Description

Eagle Mountain is a complex trail network near the town of Coquitlam, which isn't far from North Vancouver.

However, this trail system is *just* far enough removed that it only sees a fraction of the trail traffic that hits the famous Mount Seymour and Mount Fromme.

The lighter trail traffic means the trails aren't nearly as rutted and blown out, and you might even feel like you have the place all to yourself. You can create several different route combinations on this mountain, but the figure-8 loop shown here is one of the best ways to hit all the highlights.

The marquee trails featured here include Manhandler, Eastbound and Down, and Hammer Time. The ride begins from a residential area by climbing a series of green multi-use trails.

Be courteous and respectful of the hikers and dog walkers, and keep your speed low (especially on the downhill return).

You'll reach the narrow mountain bike trails soon enough. The true singletrack climbing begins on IMBY, which really is "in my back yard" for the residents of this neighborhood.

Despite being a climbing trail, IMBY receives a black diamond rating due to the fairly steep, rocky uphill. After IMBY, you'll follow the "Therapies" to get up, including Physiotherapy and Shock Therapy.

Eventually, you'll reach the top of Manhandler. Manhandler is probably the most famous trail on the mountain due to its absolutely massive wooden features.

The first hit offers a ride around, but it consists of an elevated wooden bridge that rolls onto a steep rock slab roll—this requires absolute commitment! The next feature down the trail is the marquee featured, labeled "Man," which is an even larger wooden bridge that rolls into a steep wooden plunge back to the dirt below.

It's all rollable, and while larger than the first feature, is a bit more achievable. The hits continue with more rock slab rolls, elevated bridges, and most notably: a long elevated bridge to a mandatory drop.

The scale of the features on Manhandler is much larger and more formidable than many of the features that you'll find on Mount Seymour or Mount Fromme.

While the features on the classic North Shore mountains might possibly be more technical than those on Manhandler, the grand scale and high-quality construction make this trail a true classic. You could have a great ride just by hitting Manhandler, but for some bonus miles, pedal back up the Therapies to hit Eastbound and Down to Hammer Time. Eastbound and Down is yet another black diamond trail, but it features a more natural, rocky style.

You'll blast down some entertaining rock gardens and cascading boulders but still get to enjoy some fun wooden bridges and skinnies, including a cool up-and-over feature through the stump of one of the original old-growth trees. Lower down on Hammer time, you'll enjoy even more rock gardens and boulder fields, with a couple of steep, committing chutes and optional rock slab rides. This section of the descent finishes on Blue Line, which is a bit flowier and more intermediate-friendly, but still offers some fun optional jumps and drops.

As you're approaching the neighborhood, the dog walker density might start to increase, so be sure to ride heads-up and be respectful of other trail users.