An expansive trail system filled with delightful singletrack.

Statistics

2 - 3

hrs

697

m

697

m

7

max°

Difficulty

FATMAP difficulty grade

Difficult

Description

The Canmore Nordic Centre was originally constructed for the 1988 Winter Olympics.

Since hosting the nordic ski races for the Olympic games, the Canmore Nordic Centre has continued to attract world cup XC ski races, and serves as the training ground for the Canadian Olympic Cross Country Ski Team, the Canadian National Team, and several club teams.

The addition of mountain bike trails in the summer is a natural progression that many trail systems in northern latitudes have followed, and over the years the Nordic Centre has played host to "world cup cross country mountain bike races in the 90s, and then major 24-hour races, including 24 Hours of Adrenalin and the 24 Hour Worlds," according to an article on Singletracks.com. While cross country and 24-hour racing isn't nearly as popular as it once was, the trails have only continued to get better and better in this expansive network.

In addition to classic cross country singletrack, purpose-built flow trails have been added with jumps, berms, and table tops.

Even the newer XC trails sport modern trail building techniques that allow riders to swoop and flow through the woods. Just how much riding is available in this network? According to Alberta Parks, the Nordic Centre is home to over 100 kilometers of trails, which includes everything from technical singletrack to wide, smooth dirt roads. One of the ongoing projects in this area is intended to connect the Nordic Centre to the town of Banff via singletrack, as well as connecting deep into nearby Kananaskis country. Sources: https://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-trails/the-heart-of-canmore-the-canmore-nordic-centre/ https://www.albertaparks.ca/parks/kananaskis/canmore-nordic-centre-pp/activities-events/summer-activities/