Fundy Flow
East Coast trails aiming for quality only seen in the West
Brand new mountain bike trails branch out from the Chignecto Recreation Area, the high point of Fundy National Park, and rip through old-growth eastern temperate forest toward the water. Sugar and red maples, white and yellow birch, and balsam fir tower overhead, while the world’s highest tides ebb and flow along the dramatic rocky coastline of the Bay of Fundy.
“They’re flow-style trails,” says Andrew Fry, visitor experience manager at Fundy National Park. “There is plenty of descending, mixed with some climbing. Experienced riders can definitely carry momentum through them, but they’re also great for families looking to gain riding experience.”
When Fry and his team at Parks Canada investigated tourism activities that appealed to young families across Canada, mountain biking stood out as an untapped market. They also felt the existing terrain and facilities provided a natural opportunity not just to develop a mountain bike trail network, but also to pursue i mba Canada’s ride centre designation, indicating that the area has facilities and features for all types of riders.
“When I was on-site,” says A.J. Strawson, executive director of imba Canada, “I was the program co-ordinator. I did all the planning and design work around the Fundy project. I used the ethos of a ride centre to frame my decision-making.”
Attaining i mba’s ride-centre designation isn’t easy. Only two Canadian destinations – Burns Lake and Silver Star, both located in British Columbia – have landed the title that involves more than a rider’s trail experience. Available services – including bike shops, shopping and accommodation options – community involvement from group rides to community events and tourism promotion all play pivotal roles in the evaluation process.
“They were really excited about what imba offered,” Strawson says. “The trails are ready to become part of the strong East Coast bike scene. B.C. might feel like the centre of the mountain bike world, but the East is just flying under the radar. New Brunswick is blowing up right now.”
While gaining ride-centre certification remains a long-term goal, the Fundy trail network is set for its first full season. The trails promise to get better with age, too, as vegetation regrows.
“This was our first big project to create a mountain bike network in the park,” Fry says, “and we wanted it to have a positive impact. By decommissioning roads, reforesting some areas and adapting unused hiking trails, these bike trails will ultimately reduce the man-made footprint across the park.”
The trails themselves are diverse. Peregrine is a 1-km intermediate trail that loops directly off the campground. While skilled riders will find it fast, it’ll be a challenge for young riders just getting into the sport. Tippenlot is a converted hiking trail that transforms as you ride toward the coast. It starts with traditional alignment found on many older hiking trails and becomes more of a flow trail toward its end.
The trail network’s signature feature is a pump track, designed by bmxpert of Quebec, that has two loops. “When you see somebody who knows what they’re doing on the pump track,” says Fry, “it’s really exciting. We tried to retain as much native forest as possible, so it really weaves through the trees. I’ve never seen another pump track so integrated with the landscape.”
With this project, Parks Canada hopes to give Canadians more reason to visit Fundy National Park and, ultimately, to stay longer once they’ve arrived. “They’re helping give people their first taste of mountain biking,” Strawson says, “and that’s pretty cool.”
“New Brunswick is blowing up right now.”