The mountain bike community in Burns Lake is well organized and highly active, which makes for excellent, accessible, and easy to navigate riding trails. The main mountain biking area is Boer Mountain, just a few minutes drive north of town. The area has more than 15km/9.3mi of developed trails with additional trails in the works.
Boer Mountain
Boer Mountain's well-marked routes twist around a wetland area, several streams and a small lake. The terrain includes a variety of cross-country and downhill, with difficulty levels ranging from beginner to advanced. Various trails include fun and challenging features such as jumps, drops, wall rides and boardwalks.
Difficulty levels are clearly marked on the Boer Mountain Trail Map but riders are apt to know how hard the trails are according to their names. Examples of the more difficult tracks include "Smells Like Bacon," "Pork Grind," and "Slaughter House." Some of the easier ones such as "Piglet" and "Curly Tail" are less intimidating.
Next to the parking lot, Boer Mountain also has a bike skills park for riders to practice. Locals call it ‘The Playground." Features include log rides, ramps, jumps, skinnies, a pump track, and more.
More Trails
More trails are located in various spots around Burns Lake, such as above Nourse/Allin Creek on the northside of Francois Lake, and in the backwoods throughout the southside of the lake. For competitive riders, Burns Lake recently began hosting an annual mountain bike competition called the Big Pig.
Note: Visitors should bring their own bikes and helmets. Safety gear such as body armour is also recommended for those who aim to take on the more difficult terrain and features.