more stats
4,488 ft
Distance
122 ft
Climb
-148 ft
Descent
00:09:33
Avg time
-26 ft
Altitude change
863 ft
Altitude min
989 ft
Altitude max
963 ft
Altitude start
938 ft
Altitude end
-0.6%
Grade
-21.7%
Grade max
25.1%
Grade min
1,719 ft
Distance climb
1,880 ft
Distance down
892 ft
Distance flat
00:09:33
Avg time

Black Keys Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
    • E-Bike
    • Hike
    • Trail Running
  • Riding Area
    Ridge Runner
    Nanaimo, British Columbia
  • Difficulty Rating
    Blue Rate
  • Local Popularity
    90 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • 85 in E-Biking
    • 85 in Trail Running
    • 80 in Hiking
  • Global Ranking
    #49192 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • #26198 in E-Biking
    • #50545 in Trail Running
    • #52565 in Hiking
  • Trail Type
    Singletrack
  • Bike Type
    XC
  • Direction
    Both Directions
    Popular Direction Shown
  • Climb Difficulty
    Blue
  • Physical Rating
    Moderate
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes
  • eBike Allowed
    Yes up to Class 1

No community description for Black Keys trail has been added yet!

AI Generated Description

Black Keys is a highly rated 1 km popular blue difficulty singletrack trail located near Nanaimo British Columbia. This mountain bike primary trail can be used both directions and has a moderate overall physical rating with a 37 m blue climb. On average it takes 9 minutes to complete this trail.

This trail is unsanctioned.

Traditionally Indigenous Territory

Recent Activity on Trail

Past Week
  • 7 rides
  • 10 miles average
6 Months
  • 204 rides
  • 15 miles avg distance
All
  • 1,208 rides
  • Last: Aug 26, 2026
c1c2c3c4
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
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December
Status:
on Jun 14, 2026
Dry
Avg: 3.99 (8 votes)
Your vote: 0

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Trail Conditions
  • Unknown
  • Snow Groomed
  • Snow Packed
  • Snow Covered
  • Snow Cover Partial
  • Freeze/thaw Cycle
  • Icy
  • Prevalent Mud
  • Wet
  • Variable
  • Ideal
  • Dry
  • Very Dry
Trail Flow (Ridden Direction)
Trailforks scans users activity logs to determine the most popular direction each trail is ridden. A good flowing trail network will have most trails flowing in a single direction according to their intension.
The colour categories are based on what percentage of users are riding a trail in its intended direction.
  • > 96%
  • > 90%
  • > 80%
  • > 70%
  • > 50%
  • < 50%
  • bi-directional trail
  • no data
Trail Last Ridden
Trailforks scans activity logs to determine the last time a trail was ridden.
  • < 2 days
  • < 1 week
  • < 2 weeks
  • < 1 month
  • < 6 months
  • > 6 months
Trail Ridden Direction
The intended direction a trail should be ridden.
  • Downhill Only
  • Downhill Primary
  • Both Directions
  • Uphill Primary
  • Uphill Only
  • One Direction
Contribute Details
Colors indicate trail is missing specified detail.
  • Description
  • Photos
  • Description & Photos
  • Videos
Trail Popularity ?
Trailforks scans activity logs to determine which trails are ridden the most in the last 9 months. Trails are compared with nearby trails in the same city region with a possible 25 colour shades. Think of this as a heatmap, more activities = more kinetic energy = warmer colors.
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  • popular
  • less popular
  • not popular
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Activity Recordings
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Trails are colored based on popularity. The more popular a trail is, the more red. Less popular trails trend towards green.
Jump Magnitude Heatmap
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BC Backroad Status

Service Road Atlas is a free to use, community-driven service for viewing and creating reports on the numerous back-country service roads around B.C. and Alberta.

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Slope Aspect
Direction the slope faces
Flat N NE E SE S SW W NW
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        Directions to black-keys trailhead (49.106590, -123.997160)
        View on Discover Map

        Photos

        17 more »
        mtb
        133 |
        Oct 12, 2018 @ 11:50pm
        Oct 12, 2018
        mtb
        97 |
        Jan 27, 2021 @ 7:00am
        Jan 27, 2021
        mtb
        69 |
        Oct 14, 2019 @ 7:21pm
        Oct 14, 2019
        mtb
        64 |
        Oct 14, 2019 @ 7:20pm
        Oct 14, 2019

        Videos

        1 more »
        2019 July 22nd Black Keys from Upper Ridge...
        mtb
        6:15 | 527 | Aug 16, 2019 , Nanaimo

        Routes with this trail

        195
        BCBR 2026 Stage 6
        ★ 4.0 • 23 miles • 2,916 ft • 19 •
        Stage 6 BCBR: A mix of riding styles; distinct terrain, Big Bang Cidery to finish!
        196
        BCBR NANAIMO STAGE 6 2026-V2
        23 miles • 2,923 ft • 21 •
        THE 20TH YEAR EPIC-EXTENDED FOR THE EURO PRO WHO SHALL BE FAST
        125
        Ridge Runner - 11k Loop
        7 miles • 739 ft • 12 • Loop •
        Fun 11 k route. Perfect for intermediate riders. Some challenging sections but mostly level terrain.
        4.0 ★★★★★
        8 Ratings
        5 ★ 38%
        4 ★ 25%
        3 ★ 38%
        2 ★
        1 ★

        Reviews / Comments

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        Frequently Asked Questions About Black Keys

        ▼ Where is Black Keys located?
        Black Keys is located in Ridge Runner, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada. It is part of the Ridge Runner trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates 49.10659, -123.99716.
        ▼ How hard is Black Keys?
        Black Keys is rated as Blue difficulty. The physical rating is Moderate. The average grade is 0.6%. The climb difficulty is rated Blue.
        ▼ What is the elevation gain for Black Keys?
        Black Keys has 122 ft of elevation gain. The trail has 148 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 863 ft to 989 ft.
        ▼ Is Black Keys a point to point trail?
        Black Keys is not a point to point trail. The direction is Both Directions. The trail type is singletrack.
        ▼ How long is Black Keys?
        Black Keys is 4,488 ft long. The trail type is singletrack.
        ▼ Are dogs allowed on Black Keys?
        Yes, dogs are allowed on Black Keys. Please keep dogs on a leash where required and clean up after them.
        ▼ When is the best time of year to ride Black Keys?
        Based on activity log data, the most popular months to ride Black Keys are:
        • July (58 activities)
        • April (53 activities)
        • June (45 activities)
        Check the reports page for current trail conditions.
        ▼ How do I access Black Keys? Where is the closest parking trailhead?
        The closest parking and trailhead locations to Black Keys are: View all parking locations in the area.
        ▼ How long does it take to ride Black Keys?
        Based on recorded activities, it takes an average of 10 minutes to ride Black Keys. The trail is 4,488 ft long. Actual times will vary based on fitness level, conditions, and pace. View recent activity logs for more details.
        ▼ How busy is Black Keys?
        Black Keys is a very popular trail. There have been 3,445 recorded activities on this trail. The trail has received 3,476 check-ins. View recent activity on this trail.

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