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 breaking out the flagging tape, you’ve got a few objectives. First, educate yourself on land ownership by going to the District of Squamish’s GIS map (here), then add the ‘land ownership type’ layer (alternatively, you can visit iMapBC). Is there a missing link in the network somewhere? An area that’s underdeveloped that will not result in significant erosion? Whenever possible, a new trail should complement an existing riding zone.

    Next, spend at least a few weeks exploring the zone where you are interested in building a new trail. Decide if it’s feasible based on terrain, natural features and drainage paths. Take a GPS with you and map out the proposed line. Save this as a Google Maps KMZ or GXT file, as you will need it later.

    If your field assessment is positive, it’s time for some admin work. If it’s crown land, you’ll need to apply for a Section 57 trail building permit. As all section 57’s require SORCA approval, it is recommended that you contact SORCA prior to completing your form to review the project. If the trail is on private land, it’s advised to contact SORCA to see if an existing land use agreement is in place that permits any new trail development. You are also welcome to contact the landowner directly to get permission, albeit its likely they will want the blessing and insurance SORCA may be able to support you with. If the plan is in one of the local BC Parks, please contact SORCA and we can share the contact details of Parks staff for you to discuss the plan with.

  • WHO IS IN CHARGE OF GRANTING TRAIL BUILDING PERMISSIONS?

    The short answer is that it depends. Recreation Sites and Trails BC (RSTBC) grants Section 57 (for building and repairs) permits for crown land trails. They operate under the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy. You can start by reviewing the application guidelines (here). Section 57 application is found here. The review process for applying to build a trail on crown land starts with a Squamish Nation review. Also, it involves, environmental and archeological reviews and consultation with various stakeholders and user groups, including SORCA. It is recommended that you contact SORCA before starting your form to review your vision for the project.

    The approval process takes time, yet if the trail has merit, presents no major user conflict and checks the environmental boxes, your approval odds are good! On BC Parks, Squamish Nation, or private freehold lands, the process of getting permission is quite different and we recommend you reach out to SORCA first to help 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: