The air is crisp, the crowds are fewer and we still have a few good days of daylight saving ahead of us. So, if you’ve been meaning to crank those pedals and get your fill of biking, now is the time to do it. Thankfully, we have three utterly beautiful cycling hot spots just 3 hours from Calagry. Enter: Medicine Hat, Redcliff and Cypress Hills.
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From deserts and grasslands to coulees and cliffs, Medicine Hat and region offer distinct and dramatic landscapes for bikers to enjoy. Plus, the towns are under 45-min drive from each other. Meaning, you can easily experience (almost) all riding trails over one weekend.
Here’s what you can expect from these trails—
Medicine Hat
Sure, the many artistic, cultural and Indigenous experiences, the historic downtown, the culinary offerings and the local shopping make Medicine Hat the perfect getaway destination. But the place is also a massive hit with cyclists.
Short flowy descents or long winding cross-country trails, fall foliage or river views, leisure rides or thrill-inducing adventures— whatever be your scene, Medicine Hat has you covered. There are seven different parks here with stunning views, distinct landscapes and trails for all skill levels. In fact, the city just added 14 new ones to its extensive trail list.
And if you’re looking to live right next to the adventure, you can set up base at Gas City Campground. Although, other parks in town are just as worthy of your time.
Redcliff
As is common knowledge, this is the OG playground for bikers in the prairies. Naturally then, the place boasts of some epic trails. You’ll find narrow cross-country trails that take you past coulees offering Badlands views. And trust us when we say, these gorg views last for days. And when you’ve biked your heart out, you can check out the five (yes, five) incredible greenhouses in town. Redcliff is, after all, the Greenhouse Capital of the Prairies.
Elkwater
This might be a tiny community within Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park, but it is also a mighty biking destination. And it sure as hell is a beautiful one too. You can bike along the many rooty, rocky trails of the park past lodgepole pines and aspens. Or you can ride one of the newer flowy, tech trails near the Hidden Valley Ski Resort. If speed is your thing, these new trails are where you ought to be.
Ready to get them wheels rolling? Head over to the Tourism Medicine Hat website to plan your perfect mountain biking weekend.
