When it comes to a full-service mountain bike experience in Ontario, it’s hard to beat Albion Hills. With more than 50 km of mountain bike trails and a range of amenities not often seen at other mountain bike destinations, Albion Hills (and the Albion Hills Conservation Park in general) should be at the top of any mountain biker’s destination list.
Let’s explore what makes this destination so special and why I keep coming back time and time again!
Albion Hills Mountain Biking: Ontario Mountain Biking at Its Best
Albion Hills is truly Ontario mountain biking and the Ontario mountain bike experience at its best.
Perhaps I’m biased as Albion Hills was one of the first mountain bike trail systems I rode nearly 17 years ago, but speak to anyone who has ridden throughout Ontario, and you’ll find a common consensus of just how great of a place Albion Hills is to mountain bike.
Take an extensive trail network of diverse single track and wide open double track, add in amenities like a bike washing station and shower/washroom facilities, and throw in a full-service campground to boot, and you have Albion Hills in all its glory.
Let’s look at Albion Hills mountain biking in more detail so you know what to expect the first time you visit (or maybe discover something new if you’ve been before)!
Mountain Biking at Albion Hills: Four Standout Features
So, what makes Albion Hills the complete Ontario mountain bike experience?
The Quality of Singletrack
The incredible single track is the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about Albion Hills.
It’s a beautifully connected system of old-school cross country trails, abruptly climbing and descending through the Caledon forest.
If you’re someone that likes that classic cross country trail system, then Albion Hills is the place for you.
Unlike newer trail systems or those in flatter areas, Albion Hills is an unrelenting system full of sharp turns, punchy climbs, and narrow squeezes through trees that have grown substantially since the trails were first carved into the dirt between them. For those running wider bars, watch out!
That said, what Albion does so well is combining this old-school style of riding with fast and flowy sections that resemble the newer school mountain bike trails, resulting in a uniquely fun ride that keeps you on your toes at all times.
It’s not as janky, nor are the climbs as technical as some of the trails in the Don Valley, but it’s also not as flowy and easy going as the trails at Durham Forest (to learn more about Durham Forest, you can read my blog post “Durham Forest: The Best Mountain Bike Trails in Ontario“). It’s simply a combination of the two, having found the sweet spot between too challenging and not challenging enough for the majority of mountain bikers.
This brings me to my next point!
The Approachability of the Trail System
Approachability. It’s an odd word, but it describes one of Albion Hills’ best features.
As I mentioned, the trails find a nice middle ground between annoyingly difficult and unbearably boring, making them approachable to most mountain bikers.
For someone passionate about the sport’s growth and seeing new riders come into it, this is a massive plus to me.
Let’s look at some specifics that make Albion Hills so approachable.
The Trail Signage
No one new to the sport will be eager to explore an unmarked trail system. Even for experienced people, navigating through a poorly marked trail system is tiring and negates any enjoyable part of the ride.
Luckily for those visiting Albion Hills, it has some of the best trail signage of any mountain bike trail system in Ontario.
Each singletrack trail starts with its own sign, telling you the name of the trail and its difficulty.
Upon exiting the singletrack trail, often onto doubletrack, you are met with a golden arrow, indicating the direction you need to follow to the next singletrack trail in your ride!
Keep an eye out for the blue trail sign at the start of the next single track, and you’re off into the forest and the rolling hills once again.
Repeat this process, and you’ll soon have completed all 24 km of Albion’s singletrack!
This well-thought-out trail signage makes the system super approachable, especially for those new to mountain biking or Albion Hills.
No need to worry about getting lost and completely turned around. The trail signage will point you in the right direction.
The Doubletrack Trails
Every singletrack trail at Albion Hills exits to a doubletrack trail.
While this can take away from the flow at times as you transfer from one singletrack trail to the next, the majority of the time, it’s a quick 15-second jump across the doubletrack and into the next singletrack trail.
Really what this means, though, is that you’re never “stuck” in the trail system, so to speak. All you have to do is get to the end of the trail you’re riding and decide whether to continue onto the next singletrack trail or bail out to the doubletrack for a while.
Want to only ride the blue singletrack trails? No problem, just skip the blacks on the double track and jump back into the next blue single track trail.
Having this option is excellent and makes the trails much more accessible and approachable to those who aren’t ready to tackle the more challenging trails or haven’t built up the fitness to tackle singletrack trail after singletrack trail.
From personal experience, I know how helpful this is. I was only 10 years old my first time riding at Albion Hills, and I didn’t have the fitness nor strength to tackle all the singletrack trails.
Instead, I’d ride one, skip the next, ride a couple more, skip a couple, and so on. It was great fun at that age and a really good way for anyone with young kids to tackle Albion Hills.
The One-Way Singletrack Trails
This is a bit of a hot topic here as people can get pretty passionate about the pros and cons of one-way trails, but regardless of where you may stand on the topic, all singletrack trails at Albion Hills are one-way.
