Hinton Bike Park

Dec 31, 2009 at 14:09
by V S  
The vision of the Hinton Bike Park was to build an exceptional mountain bike skills park that is fun, free of charge, and ride able by all ages and abilities. The park was designed and built by Jay Hoots, and by creating such a great park they have been able to promote mountain biking and the skill development required with the sport. Although the park caters to all levels of riders, the park has numerous stunts/features to challenge any rider. Along with a skills area they have dirt jumps, a drop zone, pump track, slope style course, shore style trail and a flow trail. Living in Edmonton, the Hinton Bike Park is a 2.5 hour drive away, I managed to ride the park 3 times this summer and highly recommend anyone in the area to check it out.

More details and pics inside,
photo

One of the best things about the park is that it never seems to be busy, no bottlenecks on the trails, no wait time to drop into the jumps. In the three times that I was there, we have only seen a handful of other riders each time.

The park starts off with a skills area comprised of numerous ladder bridges, some teeter totters and skinnies. Although all the features in this area are low to the ground they are still fun and can be a challenge, plus it’s a great warm up for the rest of the park and a perfect way to stretch after that 2.5 hour drive. From the skills area you can move onto the pump track, although small in size it’s very fun and a challenge to make it through the loop without pedaling. I strongly recommend a hardtail for the pump track though, there was no way I could pump my way through it on my 8inch travel downhill bike.

Although dirt jumping is not my forte, the Hinton Bike Park has a great set of jumps. The jump park is made up of 4 rows of jumps starting from small to large with a great run in and run out for each row. The jumps always seem to be in good shape.

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Next is the Drop Zone, this is a great section for beginners to get the hang of air time on drops, although there is nothing big in size, the drops are still fun to ride with nice smooth landings. The Drop Zone has 3 drops on the upper slope leading to 4 different drops on the lower slope.

Fo’Shore-

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Fo’Shore is comprised of skinnies, log-rides and ladder bridges. This is a super fun trail and a real challenge to clean the whole section. Another great thing about the park is that everything is build real well, these stunts are meant to last. The Fo’Shore trail continues through the woods and meets up with the bottom of the Slope Wars trail.

Slope Wars-

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Video by norco.pinkbike.com of the local trails and the park:
Views: 6,357    Faves: 85    Comments: 23


Video by s-m-a.pinkbike.com of the park:
Views: 5,816    Faves: 18    Comments: 8

This is my favorite trail in the park, I lost track of how many times we hiked up to ride the wall-ride over and over again. The trail starts with a couple of doubles and then leads onto a ladder which you can jump off into what I think is the most perfect wall-ride I have ever ridden. The angle and size of the wall is awesome, it just allows you to ride as fast as you want at it and air off the end of the wall. You can either ride or jump onto the wall and then either ride or jump off the end of the wall into a perfect transition. From there the trail flows into several jumps and a step up and step down. I wouldn’t really call this a slope style course but it is such a super fun trail which you can’t help but ride over and over again.

photo

Flow Master-

Flow Master is the longest trail in the park and once again is a really fun trail, this trail is made up of various jumps and berms which allow riders to work on carrying their speed through jumps and corners. Although this is labeled as a DH trail there are no technical sections or roots here, just a super flowy fun trail to rip down.

Overall the Hinton Bike Park is a great place to come and ride, it's very easy to spend half a day riding all the trails with a small lunch break in town. All the riding is gravity fed and back hiking back up the trails is not too strenuous. Another great thing about the park is that any style of bike can easily ride here, whether you have a hardtail or a full suspension you can come here and ride all day long.

Author Info:
vics26 avatar

Member since Mar 3, 2009
1 articles

52 Comments
  • 4 0
 This bike park is top notch. I've been to a lot of different ones and I guarantee you will have more fun there, than you will at any other free park. The slopestyle track is impossible not to have fun on. I must have walked up and hit it a dozen times before I moved on to something else before coming back to it and hitting it again.
  • 1 0
 mxnate, then get out there and start building... The problem with people in Alberta is that everyone criticizes but doesnt want to do the work to build it themselves. I shouldnt say Alberta entirely, it seems more of a Edmonton/central problem...
Perfect example is how Hinton has a park but Edmonton doesnt... We have tons of room for even a city approved set of dirt jumps and it has been discussed numerous times but always gets shut down. It doesnt make much sense to me.
  • 2 0
 Im lucky to be very involved with the building of our local park, Ive even had some input where the design is concerned. I just feel like designers and builders have a responsibility to the riders first, the finnished product has to stand the test of time and be relevant going forward not just on opening day.
  • 1 0
 The problem in Edmonton has nothing to do with people not wanting to built it themselves...
  • 1 0
 Eriknirk try living in calgary! im on the cmba and its been 6 years now that the city itself wont allow us to build a park thats been planned and had money raised.
  • 1 0
 ErikBirk......Have I seen you at an EMBA event? We are making progress but the City has issues with liability and funding. Maybe come out to our next EMBA meeting and share your ideas on how to get a park in Edmonton. edmmtnbike.ca
  • 1 0
 I have no idea how you guys comment under what the person said so I will just quote.
bige1 (Jan 7, 2010 at 17:55)
The problem in Edmonton has nothing to do with people not wanting to built it themselves...

