Bike Trails at Hockley – A Review of Hockley Valley Resort’s New Mountain Bike Trails

Hockley Valley Resort is a long-standing staple of the Orangeville area, serving as a popular four-season destination for those living in the GTA. 

That said, before 2022, summer activities offered by the resort started and ended with golfing. Luckily for mountain bikers, though, that’s no longer the case. 

Capitalizing on the mountain biking boom, Hockley Valley Resort launched its aptly named “BikeTrails@Hockley” in 2022. Seeing that it’s now 2023 and I still haven’t ridden the trails, I set aside an afternoon to check them out.

Here’s what I found!

Things to Know Before You Go

Before heading out, I did some research to ensure I showed up prepared and knowing what to expect. Here’s what you should know before you go.

The Trails Aren’t Designed for Beginners

Hockley didn’t design the trails for beginner riders. There is a significant amount of climbing and descending, requiring technical skills and fitness levels beyond entry-level mountain bikers. 

If you’re a beginner mountain biker, I suggest building your skills and fitness before tackling Hockley Valley’s mountain bike trails. The nearby Mono Cliffs Provincial Park or doubletrack trails at Albion Hills are great options for beginners looking to improve.

You Have to Buy a Pass

The bike trails at Hockley Valley are not free to access. You have to buy a day or season pass to ride here. 

If you want to purchase your pass online, you’ll first have to create an account. You can follow this link to do so. Once you have made your account, you can purchase a pass for yourself; you can also add additional group members and purchase passes for them.

Otherwise, you can purchase your pass at Hockley Valley’s Pro Shop at the base of the hill. 

Day passes are $12 per person (plus taxes and fees) and are valid from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Season passes are $75 per person (plus taxes and fees) and are valid from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., opening day to October 31st. Season passes are non-refundable and non-transferable. All prices are flat rates regardless of age.

Rental Bikes Are Available

Rental bikes are available for those who don’t have a mountain bike or are visiting the area without their bike. The selection is quite good, with fat bike, hardtail, full suspension, and e-bike options available. 

Prices range from $45 (plus taxes and fees) for a half-day on a Trek Marlin 8 hardtail to $100 (plus taxes and fees) for a full day on a Trek Rail 5 e-bike. You can visit the Rentals section on Hockley’s website to reserve a bike in advance or visit their Pro Shop on the day you’re riding (availability may be limited, so it is probably best to book in advance, if possible).

An Overview of the Trails

The Bike Trails at Hockley currently consists of four standalone mountain bike trails. The trails alternate direction each day, but this overview is based on riding the trails counterclockwise!

West Trail

The West Trail is the primary climbing trail up the hill, cutting its way across ski runs and through the surrounding forest. The entire trail is machine-built and mainly consists of bench cuts across the grade. Several sections are extremely steep and include tight switchbacks up large berms. The trail is a mix of sand and gravel when on the ski slopes and primarily loam when in the trees. Depending on your fitness, climbing should take 10 to 20 minutes. Overall, the novice (blue) rating is accurate. However, some steep climbing sections are certainly advanced (black).

East Trail

The East Trail serves as the primary downhill trail on the hill. It sticks mostly to the trees, again on a 100% machine-built trail that’s quite loamy. It’s a mix of flat sections, abrupt climbs, and long, flowy descents full of berms and rollers. The trail does a good job of managing speed, and you never feel out of control. There is also minimal technical difficulty to the trail, meaning it’s accessible to all riders, and how fast you want to go is really up to you. Overall, the novice (blue) rating is accurate. Again, some of the abrupt climbs may feel difficult to some, but the descending is relatively easy and should be manageable for anyone above a beginner level.

Winery Loop

The winery loop provides the easiest riding at Hockley. The first half of the trail is a gentle climb alongside meadows and the surrounding winery until you reach the main building of Adamo Estate. The second half is a fun descent away from the winery, back down to the top of Hockley Valley’s golf course and ski hill. The views are great, and the overall ambiance is fantastic. The trail should take 10 to 15 minutes to complete.