For me, I’m a massive fan of one-way trails, as it removes the unnecessary danger of running into others head-on. Instead, I can focus on enjoying the trail rather than worrying about the possibility of someone else coming around that blind corner in front of me.
Removing this danger makes the trails 1000x more approachable than any heavily trafficked two-way trail. Whether you’re a strong rider moving at high speeds or a beginner rider working your way through the trail, not worrying about oncoming riders is huge peace of mind.
The cherry on top of this is that the trails are solely for mountain bikes, meaning no hikers or equestrians to navigate. So, not only do you not have to worry about head-on collisions, but you don’t even have to worry about slow-moving hikers or horses in front of you. This is a win-win in my books!
Overall, these three things: the signage, the doubletrack trails, and the one-way singletrack make the system one of Ontario’s most approachable and safe mountain bike areas.
The Amenities
A unique feature of mountain biking at Albion Hills is the amenities that come with it.
Unlike many trail systems that are simply a parking lot at a trailhead, Albion Hills is a part of Albion Hills Conservation Park, which is managed by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority.
Being a part of this larger system has a lot of benefits, most notably the access to amenities like a bike washing station and even shower facilities, meaning you can wash up your bike and yourself after a ride!
On top of that, there is a full-service campground, allowing you to stay overnight and make a weekend trip out of your visit to Albion Hills!
This is a great option for families looking to entertain their kids for a weekend, as your kids will love the ability to go off and ride any of Albion’s great trails throughout the weekend!
One thing to note, however, is access to these amenities does come at a cost. Unlike other trail systems that are free, you do have to pay an entry fee to ride the trails at Albion.
That said, it’s not outrageously expensive, and the fees go towards maintaining the mountain bike trails and Albion Hills Conservation Park. Spending a few dollars to ride these great trails, which helps maintain them, is a fair trade.
Here are the fees for 2023.
The Culture
A final standout feature of Albion Hills is the mountain bike culture it fosters.
Whenever visiting Albion Hills to bike, there is a notable enthusiasm for mountain biking, the way it brings people together, and for just how much fun it really is.
Whether in the parking lot or on the trails, there’s always an interesting bike to look at or interesting people to speak to about mountain biking, their bikes, and their favourite trails.
I think a part of this culture stems from Albion Hills having hosted the legendary 24 Hours of Summer Solstice each June since the late 1990s.
For those who don’t know, the 24 Hours of Summer Solstice is a mountain bike festival organized by Chico Racing and held yearly at Albion Hills. In fact, it’s North America’s largest 24-hour mountain bike festival and relay event! For 2023, it will be held on June 24-25.
Whether you want to watch the race or participate, I recommend everyone check it out at least once. There’s nothing quite like 100s of mountain bikers riding day and night for 24 hours straight. You can find more info about the event here.
All that said, hosting an event of this magnitude brings a lot of attention to Albion Hills’ trail system, contributing to a growing culture of passionate and enthusiastic mountain bikers!
This becomes more apparent each year, only adding to the great fun of riding at Albion Hills!
The Best Mountain Bike Trails at Albion Hills
You’ve made it this far, which hopefully means Albion Hills’ four standout features have sold you on visiting!
If so, here are my favourite trails at Albion Hills, ones you should be sure not to miss.
IMBA Alley
The first singletrack trail you’ll be riding if you start at the chalet (more info below), IMBA Alley is the perfect opener for your ride.
While relatively flat, IMBA Alley is a fast and flowy trail, with long sweeping corners and high-speed chicanes. Plus, the trail exit is very near its entrance, meaning you can quickly lap IMBA Alley for as long as you’d like!
Gnarly Berms
A mere minute or two after IMBA Alley comes Gnarly Berms.
It’s another relatively high-speed and flowy trail (at least by Albion Hills’ standards) offering a lot of fun as you crisscross your way back and forth down the hillside. And, as you may have guessed by the name, there are berms!
Albion has worked on this trail over the last couple of years, clearing some trees to open things up and improve its flow. Now, it’s riding better than ever!
BMBC Twister
Again, as you may have guessed by the name, this trail is twisty!
What makes BMBC Twister so great is that while it is full of twists and turns, the trail is open enough and has been designed in a way that lets you maintain your speed.
Like a slalom skier, you can carve through the twists, dancing between the pine trees as you make your way down the trail.
On the pure fun scale, it’s towards the top for Albion’s trails, requiring little exertion to maintain speed.
Summer Solstice
The last of my favourite trails at Albion Hills is Summer Solstice.
While it’s more challenging than the previous three trails, primarily due to the punchy climbs over some technical root sections, the reward for making it to the top is perhaps the best in all of Albion.
Summer Solstice shines due to its descents, full of fast berms, high-compression dips, and a few bumps you can jump off of for good measure!
Once you get to the top, take a breath, open your brakes, lean the bike over, and have a blast as you fly through the forest toward the end of the trail.
By the way, Albion Hills is rideable in the winter on fat bikes!
