MEDICINE HAT, ALBERTA
If you’re looking for an interesting e-bike destination, Medicine Hat has several attractive features, including its title as Canada’s sunniest city. Medicine Hat sees the sun on about 330 days each year and has a network of over 115km of trails to explore.
The Heritage Trail Network (HTN) comprises paved, shale and gravel trails that are open for multiple uses, such as walking, cycling, skateboarding and bird watching. Pedal assist electric bicycles are permitted on the trails, and the recommended speed is 20kph.
There are a variety of different routes to explore along the HTN. One of the shorter routes is the McCutcheon Trail, which is 2.5km long and features great views of the City. Longer routes include the aptly named Marathon and Half Marathon, which are 42km and 21km long respectively.
The HTN also connects trail users to nine different parks and a number of amenities. You can stop to swim in the lake at Echo Dale Regional Park, view a mural of Medicine Hat’s history at Riverside Veterans’ Memorial Park, and admire the century-old trees at Kiwanis Central Park.
In addition to this detailed brochure with information about the HTN, the
City has uploaded all of the trails to the popular Trail Forks app.
At the end of 2020, Medicine Hat received confirmation of funding from Alberta’s Municipal Stimulus Program that will help to further extend the trail network, adding 15–20km of trails near the Gas City campground. The City hopes this addition will further boost tourism and bring more visitors to the campground.
If you are keen to explore the city beyond the trails network, a new program by the city will help to make that safer. In June 2020, Medicine Hat lowered the speed limit on downtown roads from 50kph to 40kph to help protect pedestrians and cyclists.
So grab your sunglasses and sunblock, and get ready to explore the growing network of trails in Canada’s sunniest city.