1.7 miles

Distance

110 ft

Climb

-902 ft

Descent

00:32:52

Avg time

Cougar Ridge Details

Activities
- Mountain Bike
- Hike
- Trail Running
Riding Area

Galbraith
Bellingham, Washington
Difficulty Rating

Black Diamond rate
Voted Difficulty

Blue (4 votes)
Trail Type

Singletrack
Bike Type

AM
Direction

Downhill Primary
Popular direction shown
Dogs Allowed

Yes
eBike Allowed

No
TTFs on Trail

Berm, Bridge, Rock Face
Global Ranking
#3556 in Mountain Biking [+]
- #77108 in Trail Running
- #28552 in Hiking
Local Popularity
20 in Mountain Biking [+]
- 5 in Trail Running
- 5 in Hiking

This is an epic trail - deep forest loam with some rocks/slabs and tricky bits. Kind of a nasty climb back up Road 4000, but I have heard of people hopping on the bus in Sudden Valley to get back to Whatcom Falls Park. Access is via the road past Whoopsie Woodle, go right at the Spacewolf turn-off, and the trail starts a little way down on the left. Take the right about a half mile down to get to Cougar Ridge, otherwise you are riding Waterfall Trail. Great to see it is now "official".

Local Trail Association

Whatcom Mountain Bike Coalition
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Traditionally Indigenous Territory

More Stats for Cougar Ridge mountain bike trail trail

Altitude change

-793 ft
Altitude min

860 ft
Altitude max

1,737 ft
Altitude start

1,653 ft
Altitude end

860 ft
Grade

-9%
Grade max

-33.6%
Grade min

17.8%
Distance climb

1,601 ft
Distance down

1 mile
Distance flat

410 ft
Avg time

00:32:52
Avg reverse time

00:20:58
view trail stats

Status:

on Apr 20, 2022

Variable

Avg: 4.6 (24 votes)

view (1,389)

Directions to cougar-ridge-50246 trailhead (48.702870, -122.377060)

update trails status or condition

Cougar Ridge Trail Reports

status	date	description
	Apr 20, 2022 @ 9:54pm Apr 20, 2022	Greasy and will give you some wet shoes, but clear of downed trees
	Apr 12, 2022 @ 12:58am Apr 12, 2022	Muddy and slick in places.
	Mar 8, 2022 @ 2:34pm Mar 8, 2022	Running much better than expected. No blowdowns - thanks sawyers!
	Jan 16, 2022 @ 10:07pm Jan 16, 2022	we were able to saw and clear two of the medium trees. still has one snag over the trail
	Jan 15, 2022 @ 1:51pm Jan 15, 2022	Cleared the blowdowns at the end of the trail near at the Rufus creek intersection. Another rider mentioned there are 3 trees down on cougar ridge...

view all reports »

Recent Ridelog Activity on Trail

Past Week

0 rides

6 Months

4 rides
16 miles avg distance

All

1,349 rides

Photos

47 |

Apr 23, 2022 @ 4:53pm

Apr 23, 2022

23 |

Apr 22, 2022 @ 11:39pm

Apr 22, 2022

481 |

Dec 3, 2019 @ 8:54am

Dec 3, 2019

567 |

Oct 24, 2018 @ 3:41pm

Oct 24, 2018

Routes with this trail

title	distance
20M Galby+Cougar Ridge	21 miles
Freehub Magazine: Cougar Ridge	2 miles
Galbraith +	27 miles
Cougar Ridge	6 miles

Trail Products

Pacific Northwest National Forest Recreation App
Phone App

13 Reviews & Comments

Score Time

ashlemon

(Oct 3, 2018 at 13:45)

This is an epic trail! - deep forest loam with some rocks/slabs and tricky bits. Kind of a nasty climb back up Road 4000, but I have heard of people hopping on the bus in Sudden Valley to get back to Whatcom Falls Park. Access is via the road past Whoopsie Woodle, go right at the Spacewolf turn-off, and the trail starts a little way down on the left. Take the right about a half mile down to get to Cougar Ridge, otherwise you are riding Waterfall Trail. Great to see it is now "official".

[Reply]

DiveH (Oct 9, 2018 at 17:35)

Don't ride this trail. It sucks and you will be disappointed. If you get lost and end up in Sudden Valley, the locals will cannibalize you, sell the organs they don't eat to the Indonesian black market and burn your expensive ass carbon bike as a sacrifice to their pagan gods. Just stick to Galbraith people. It ain't worth your safety.

[Reply]

slayerdegnar

(Nov 3, 2018 at 21:24)

I don't think this is "official". Probably should take down if it not.

[Reply]

lostlunchbox

(Nov 4, 2018 at 8:23)

It's recently "official"

[Reply]

sngltrkmnd

(Dec 22, 2018 at 13:31)

Closed. Dozens of blowdowns. Avoid til the sawyers can get in here.

[Reply]

rckwng

(Dec 23, 2018 at 10:46)

1 big tree down on Hootie Hoot and several massive trees uprooted on cougar/el Diablo across the new trail work

[Reply]

i-g-o-r

(Jan 5, 2019 at 23:14)

The trail is now mostly a blue square with a few black diamond options

[Reply]

BasedGawd (Aug 1, 2019 at 12:00)

Take the hard line. This is why you come to Bham.

[Reply]

trail-wraith (Nov 17, 2019 at 0:07)

Easiest way up is from the gate 9 parking lot in sudden valley. The Rufus creek trail will take you most of the way up. Nice trail. Black diamond options are fun.

[Reply]

ukducks (Jun 29, 2020 at 19:31)

This is a great trail. I take Whoopsie up then across per previous post. Before you even get to Cougar Ridge you get in some great single track - and will likely not meet another person. Cougar has some technical parts and drops in place (it is a Ridge). Nice descent down part of Rufus then start the grind back using Bottoms Up.

[Reply]

swartzie

(Sep 29, 2020 at 12:17)

So blue or black? Trail designation is blue, Trailforks shows black. Rides like a blue.

[Reply]

jgansler

(Nov 21, 2020 at 16:34)

One of my favorite trails I’ve ever ridden. Super fast, gnarly but manageable tech, plenty of optional side hits. Ride ittttt

[Reply]

chunky-tech-doctor

(Apr 1, 2021 at 9:54)

This trail is not that great its a huge haul to the top and the only really fun part of the trail is the upper part with the chuncky chute before you cross the trail to go down other section of the trail then that it's nothing really special id do it again but not what I hoped for. Blue trail all the way down less 2 parts there a chuck chute at the top and a blow out in between chute in the middle that give this trail the black badge. If you go around the middle part it's a blue all day.