Nelson Cycling Club describes the North Shore trail system, which you can ride to in a few minutes from your plush campsite at the Kokanee Creek Campground, like this: “The north shore of Kootenay Lake’s West Arm covers a large variety of terrain with impressive slab lines everywhere that range from fun to insane.” While there are a few trails that probably won’t scare the begeezus out of most intermediate riders on trail bikes, it’s best to show up at the North Shore with enough bike and brawn to tackle some intense, real-deal Kootenay dirt. You can pedal up the provincial park road across the highway from the campground to access sessionable trails via spur roads or run a vehicle shuttle. Either way, if you haven’t been here before or don’t come with a local who knows these woods and trails, you’ll definitely want to pick up a copy of the “Nelson Mountain Bike Guide,” or risk wasting time looking around for poorly marked (yet expertly built) trails and praying that you’re not lost. The latest version of the guide includes maps and an update of almost 40 new trails and a total of 105 mapped and described trails. Pick up a copy in Nelson at Gerick Cycle. More info: Gericks.com. //