Lookout Trail

Lookout Trail is the newest addition to the BikeTrails@Hockley. It’s a twisty trail that keeps to the primary ridge of Hockley Valley Resort. The first half plays with the steep grades of the hill as it sticks to bench cuts that dip and climb their way up the grade. Roughly halfway through, you crest the highest point on the trail and begin working your way back down the ski slope toward the end of the East Trail, once again along fun bench cuts that play with the grade. It’s a fun trail that’s easily lapable due to its proximity to the base of the hill. The novice (blue) rating is accurate. It should take 5 to 10 minutes to complete, depending on your fitness.

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Trailforks

I highly recommend downloading Trailforks and using it during rides at new and unfamiliar trail systems. Even with great signage, the direction to go or the trail to turn on next isn’t always clear. Having Trailforks, especially if you’re following a predefined route, that problem disappears, and you’ll quickly know where to go during your ride. If you don’t have Trailforks downloaded, you can find download links for iOS and Android here.

Strava
If you don’t know already, Strava is a fantastic app to track 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. This is a lot of fun for those of you who are competitive. You can download Strava here.

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What I Liked About the Bike Trails at Hockley

Great Signage

The excellent signage was a welcome surprise, considering how poorly marked most trail systems are. Every intersection has signs indicating what trail is which, and the one-way trail markers are clear, ensuring you always go in the right direction. They even let you know when steep, twisty sections are upcoming, allowing you to prepare for the more challenging terrain.

One-Way Trails

I always welcome one-way trails. They remove the chance of head-on collisions and provide a safer ride for everyone. As such, it was great to see that the Bike Trails at Hockley are one-way, especially considering the steep, high-speed downhill sections throughout the network. Some people have a common complaint with one-way trails: you never get to ride them in the other direction—Hockley thought of this and fixed that issue by rotating the direction of the trails each day. As mentioned, I rode the trails counterclockwise during my visit.

Drains Well

The trails are a mix of sand, gravel, and loam, which drain incredibly well and make Hockley a good option for post-rain riding (no puddles or mud here!). That said, they might drain too well – more on that below.

Good for Practicing

The BikeTrails@Hockley is ideal for practicing and developing your skills (especially if you’re a novice or intermediate rider). The climbs are steep and challenging, letting you work on building your stamina and technical climbing skills, while the downhills are smooth, fast, and predictable, allowing you to work on your braking and body positioning. A half or full day spent here would pay dividends in your climbing conditioning and descending speed.

Beautiful Views

The views of the surrounding Hockley Valley are incredible and something I found myself stopping to take in (especially on the Lookout Trail). The trails are also intertwined with Hockley Valley’s golf course, its many lush green fairways, and perfect putting greens. The overall landscape is spectacular and contributed to my enjoyment of the trails. 

Access to Amenities

The access to amenities is second to none when it comes to mountain bike trail networks. Of course, being at Hockley Valley Resort gives you access to not commonly found amenities like bathrooms, a pro shop, rentals, dining options, and accommodations. Adamo Estate Winery is located at the top of the hill, providing yet another food and drink option. These options make a full day of riding here easy, as you can break for lunch and return to riding in the afternoon.

What I Didn’t Like About the Bike Trails at Hockley

Entirely Machine Built

The first thing I didn’t like about the Bike Trails at Hockley was that they are entirely machine-built. As a more experienced rider, I want technical features like roots and rocks to keep things interesting. Unfortunately, at Hockley, every trail is smooth and free from any unique features, which made me want something more quickly. This lack of unique features might be fine if you’re a novice or intermediate rider. But, if you’re an experienced rider or someone used to riding technically challenging trails, these will feel very tame.

Odd Mix of Tough Climbing and Easy Descending

I found the climbing quite challenging, with many steep and loose sections. Several sections are very punchy, which most novice riders will struggle with. On the flip side, the descending is very mellow, with all sections easily rideable by a novice mountain biker. This contrast makes for an odd predicament, as the climbs are best suited to experienced riders, while the descending is best suited to novice riders. It feels as though an easier climb needs to be built and paired with the current downhill trails, while a tougher descent needs to be built and paired with the current climbing trails. 

Too Much Sand and Gravel

As I mentioned, the trails are primarily sand, gravel, and loam, which drain incredibly well. That said, it feels like there is too much sand and gravel here, resulting in several extremely loose sections, most notably on the very steep climbing sections. I also noticed the sand and gravel on the high-speed turns, as my front wheel was frequently pushing and sliding through the turns, searching for more traction and solid ground.

