Cypress and Black Mountain
49°22′ N 123°11′ WNorth Shore Mountain Bike Association (NSMBA)Partly closed
Cypress and Black Mountain suit mountain bikers after West Vancouver's first sanctioned trails and hikers heading up to the Black Mountain plateau. Bikes stop at the provincial park boundary, because BC Parks keeps them to park roads inside Cypress Provincial Park.
Photo footloosiety · Flickr · CC BY 2.0 and others, credited in the gallery
Field card · Trail network · No. 001 · checked 16 Oct 2026
The District built the East Cypress Climb for the ride up.
Parts of Cypress and Black Mountain are partly closed
Cypress Bowl Road has been closed to cyclists since 13 July 2026 for repaving, which BC Parks expected to finish by the end of October. Red Bull Hardline runs in the resort's controlled recreation area on 16 and 17 October 2026 with traffic control and pedestrian detours, and facility construction has been under way at Magnesia Meadows, Brunswick Lake and Deeks Lake on the Howe Sound Crest Trail since 16 September.
See who looks after which ground
- District of West Vancouver
Owns part of the land between the second and fourth switchbacks of Cypress Bowl Road and maintains the sanctioned mountain bike trails there with the NSMBA.
- British Pacific Properties
Owns the rest of the land under the sanctioned trails, lets the public use part of it for the East Cypress Climb Trail and paid toward building the trails.
- BC Parks
Runs Cypress Provincial Park above the trails, including the Black Mountain plateau, where bicycles ride park roads only.
Is it for you?
Cypress pairs a small set of West Van's sanctioned mountain bike trails with BC Parks' hike-only plateau above them.
You’ll love Cypress and Black Mountain if
- You want to ride West Van's first sanctioned trails and climb them on a purpose-built uphill route.
- You're hiking to Black Mountain and want the park's rules clear before you go.
Think twice if
- You want to ride inside Cypress Provincial Park, where bikes stay on the roads.
- You're bringing an e-bike to the park's trails, where BC Parks bars it.
Plan how you reach the trailhead
The District places the sanctioned trails between the second and fourth switchbacks of Cypress Bowl Road. BC Parks warned that roadside lots and turnoffs would have restricted access during the 2026 repaving. Cypress Bowl Road has been closed to cyclists since 13 July 2026 while 12 km between the resort and the District's works yard is repaved. In the ski season BC Parks points visitors without a car to the Cypress Coach Lines bus.
Ride and walk the way locals expect
- On two-way trails the climbing rider has the right of way, and the rider behind on a climb waits for a pullout or a flat spot to pass.
- E-bikes yield to non-assisted bikes on every trail, whichever way they're heading.
- Hikers and horse riders have the right of way on multi-use trails, and you dismount and step aside when you meet a horse.
- Tell the people ahead when you want to pass and how many riders are in your group.
- Ride the trail itself and never a braid, and keep from skidding on wet or loose dirt.
Ride the trails on Cypress and Black Mountain
The District of West Vancouver brought sanctioned mountain bike trails to West Van for the first time through a partnership with British Pacific Properties and the NSMBA. The trails sit between the second and fourth switchbacks of Cypress Bowl Road, on land the company and the District own. That deal formalized the existing trails Meat Sweats, Jersey Shore and Morgies, and the District now works with the NSMBA to maintain them. The NSMBA says it also supports builders and land managers working to sanction more of the Cypress network.
On 10 September 2025 the District opened the East Cypress Climb Trail for two-way hiking and uphill riding, which made it West Van's first designated uphill mountain bike route. Part of it rebuilds the historic Old Forks Trail, which hikers and skiers once climbed to reach the Hollyburn area, and the District planned to decommission the original Old Forks line once the new trail was complete. The opening began with a territorial welcome from a member of the Squamish Nation.
Cypress Provincial Park starts above the trails, and its rules are strict. BC Parks allows bicycles only on park roads and bars e-bikes from every trail. Its trail report names the Black Mountain Loop, Bowen Lookout, Yew Lake, Hollyburn and Howe Sound Crest trails as closed to mountain biking. The Black Mountain Loop leaves from near the bottom of the Eagle Express chair and climbs a series of steep switchbacks to the plateau. Up top it wanders past subalpine lakes and over Black Mountain's south summit.
The NSMBA's Cypress crew spent fall 2026 on Meat Sweats, which OneUp Components adopts through the TAP program. They raked it top to bottom, cleared its drains, added grade reversals and rock-armoured its high-wear sections before the rain. Cypress Bowl Road has been closed to cyclists since 13 July 2026 for repaving, so check BC Parks' advisories before you ride the road.
Worth knowing
- Check BC Parks' Cypress advisories before you drive up, since the 2026 repaving restricted the roadside lots.
- Use the East Cypress Climb for the ride up, because the District built it for climbing riders.
- Carry bear spray on the plateau, as BC Parks' trail report says bears are common in Cypress Park.
Quick answers about Cypress and Black Mountain
Can you mountain bike in Cypress Provincial Park?
No. BC Parks allows bicycles only on park roads in Cypress Provincial Park. The sanctioned mountain bike trails sit below the park, on District of West Vancouver and British Pacific Properties land between the second and fourth switchbacks of Cypress Bowl Road.
Are e-bikes allowed on the Cypress trails?
BC Parks bars e-bikes from every trail in Cypress Provincial Park and keeps them to park roads. The District of West Vancouver's partnership page sets no e-bike rule for its sanctioned trails below the park, so follow the trailhead signs.
Is Cypress Bowl Road open to bikes?
BC Parks closed Cypress Bowl Road to cyclists on 13 July 2026 for 12 km of repaving and expected the work to finish by the end of October 2026. Check BC Parks' Cypress advisories before you ride it.
Which trails on Cypress did the District of West Vancouver sanction?
The District of West Vancouver formalized Meat Sweats, Jersey Shore and Morgies with the NSMBA and British Pacific Properties, and it opened the East Cypress Climb Trail for hiking and uphill riding on 10 September 2025.
Who manages Cypress and Black Mountain?
District of West Vancouver, British Pacific Properties, BC Parks manage the ground on Cypress and Black Mountain. North Shore Mountain Bike Association (NSMBA) builds and maintains the trails with them.
Can you bring a dog to Cypress and Black Mountain?
BC Parks welcomes dogs in Cypress Provincial Park on a leash and keeps them out of park buildings and off the Yew Lake Trail when it's free of snow. It calls the backcountry unsuitable for pets because of wildlife encounters. The District's partnership page sets no separate dog rule for the trails below the park. BC Parks (Cypress Provincial Park) sets the rule.
Is there a shuttle up Cypress and Black Mountain?
No. Cypress and Black Mountain has no shuttle or lift, so you pedal or push up. The District opened the East Cypress Climb Trail on 10 September 2025 for two-way hiking and uphill riding, which made it West Van's first designated uphill mountain bike route.
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