Oil Can
49°21′ N 123°03′ WAdvanced (District of North Vancouver)Mount Fromme
Oil Can on Mount Fromme in North Vancouver is an Advanced-rated mountain bike descent with a rock roll near the end and a jump, and it suits riders at the District of North Vancouver's Advanced grade. The trade-off is the top, because the District grades Upper Oil Can Expert, so Advanced riders join Oil Can where it leaves the Mountain Highway road.
Closed
Metro Vancouver closes the paved lot at Lynn Headwaters
Metro Vancouver has closed the paved parking lot at Lynn Headwaters Regional Park while construction goes on, and it gives no date for the lot to reopen. You can still park in the gravel lots and in the marked spaces along the road. Walkers and cyclists keep using the road. Follow the posted signs and whatever the work crews tell you.
Checked 2026-10-17 · metrovancouver.org
Photo Andre Charland · Flickr · CC BY 2.0
The District of North Vancouver's layer splits the line in three. It grades Upper Oil Can Expert, and it grades Lower Oil Can and the short Oil Can segment below it Advanced. This page covers those two Advanced sections, from the gravel Mountain Highway road down to the Baden-Powell Trail where Grannies comes in. The North Shore Mountain Bike Association (NSMBA) and nsmb.com both spell it Oilcan.
Volunteers worked two sessions on Lower Oilcan in late summer 2026, by the NSMBA's fall update. They realigned the exit from the rock roll near the end and capped the tread with organic dirt so it drains better. The corner into a jump got wider so riders can carry the right speed, and the crew backfilled the erosion on the jump and its landing. nsmb.com's 2014 history says Jim Leppard started out on Oilcan when he began building his own lines.
Worth knowing
- Upper Oil Can starts higher on the Mountain Highway road and carries the District's Expert grade, so ride it only once Oil Can feels easy.
- Leave a trip plan with a friend and carry North Shore Rescue's 10 essentials, because the District of North Vancouver warns that many of its forest and mountain areas get no phone signal. Call 911 early if someone gets hurt or lost, since North Shore Rescue charges nothing for a rescue.
- The District of North Vancouver closes the Fromme parking lot at 6 pm from 1 October to 28 February and at 7 pm in March and April, so plan a winter ride to finish before the lot closes.
Quick answers about Oil Can
How hard is Oil Can on Mount Fromme?
The District of North Vancouver rates Oil Can and Lower Oil Can Advanced for mountain biking. Above them the District grades Upper Oil Can Expert.
Is it Oil Can or Oilcan?
Both names are in use. The District of North Vancouver's trail layer writes Oil Can, and the NSMBA and nsmb.com write Oilcan.
Who built Oilcan?
Jim Leppard started out on Oilcan when he began building his own lines, according to nsmb.com's 2014 history of North Shore riding.
Where is Oil Can?
Oil Can is on Mount Fromme.
Can you hike Oil Can?
Oil Can is listed for riding only.
Within 3 km