-Yes and no, I used to be involved in the EMBA and found that getting support was difficult, mind you that was when it first started up. Since then the city has flopped on the idea and I ran out of free time to help (school).

olliee (Jan 7, 2010 at 19:31)
Eriknirk try living in calgary!

im on the cmba and its been 6 years now that the city itself wont allow us to build a park thats been planned and had money raised.

-You have COP, which isnt that great but its still a place to go. Bragg Creek, the mountains are 1hr away... dont even start Big Grin haha

bikerr (Jan 21, 2010 at 13:45)
ErikBirk......Have I seen you at an EMBA event? We are making progress but the City has issues with liability and funding. Maybe come out to our next EMBA meeting and share your ideas on how to get a park in Edmonton. edmmtnbike.ca

-I was there in the beginning mainly with Barry from Hardcore, but found that all the meeting times got in the way of my studying with school. I have since finished school but am now onto house reno's, working my ass off/saving for an engagement ring, getting back into riding.
Send me a shout out come summer time and I will try and get involved again. eric_birkholz@hotmail.com

I also want to add to my original post that I support Jay 100%, that guy is a great dude who is pushing hard to get this sport rolling in the flatter areas with the ability to push and smooth over details with the city, etc. He does a fantastic job!!
  • 1 0
 press reply.
  • 1 0
 Whistler is a good 10 hr drive from Hinton, about 6 hr to the loops. and regarding Animal Crackers has to be close to 20 yrs old and is rotting away, not much left now including that 20ft
  • 6 4
 I just don't see any imagination in this park, its like another Hoots cookie cutter jobs. With the terrain in the vid soooooo much more could be done.
  • 3 2
 And more will be done. They have something like 30 acres to work with and are doing things one faze at a time and as money will allow. It really is impressive to see in person.
  • 1 0
 I agree...things take time. Either way a legit place to ride is always good for the sport!
  • 1 0
 mxnate: Every park has their starting point and learning curves.. Idea's will continue to flow.. I'm sure they have a sweet list already made up.
  • 1 0
 Things aren't free. It's a pretty sick park! There needs to be more parks like this.
  • 2 0
 That looks so cool, definately on my list of places to hit this summer. Hoots, you are a miracle worker. All your parks are so awesome. Thanks.
  • 4 0
 canda realy is the free ride captal of the wrold
  • 3 0
 canadians are so lucky
  • 1 0
 it looks based on ladders,skinnysand drops it doesnt look like it has much for dj
  • 4 2
 Awesome, those drops look hella fun. hella cool. yeee.
  • 10 0
 Thats an awesome looking bike park i must say.
  • 2 2
 the u turn latterbridge thing looks cramped and occward in the picture. nice park otherwise
  • 1 0
 they need something like this in quebec and if their already is one, give me the info cuz im down Big Grin
  • 4 0
 Sigh... latter? occward? Come on! Anyways, this park look really cool! Colonnade is 3.5 hours away, but this looks like more fun.
  • 1 1
 definetly not made by j hoots wheres the gravel? (vancouver kids no what im talking about Wink )
  • 1 0
 UGH! YES! Jay hoots, this is a call out to you, please give us some shovels and a pile of DIRT at burnaby mountain. dont make the park and leave it, its one of the reasons its so unappealing now. Look at LaFarge, its maintained DAILY, and its beautiful! Thanks Smile
  • 1 0
 Yes, Burnaby needs work.... but, the park is north facing in a rainforest.... there is a reason it is 'closed for season' and should not be ridden. If LaFarge is in such great shape, go ride LaFarge! Even if the park is repaired, it will not be dry and will simply deteriorate during the wet, BC Winter.
  • 1 0
 umm one problem lafarge is getting torn down the city made all the gaps tables and now there becomign gaps again for about a week and going to be torn down.
  • 2 0
 definately looks like a sick place to ride
  • 1 0
 it's about 7 hours east of whistler and yes, animal crackers is still alive, it's in the 1st video
  • 1 0
 jay didn't design and build that park, hoots inc did which is allot more then jay
  • 2 0
 whow looks super fun!!
  • 1 0
 If only we had in HOUSTON HINT HINT
  • 1 0
 Now all we need is a Ottawa bike park
  • 1 0
 im so jelious i fucin wish ottawa head this
  • 1 0
 yah man this look like a sweeeet place to ride!
  • 1 0
 ya it is but the dirt is really loose even on the djs thats the only part i dislike about it
  • 1 0
 mmmm i guess that can be annoying. But still how far away from whisler is it?
  • 1 0
 818km or 10 hours and 38 minutes courteesy of google maps lol
  • 1 0
 ahhhh so quite far Razz
  • 1 0
 lol ya quite
  • 1 0
 if anyone from hinton is on here, is animal crackers still alive?
  • 1 0
 last time i checked it was lol
  • 3 2
 Canada rules! and it's all thanks for people like Jay Hoots.
  • 2 0
 First video is VOD!!
  • 1 0
 Hoots built a park at White Lake, BC near Salmon Arm and it is awesome.
  • 1 0
 that place looks like alot of fun!
  • 1 0
 wow thats sick
  • 1 1
 Nice work Jtown shredders.
  • 1 0
 Yup, pretty fun park!
  • 1 0
 nice spot.
  • 1 1
 Hoots the man........







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