and riding wet trails does serious damage, so it is worth checking current conditions rather than guessing.
Is Nanaimo good for beginner mountain biking?
Yes. Doumont carries trails across the full range from green to double black, and the multi-use trail around Westwood Lake is a straightforward starting point. South Benson and the Abyss are the technical end and are not where to start.
Who maintains the mountain bike trails in Nanaimo?
The Nanaimo Mountain Bike Club has spent years building and sanctioning trails here, which is why much of the network is authorized rather than informal. Parts of the Westwood network remain only partially authorized, so some of it is ride-at-your-own-risk.
What other riding is near Nanaimo?
Hammerfest near Parksville is a large sanctioned network about half an hour north. Cumberland, the Island's best-known destination riding, is roughly an hour and a half away and works as a day trip. The Outer Bypass links Westwood and Doumont into one long ride.
Getting to know the area
How close you live to a trailhead decides how much you ride, so it is worth weighing early. The Moving to Nanaimo hub covers what living here is like across the board, the Nanaimo Neighbourhood Guide walks through the areas in detail, and you can book a quick call with Travis or Kiel to talk it through.