Trail Maintenance is Lacking

The lack of trail maintenance was the most disappointing part of riding the BikeTrails@Hockley. The amount of work the team has put into the trails is clear; building 10+ kilometres of mountain bike trails across the side of a ski hill is no small feat. However, this effort feels as though it’s going to waste. Most trail areas outside the forest were overgrown with grass and weeds, while sections inside the woods were littered with debris. Considering this is a paid trail network, I would expect the trail maintenance to be flawless, and it’s the number one area the BikeTrails@Hockley could improve on.

Overall Thoughts

So, is it worth visiting the BikeTrails@Hockley? If you’re an experienced rider used to riding trail networks like the Don Valley, Durham Forest, Dagmar, and the like – no, it’s not worth visiting. There needs to be more distance, good climbing, or fun descents to keep things interesting. That said, if you’re a novice mountain biker (say, 1-3 years of experience) looking for challenging climbs, flowy descents, and a new mountain bike trail network to check out, then yes – it’s absolutely worth visiting. 

Looking forward, the potential is undoubtedly there for Hockley Valley to develop a robust trail network ideal for all levels of mountain bikers. Mix in some hand-built trails, dedicated climbs, a greater variety of trail difficulties, and better trail maintenance, and they’ll be quickly on their way to a winning formula. I’m very excited to see where they take things, and I can only hope for a bustling mountain bike scene to develop around the resort over the next several years!

– Garrett

Other Things to Do

Hiking

There are several incredible hiking locations near the BikeTrail@Hockley. Two of my top recommendations are:

• Hockley Valley Provincial Park: These trails are directly across the road from Hockley Valley Resort and offer some of the best scenery and most enjoyable hiking in Southern Ontario. 

• Mono Cliffs Provincial Park: Mono Cliffs is 15 minutes north of Hockley Valley Resort and features some of the most unique geological features in the area, including 100’ high cliffs and deep, exposed caverns. 

More Mountain Biking

If you’re looking for more mountain biking, you’re in luck! There are many fantastic mountain bike trail networks nearby, including:

• Mono Tract: Mono Tract’s mountain bike trails are 15 minutes north of the Bike Trails at Hockley. It’s a compact trail system full of fun features and great flow. 

• Mono Cliffs: Connected to Mono Tract is Mono Cliffs Provincial Park. You’ll find well-built, well-maintained trails that are easy-going, enjoyable, and set in some of Southern Ontario’s best scenery.

• Dufferin County Forest: 25 minutes north of the BikeTrails@Hockley is Dufferin County Forest. It’s a sprawling, serene trail system full of steady climbs, long descents, and beautiful terrain.

• Palgrave: Palgrave’s mountain bike trails are 20 minutes southeast of Hockley Valley. It’s a gruelling yet highly rewarding trail system full of punchy climbs and endless turns. 

• Albion Hills: 5 minutes south of Palgrave is Albion Hills. It’s an old-school, purpose-built cross country trail network with one-way trails and a ton of variety.

Food and Drinks

If some great food and refreshing drinks are more your thing, check out:

• Black Birch Restaurant: Black Birch Restaurant is located just around the corner from the BikeTrails@Hockley. The food is incredible, there’s a nice patio, and it’s the perfect spot for a post-ride beer!
• Adamo Estate Winery: At the top of the trails (along the Winery Loop), you’ll find the Adamo Estate Winery. Again, great food, great drinks, great ambiance!
• Mono Cliffs Inn: Just 15 minutes north of Hockley Valley is Mono Cliffs Inn. It has some of the best food in the area, plus a lovely patio and unique cellar bar. 
• Mono Centre Brewing Co: The recently opened Mono Centre Brewing Co. is an excellent spot for local beers. It’s a short, 10-minute drive from the Bike Trails at Hockley.
• Hockley General Store: The Hockley General Store is a gem full of delicious sandwiches, tasty ice cream, and all sorts of local goods. Head east on Hockley Road for 8 minutes, and you’ll get there.

Pros & Cons

Stats

Contact Information

• Location: 793522 3rd Line EHS, Mono, ON L9W 5X7
• Hours: Monday – Sunday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Website: https://www.biketrailsathockley.com/ 
• Email: biketrails@hockley.com 
• Phone: 519-942-0951