Not sure what a fat bike is? Read our post, “What is a Fat Bike? Plus 12 Pros & Cons of Fat Biking!” to learn everything you need to know.
Bonus: The Wildlife
No, “The Wildlife” is not the name of a trail. But it does feature in every trail at Albion Hills!
Maybe I’m just lucky when I visit. Or perhaps it’s because I typically ride earlier in the morning or later in the evening, but the amount of wildlife I encounter while riding Albion Hills is abnormally high compared to other trail systems.
So, watch for the resident white-tailed deer, the painted turtles adorning the logs throughout the many ponds, and the porcupines scurrying away as you approach. If you’re lucky, you may see the blue flashes of an indigo bunting darting through the trees!
Mountain Biking at Albion Hills for the First Time
Visiting Albion Hills for the first time? Here’s how I’d tackle it!
Starting Point
The main entrance to Albion Hills is located off HWY 50, just south of Palgrave and roughly 10km north of Bolton.
Here you’ll find the admissions booth where you’ll pay your entrance fee. Once into the park, I’d head to the chalet parking lot.
Here you’ll find the bike wash station as well as the washroom and shower facilities, making it the ideal ending place after a long ride.
It also lends itself well to riding an entire loop throughout Albion Hills with essentially no doubling back if you start at this point.
That said, this lot is on the smaller side and can be busy on weekends, so if that’s the case, you can head to the much larger parking lot located here.
The Best Route Through Albion Hills
As mentioned, the trail signage is great and very easy to follow. Plus, with all the trails being one-way, you’re somewhat set to the same route through Albion Hills, with the only difference being where you park and start riding from.
That said, I prefer starting at the chalet for the bike wash station there and because of how it lets you begin and end your ride.
When parking at the chalet, you begin with a gentle climb up, letting your legs get warm. You then enter into some of Albion’s flatter and flowier trails, again allowing you to get into the groove of things before tackling the more technical trails later on.
On the flip side, once you’re done with your ride and heading back to your car, you are rewarded with an enjoyable downhill section of switchbacks, rewarding you for the climbing you did off the start.
This is just personal preference, but having started from many different locations within Albion’s loop, I can say this is certainly the best place to start and end your ride!
For those interested, here is my favourite ride through Albion Hills! Want to follow along next time you’re at Albion Hills?
If Trailforks is downloaded on your phone, click this link to follow my route. If you don’t have Trailforks downloaded, you can find download links for iOS and Android here.
One last thing, Albion Hills pairs up incredibly well with the Palgrave trail network just 2km north. It’s a quick 10-minute pedal over and you have an entirely new trail system to explore. My post, “Palgrave Mountain Biking: Riding the Roller Coaster of Caledon” goes into a lot more detail and provides a good overview of what to expect when riding those trails!
Trailforks
I highly recommend downloading Trailforks and using it during rides at new and unfamiliar trail systems. Even with great signage, which direction or trail to turn onto next isn’t always clear. By having Trailforks, especially if you’re following a predefined route, that problem disappears, and you’ll quickly know where to go during your ride.
Strava
If you don’t know already, Strava is a fantastic app if you’re interested in tracking your rides. It not only lets you compare yourself to your previous rides, but it also lets you see how you stack up compared to others riding the same trails as you. For those of you that are competitive, this is a lot of fun. You can download Strava here.
My Final Thoughts
Albion Hills is truly full-service Ontario mountain biking at its best. While the amenities like the bike wash station, washroom/shower facilities, and campground are nice and certainly add to the experience, none of it would matter if the trails weren’t good enough to keep people coming back. Luckily for Albion, they have a terrific trail network full of old-school cross country trails that can offer an excellent experience for beginner riders and seasoned veterans. Add some culture and mountain bike heritage, and Albion Hills should quickly jump to the top of any Ontario mountain biker’s destination list!
– Garrett
Pros
+ On-site bike wash station, washroom/shower facilities, and a full-service campground
+ Lots of trail variety, mixing in old-school cross country biking with new-school trail riding
+ Unbeatable signage allowing you to mix and match different trails as you’d like
+ One-way singletrack = no head-on collisions or near misses
+ Mountain bike only trails = no hikers or equestrians to navigate past
+ Lots of interesting and beautiful wildlife
+ Close to Toronto = one of the best mountain bike areas near the GTA
Cons
– Doesn’t drain well after heavy rains
– Tons of leaf cover in the fall can make things difficult to see/ride
– Attracts large group rides that can clog up the trails on busy days
Stats
Singletrack Length: 24+ KM
Doubletrack Length: 26+ KM
Total Trails: 45
Trail Type: Rolling Terrain
Average Trailforks Trail Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Trail Difficulties: Green (8), Blue (15), Black (20)
Best Trail: Summer Solstice
Max Elevation Change: 46M or 151FT
Skill: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
Facilities: Parking Lots, Bike Wash Station, Washroom/Shower Facilities, Campground
Cost: Albion Hills Admission Fees
Local Association: Toronto and Region Conservation Authority
