Trail Building & Maintenance

The Sea to Sky region has a proud history of mountain bike trail building. Squamish has consistently stood out as a community surrounded by vast and varied mountain terrain ideally suited to mountain biking. It is also home to an exceptionally committed and talented group of volunteer and professional trail builders. As well as building, SORCA Trail Crew and volunteers work tirelessly to maintain Squamish’s expansive trail network. While the big projects and new trails receive lots of recognition, SORCA puts the majority of its energy into yearly maintenance to keep our already world-class trail system running.

  • HOW DO I GO ABOUT STARTING A TRAIL BUILD?

    Leave your shovel at home to start. Before you break ground, you’ve got a few objectives. First, take a look at a trail map. Is there a missing link in the network somewhere? An area that’s underdeveloped that will not result in significant erosion? Wherever possible, a new trail should complement an existing network.

    Next, head out on foot. Spend a few weeks exploring your new zone. Decide if it’s a feasible build based on terrain and drainage paths. Take a GPS with you and map out your proposed line. Save this as a Google Maps KMZ, or GXT file, as you’ll need it later.

    If your field assessment is positive, it’s time for a little admin work. Go onto iMapBC online to find out who manages the land. If it’s a private landowner, reach out to them directly to get permission. If it’s crown land, you’ll need to apply for a Section 57 trail building permit (as well as require SORCA approval).

  • WHO IS IN CHARGE OF GRANTING TRAIL BUILDING PERMISSIONS?

    Short answer is that it depends. Recreation Sites and Trails BC (RSTBC) is responsible for granting Section 57 trail permits on crown land. They operate under the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy. Start by filling out a T.E.S.T Form and a Proposal Form. Section 57 application information can be found here. The review process for a trail on crown land involves a Squamish Nation review, environmental review and consultation with various stakeholders and user groups, including SORCA.

    The approval process takes time. Yet if the trail has merit, presents no major user conflicts and checks the environmental boxes, your odds of being able to build it are good! On BC Parks, private or Squamish Nation freehold lands the process of getting permission is quite different and ask that you reach out to SORCA to connect you with the right people.

  • Why this process?

    The trails approval process helps avoid disputes and broking compromises between trail users (hikers, dirt bikers), government, logging industry, and the community at large. It also serves to protect fragile local ecosystems and riparian areas. To ensure that everyone can keep building and using trails long-term, we ask that our dedicated trail builders work within the process.

HELP & RESOURCES

Building a trail as a volunteer is truly a labour of love. As the permit holder, you have taken on a major commitment. The average hand-built trail takes 1 to 3 years to build, so be patient. Trail building is one of the most gratifying, self-fulfilling hobbies you can have. You’ll learn a lot about yourself and the woods you’re working in. It’s also tons of fun, so make sure to get your friends involved. You’ll be surprised how many get hooked!

  • We can help you with the project through our Volunteer Trail Maintenance & Builder Support Policy

    We can also help organize volunteer trail days to get some extra people on board. Many hands make quick work.

  • The trails approval process helps avoid disputes and broker compromises between trail users (hikers, dirt bikers), government, logging industry, and the community at large. It also serves to protect fragile local ecosystems and riparian areas. To ensure that everyone can keep building and using trails long-term, we ask that our trail builders work within the process.

  • Take a look through these materials: