Squamish
49°45′ N 123°07′ WSquamish Off-Road Cycling Association (SORCA)ShuttleBy bus
Squamish suits riders of every level who want SORCA's mix of hand-built and machine-made trails, from family-friendly Brackendale to Diamond Head, where a shuttle runs from spring to fall. The network crosses private, Crown, BC Parks, District of Squamish and Squamish Nation land, so the rules change as you ride.
Closed
Vancouver Coastal Health warns swimmers out of Alice Lake for blue-green algae
Vancouver Coastal Health issued an advisory for Alice Lake near Squamish on 3 September 2026 after a suspected bloom of cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, turned up in the lake, and BC Parks still carried it on 17 October. People and pets should stay out of the water until further notice, because the toxins can bring on nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or fever. Anyone who touches a bloom should rinse off in clean water straight away. The park's drinking water comes from wells the advisory doesn't affect.
Checked 2026-10-17 · bcparks.ca
Photo Sébastien Launay · Flickr · CC BY 2.0 and others, credited in the gallery
Field card · Trail network · No. 006 · checked 16 Oct 2026
Leash your dog on District land outside the off-leash areas.
See who looks after which ground
- District of Squamish
Manages the municipal trails, which it designates for hiking, mountain biking, motorized use or multi-use, along with its Adventure Hubs near popular trailheads.
- Recreation Sites and Trails BC
Manages established recreation trails on Crown land outside parks and settled areas, and its e-bike policy sets the classes allowed on them.
- BC Parks
Runs Alice Lake Provincial Park, where cycling is allowed only on certain trails and park roads and SORCA helps maintain the trails.
- Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation)
Holds Squamish Nation land that the network crosses, and SORCA works with the Nation on trail maintenance and land use.
- Private landowners
Own private land that SORCA says part of the network crosses.
Is it for you?
Squamish gives riders of every level a full day of SORCA trails, with summer shuttle laps on Diamond Head.
You’ll love Squamish if
- You want shuttle laps on Diamond Head between April and October.
- You're riding with kids and want Brackendale's family-friendly trails.
Think twice if
- You need an official difficulty scale, since SORCA publishes none of its own.
- You want to ride the Four Lakes Trail in summer, when BC Parks closes it to bikes.
Plan how you reach the trailhead
For the Alice Lake and Highlands trails, Tourism Squamish points riders to Alice Lake Provincial Park or Garibaldi Highlands Elementary School outside school hours. BC Parks tows cars parked on the edges of Alice Lake Road. The District's Adventure Hubs near popular trailheads add off-street parking and a porta-potty with a bike tool station, and three of them have a bike wash. Tourism Squamish groups the riding into Valleycliffe, Diamond Head, Alice Lake with the Garibaldi Highlands, and Brackendale with Cat Lake. Lava Flow, next to Diamond Head, is one of Squamish's main dirt bike areas.
Ride and walk the way locals expect
- Cyclists travelling uphill have the right of way, and the climbing rider decides whether to stop and let you through.
- Groups yield to hikers or riders travelling alone or in pairs.
- Stop for anyone crossing a narrow bridge or a tight section, whichever way you're going.
- E-bike riders keep off downhill-primary trails in the uphill direction.
- When you meet a horse, step off the trail on the downhill side and greet the rider quietly.
Volunteers built the Squamish network over more than 30 years, and today they work beside SORCA's paid trail crew and hired contractors to keep it up. SORCA works with the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw on the trails. It also works with the District of Squamish and the Crown land recreation managers on maintenance and land-use conflicts. Tourism Squamish groups the riding into Valleycliffe, Diamond Head, Alice Lake with the Garibaldi Highlands, and Brackendale with Cat Lake.
Diamond Head sits along the Garibaldi Park Forest Service Road above the Garibaldi Highlands. Tourism Squamish calls it the only Squamish area with vehicle access, which makes it the shuttle zone, and the Squamish Shred Shuttle runs from the Pseudo Tsuga lot to the Meadow of the Grizzly and 19th Hole trailheads. Lava Flow ties into the Diamond Head trails, and Tourism Squamish warns that it's one of the main dirt bike areas, with plenty of multi-use trail.
SORCA sends first-time visitors to warm up on Miki's Magic, whose open sightlines and smooth berms make it easy to lap. Rob's and Cliff's Corners follow with green flow, and Miki's Extension and Cardrona step up to blue lines with optional black jumps. For the Alice Lake and Highlands trails, park at Alice Lake Provincial Park or at Garibaldi Highlands Elementary outside school hours, and keep off the edges of Alice Lake Road, where BC Parks tows.
Inside Alice Lake Provincial Park, BC Parks allows bikes only on certain trails and the park roads. It has closed the Four Lakes Trail between Edith Lake and Alice Lake's south beach to cycling for good, along with the trail around Alice Lake, and the rest of the Four Lakes Trail closes to bikes from 1 May to 15 September. Bus riders can reach the Highlands on BC Transit's route 2, which starts at Perth and Pomona.
Worth knowing
- Read SORCA's trail reports before you ride, since they cover reroutes and closed lines.
- Leash your dog on District land, where a loose dog outside the off-leash areas can bring a fine.
- Carry bear spray and lock your bike, as BC Parks reported both a bear in Alice Lake's day-use area and bike thefts in the park.
Quick answers about Squamish
Are e-bikes allowed on Squamish mountain bike trails?
SORCA says Class 1 e-bikes may ride any Squamish trail shared with non-assisted bikes. Class 2 and Class 3 e-bikes count as motorized under Recreation Sites and Trails BC's e-bike policy and stay off mountain bike trails, and riders must be 16 or older.
Is there a mountain bike shuttle in Squamish?
Yes. The Squamish Shred Shuttle runs Diamond Head laps from the Pseudo Tsuga lot, and its 2026 season ran from 18 April to mid-October.
Where do you park for the Alice Lake and Highlands trails in Squamish?
Tourism Squamish points riders to Alice Lake Provincial Park or to Garibaldi Highlands Elementary School outside school hours. BC Parks tows cars parked on the edges of Alice Lake Road.
Can you ride the Four Lakes Trail at Alice Lake?
Only part of it, and only outside summer. BC Parks has closed the section between Edith Lake and Alice Lake's south beach to cycling for good, and the rest of the Four Lakes Trail closes to bikes from 1 May to 15 September.
Who manages Squamish?
District of Squamish, Recreation Sites and Trails BC, BC Parks, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), Private landowners manage the ground on Squamish. Squamish Off-Road Cycling Association (SORCA) builds and maintains the trails with them.
Can you bring a dog to Squamish?
The District of Squamish requires dogs on leash except in its designated off-leash areas, and a loose dog is a fineable offence. BC Parks keeps dogs leashed at all times in Alice Lake Provincial Park and bars them from the Alice Lake Trail, the beaches, the playground and the picnic areas. District of Squamish and BC Parks sets the rule.
Can you get to Squamish by bus?
Yes. The 2 stops at Perth at Pomona, Garibaldi Highlands.
Is there a shuttle up Squamish?
Yes. Tourism Squamish calls Diamond Head the one Squamish riding area with vehicle access, which makes it the shuttle zone. The Shred Shuttle's 2026 season ran from 18 April to mid-October, so winter riders pedal up.
Within 15 km
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