Fat Biking in the Saint John Region

Trail riding in winter is a completely different experience than in other seasons. The woods seem to be much more peaceful and quiet in winter. And the white snow makes it brighter. In fact, if the sky is clear, one of favourite things is to ride at night. And if the moon is out I almost don’t need lights. 

With the snow packed in around the roots and rocks, it makes the trails nice and smooth. While I enjoy riding my mountain bike over the rougher terrain, it is a nice treat to be able to ride trails that are a lot less jarring. And I should also say that on the rare occasion that I do fall off my bike, it’s a lot softer falling in snow than on rocks. 

It is winter, and you do have to dress for the weather, but as soon as you start cycling up that first hill, you will generate a lot of heat. My hands and feet will get chilly if I don’t wear warm mittens and footwear but I rarely have any problems keeping the rest of me warm.

In Saint John we are lucky to have some very nice places to ride fat bikes as well as the volunteers to groom the trails. Rockwood Park is beautiful in the winter. Two places to access the groomed trails are on Sandy Point Road and Dark Lake Road. If you head to Sandy Point Road, you can park in the Zoo Trail parking lot and start on the Zoo Trail. There will be trails groomed on both the left and right side. Or, head to the parking lot at the end of Dark Lake Road and ride the Mayflower Lake Trail either to the Zoo Trail or picking another trail running off of Mayflower.

View and download a copy of the Rockwood Park Trail Map by clicking here.

Shady Grove in Quispamsis also has great winter riding. The parking for here is just past the playground on Parkside Road. To access the trails, ride about 120 meters further, turn right up the dirt road and the access is an ATV trail on the left. The cycling starts about 60 more metres in.

Wells Recreation Park in Rothesay is also groomed for fat biking. This is a two kilometre trail and is an out and back ride. Wells Recreation Park also has some fun side trails that are rideable if enough snowshoers have packed them down.

There is no question that for anybody who loves snow sports, winter in Saint John can sometimes be frustrating. The weather can be unpredictable and we don’t always have the best snow for skiing or snowshoeing. But adding a fat bike to your winter sports equipment arsenal gives you a great option to get out and enjoy the winter - no matter the weather!