Burns Lake Mountain Biking Association Gears Up Regional Tourism In The Lakes District

In 2008, Burns Lake Mountain Biking Association received a $60,000 grant from Northern Development through the Economic Diversification Infrastructure program towards this $273,611 project. This has been a funding partnership of Burns Lake Mountain Biking Association, Northern Development, Community Economic Diversification Initiative, and Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako

2012- Mountain bikers looking for an exciting trail to ride will be stoked on the newly developed Gravity Logic terrain available to rip on in Burns Lake. The association has developed three new trails: two of which are four kilometers each of intense downhill action, and one trail for beginners to learn to jib on the green horn trail where their steez won’t be tested.

Guts are required to roll through the black diamond trail, as it requires a fearless attitude with its technical terrain features including gnarly tabletops, step-ups, step-downs, hips and larger berms. This agressive mountain biking trail is a new asset in the Lakes District area, drawing enthusiasts to the region to test their mettle on some of the best new trails in British Columbia.

Word has spread quick about the Burns Lake Mountain Bike Trails as it was featured twice on the authoritative mountain biking website Pinkbike.com and was a feature story in the November 2010 issue of Bike Magazine which brags hundreds of thousands of subscribers and an estimated million readers monthly. This issue was published shortly after Rideguide TV presented an episode showcasing the Burns Lake Mountain Bike Trails which aired on five major networks internationally.

"We couldn't be more proud of our ever increasing trails network in Burns Lake. Northern Development's funding allowed us to take the Burns Lake Mountain Biking Trails network to the next level with the development of three new trails and has helped to move Burns Lake towards becoming a world-class destination for mountain biking."

Kevin Derksen, President, Burns Lake Mountain Bike Association

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Positive Economic Impacts in Burns Lake

According to a consultant who studied the tourism potential that mountain biking could contribute to Burns Lake's local economy, it was found that the community has the potential to become a world-class trails destination. The rolling hills and forested landscape make Burns Lake an ideal location for agressive mountain biking. Demographic studies show that the average mountain biker is a single male with an average income between $50,000 and $75,000, making the economic spin-off potential of drawing this target market to the Burns Lake region very attractive for local businesses and regional tourism.

The development of this new trails system created construction employment for fourteen displaced forest workers who were employed for a period of up to six months. Many of these workers found permanent jobs within the community during their work term.

The Burns Lake Mountain Biking Association has continued to grow their trail network with the addition of a second jump trail and the completion of phase one of a cross country trail.

Economic Diversification Infrastructure

The Economic Diversification Infrastructure program is no longer available. However, your project may still be eligible under one of our NEW programs.

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