Planning your own route?

There are an endless number of route possibilities in the backcountry. Think, how can you link forest service roads, singletrack, and the occasional stretch of asphalt?

A few of our favourite mapping sites:

Trailforks
See established cross country MTB routes across Canada. Information includes updated trail reports and difficulty. A starting point for creating longer bikepacking links.

Ride with GPS
A wide selection of base maps and resources to help map routes and share with others online. If submitting for consideration on our Routes page, please use this format.

Key items to carry:

  • GPS and/or smartphone with mapping capability

  • Camera

  • Notepad

For more great info, check out our podcast with Nathan Taylor from the Adventure Cycling Association.

SUBMISSION CHECKLIST

Are you interested in contributing an original route to bikepack.ca? Check out our requirments:

  • Preference is given to looped routes, ideally in the 2-5 day range

  • You have created an original route, not found on any other website

  • You have scouted the route at least 2x, preferably with a partner for objective feedback

  • The route is confirmed as a legal riding option (no conflicts with private land, provincial & national parks)

  • At least 90% of your route is on backcountry roads and trails (not paved)

  • Provide a concise route description, including highlights, best time of year to ride, how to get to the start/finish, and any special considerations, such as ferry crossings, seasonal route closures, etc.

  • Ride with GPS link with route icons for key services

  • 5-10 high resolution pictures with short descriptions

  • Include an relavant third-party links