British Columbia, pioneer of the modern mountain bike parkYour latest gravity-based destination is home to: Red Mountain Bike Park. And the multi-million dollar park is attracting people’s attention.
In a preview, professional riders and youtuber mark matthews Obsidious, RED’s lead specialist track, called “A-Line on steroids.” This is a reference to Whistler Mountain Bike Park’s famous downhill flow trail which features huge, machine-built jumps.
it was First RED begins the final segment. The Upper Obsidian – the most difficult, technical section – opened with completion on Saturday, July 18. The park’s construction was led by professional skier and lifelong Rosslander Dan Tudor, a trail builder who spends his summers shaping dirt when he’s not filming on the snow.
“The trails that Gravity Logic and Dan Tudor have built at RED are world-class,” Sweet Protection Bike ambassador Max Nuttini tells GearJunkie.
Growing up 15 minutes from Red, Nutini has ridden lift-served laps for 23 years, from Sun Peaks in British Columbia to Silverstar, Big White and Whistler Bike Parks and Legacy in Montana.
“I haven’t seen many trails that are that high quality from the start,” Nuttini said. “We are grateful to have Dan lead the trail crew. He has invested in this community and done an excellent job,” he said.
While the RED bike is parked 13 trails Offering challenging features for experts, the lifts are also full of families and beginners alike. Progressive jump lines and rollers are available for all experience levels including intermediates and beginners on the 11-mile singletrack.
The team that brought ‘Whistler’ to the West Kootenays
Tudor worked as project manager, designer and lead machine operator for Gravity Logic (GL) – the world-renowned team that put British Columbia on the map with the development of Whistler, and effectively created the blueprint for today’s bike parks around the world.
“I hope these trails will provide fun for the community and all riders, and provide a safe place to learn how to jump and advance abilities, no matter what level,” Dan Tudor told GearJunkie.
Several key elements include trail progression, machine-made flow trails (plus hand-shaping), and sustainable drainage. To accomplish this vision, some of British Columbia’s most skilled trail builders joined Tudor.
Former freeride pro Garrett Buehler created the Columbia, the park’s first green flow route. Dave Satanov – who has supported three-time Red Bull Rampage champion Kurt Sorge with the excavation and construction of the timber facility on site – features hand-built RED timbers.
“The best way to grow a bike park is to differentiate with something unique and original. I think we’ve achieved that. (The Raid) has its own flavor,” said GL machine operator Rick Schneider, who helped build the Raid and has been in the business since 2009. He is the owner of Groundbreaking, the local organization behind popular black diamond jump lines like the Nelson Turnstiles and Hotdog Hallway in Revelstoke.
While Rossland historically boasted more than 124 miles of hand-built mountain bike trails, “there were no machine-built, bike-park-style trails,” explained Schneider, with elements of wide footprint, packed dirt, jumps and woods.
The Red Bike Park changes that.
Gravity Logic’s 5 Fresh Downhill Trails
Riders may miss the 2020 Millennial Trail expansion. The project provided the foundation for downhill-oriented enduro trails that would disconnect RED from the surrounding singletrack network.
Three years ago, GL took over the layout and design of the park. This involved developing three freeride trails – green, blue and black. GL also inspected two technical black trails built by Red’s Hand Crew.
RED introduced lift-served downhill in 2025, and the new trails now total 5.6 miles:
- Columbia Avenue: Beginner Freeride Flow Trail with Rollers and Berms
- Lapis: Intermediate freeride jump line with medium 18 to 22 foot jumps, large berms and a wooden feature
- Obsidian: Expert freeride trail with 30 to 32 foot jumps, berms and wooded features
- Can o’ Worms: Advanced technical trail with rocks, roots, drops, a jump and a wood drop
- My Squad: Advanced technical trails with rocks, roots and drops
GL also revamped Pilgrim, a route previously created by raid operators.
Expert-oriented and family-friendly freeride trails: Obsidian and Lapis
Two jump trails in particular are causing a lot of hype in RED’s bike park.
Obsidius: Experts Only
First of all, Obsidian “is a masterpiece,” Nutini told GearJunkie. In total, the trail is half a mile with 17 features. “Between the upper and lower sections, you get bigger air and different flavors of speed. Up above it’s a little more technical,” he explained.
The top requires immediate focus with a steep wooden feature – and an intimidating 12-foot drop – followed by nine jumps. That lineup includes a 20-foot berm-to-berm transfer (with an opposite-angled lip and landing) and a 30-foot Shark Fin (an angled jump coming off a corner).
“The goal was to create aesthetically pleasing features that give riders the feeling of unimpeded motion – like being inside the barrel of a wave – but bringing everything to life in a 3D way required a lot of mess,” Tudor told GearJunkie.
The bottom of Obsidius is fast and fluid with five jumps. There is also a large step-on, step-off wooden feature with a wall ride – the highlight of the park.
Lapis: Intermediate Family-Friendly Jump Line
Another fan favorite is Lapis, a progressive train of 35 jumps, featuring a wooden construction and nine giant berms. Clearing these tables pushes beginners out of their comfort zone.
Overall, flow trails make up a significant portion of the park where young riders flock, with advanced terrain comprising a third of the network. “It’s incredible to see how positive this is for kids getting into downhilling and the development of their (bike) community,” Schneider told GearJunkie.
If you’re wondering if Rad Bike Park is for you, there’s a variety for all skill levels:
- Flow/Freeride: 5 trails (39%)
- technology: 8 trails (61%)
- Beginner (green): 2 Trails (15%)
- Intermediate (blue): 6 trails (46%)
- Advanced (Black): 4 trails (31%)
- Expert (Double Black): 1 Trail (8%)
when to go
The best part? This carefully manicured neighborhood is just a 10-minute drive north of the US-Canada border.
“We’re seeing strong interest from guests south of the border. Being 9 miles from the US, coupled with a favorable exchange rate, makes RED an attractive destination for US riders,” RED Mountain Resort Marketing Manager Chelsea Weisgerber told GearJunkie.
On Thursdays and Fridays the lifts operate from 10am to 5pm and continue until 7pm. Ticket prices for adult riders (25-64 years old) range from $34 CAD for Extended Play (4-7 pm) to $159 CAD ($25-114 USD) for 3 days.
Next up, the BC Cup (Dunbar Summer Series) provincial downhill race will return to the red on September 4-6. Overlapping those dates, Into the Trees Music Festival, with headliner Elliot Brood, will perform near the base of RED. RED’s bike park season runs from June 20 to September 20, ending with the traditional Whip Off competition.
