more stats
4,980 ft
Distance
9 ft
Climb
-403 ft
Descent
00:10:53
Avg time
-396 ft
Altitude change
992 ft
Altitude min
1,387 ft
Altitude max
1,387 ft
Altitude start
991 ft
Altitude end
-7.9%
Grade
-17%
Grade max
5.5%
Grade min
213 ft
Distance climb
4,304 ft
Distance down
463 ft
Distance flat
00:10:53
Avg time

Gatekeeper Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
    • E-Bike
    • Hike
    • Trail Running
  • Riding Area
    South Benson / Wolf Mountain
    Nanaimo, British Columbia
  • Difficulty Rating
  • Voted Difficulty
    Blue (1 vote)
  • Local Popularity
    70 in Mountain Biking heatmap [+]
    • 65 in E-Biking
    • 40 in Trail Running
    • 25 in Hiking
  • Global Ranking
    #52794 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • #39156 in E-Biking
    • #153247 in Trail Running
    • #157305 in Hiking
  • Provincial Ranking
    #2,607 in Mountain Biking · British Columbia [+]
    • #2,716 in E-Biking
    • #9,292 in Trail Running
    • #10,094 in Hiking
  • Trail Type
    Singletrack
  • Bike Type
    DH, AM, XC
  • Direction
    Downhill Only
  • Physical Rating
    Moderate
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes
  • eBike Allowed
    Yes up to Class 1
  • TTFs on Trail
    Berm, Bridge, Gap Jump
  • Year Opened
    2016

Flow type trail with nice berms and fun small jumps. Please use E&M Express to climb.

This trail is unsanctioned.

Tags
BermsBridgesJumps

Traditionally Indigenous Territory

Recent Activity on Trail

Past Week
  • 1 rides
  • 13.3 km average
6 Months
  • 36 rides
  • 14.2 km avg distance
All
  • 1,102 rides
  • Last: Nov 12, 2026
c1c2c3c4
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Gatekeeper Trail Reports

statusdatedescription
Sep 8, 2026 @ 10:43am (America/Vancouver)
Sep 8, 2026
Jul 26, 2026 @ 9:38am (America/Vancouver)
Jul 26, 2026
Tree down about 1/3 of the way down. Also getting alittle hairy on the sides as the plants slowly try to reclaim the trail.
Dec 20, 2025 @ 11:02am (America/Vancouver)
Dec 20, 2025
Sep 29, 2025 @ 9:12am (America/Vancouver)
Sep 29, 2025
Aug 26, 2025 @ 11:28am
Aug 26, 2025
tree down lots of dibree
more »
Status:
on Sep 8, 2026
Dry
Avg: 4.2 (29 votes)
Your vote: 0

view (5,068)
close
      Directions to gatekeeper trailhead (49.113480, -124.015810)

      Photos

      11 more »
      mtb
      200 |
      Oct 9, 2021 @ 6:32pm
      Oct 9, 2021
      report
      mtb
      50 |
      Aug 26, 2025 @ 12:12pm
      Aug 26, 2025
      report
      mtb
      64 |
      Mar 21, 2024 @ 7:00pm
      Mar 21, 2024
      report
      mtb
      65 |
      Mar 19, 2024 @ 7:49am
      Mar 19, 2024

      Videos

      4 more »
      Upper/Lower/Lowest/Final Gatekeeper, South...
      mtb
      19:15 | 154 | May 4, 2025 , Nanaimo
      Lower Gatekeeper, South Benson, mountain...
      mtb
      5:29 | 580 | Oct 20, 2020 , Nanaimo
      Gatekeeper, South Benson.142 to spur. Nanaimo...
      mtb
      3:24 | 619 | Oct 20, 2020 , Nanaimo
      Gatekeeper
      mtb
      3:31 | 898 | Oct 10, 2016 , Nanaimo

      Routes with this trail

      more »
      ★ 5.0 • 10 miles • 1,197 ft • 22 • Loop •
      A route that combines a good mix of climbing and downhill covering the Ridge Runner and lower South Benson...
      ★ 4.0 • 19 miles • 5,002 ft • 36 •
      Looptie Loop of the best of Mt. Benson
      ★ 3.0 • 17 miles • 2,461 ft • 11 • Loop •
      THIS ROUTE IS FROM EXTENSION TO FULL GATEKEEPER. WHAT A CLIMB
      4.3 ★★★★★
      29 Ratings
      5 ★ 45%
      4 ★ 41%
      3 ★ 10%
      2 ★
      1 ★ 3%

      5 Reviews & Comments

      tdeems tdeems
      Pretty tight and rocky, very few chances for air time. Good for beginners, otherwise everything else here is better.
      lostlunchbox lostlunchbox
      Kudos to the builders, this is an awesome example of "natural flow" and use of grade. So much bang for buck and arguably fun for any skill level. Wish there were more like it!
      dirtworship dirtworship
      Trail is in great shape right now, perfect dirt. Rode down the trail, there are a few fun kickers to hit. Seems like a decent climbing trail as well. There is a sign at the bottom to warn climbers to watch for oncoming riders, so I'd say its a 2 direction trail. The other climbing option, E&M, is also nice but requires much more fire road climbing as well. Both are good options IMO.

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      • #55435 - 5,864 views

      Frequently Asked Questions

      ▼ Where is Gatekeeper located?
      Gatekeeper is located in South Benson / Wolf Mountain, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada. It is part of the South Benson / Wolf Mountain trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates 49.11348, -124.01581.
      ▼ How hard is Gatekeeper?
      Gatekeeper is rated as Blue difficulty. The physical rating is Moderate. The average grade is 7.9%.
      ▼ What is the elevation gain for Gatekeeper?
      Gatekeeper has 9 ft of elevation gain. The trail has 403 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 992 ft to 1,387 ft.
      ▼ Is Gatekeeper a point to point trail?
      Yes, Gatekeeper is a point to point trail. The direction is Downhill Only. The trail type is singletrack.
      ▼ How long is Gatekeeper?
      Gatekeeper is 4,980 ft long. The trail type is singletrack.
      ▼ Are dogs allowed on Gatekeeper?
      Yes, dogs are allowed on Gatekeeper. Please keep dogs on a leash where required and clean up after them.
      ▼ When is the best time of year to ride Gatekeeper?
      Based on activity log data, the most popular months to ride Gatekeeper are:
      • April (38 activities)
      • May (31 activities)
      • June (29 activities)
      Check the reports page for current trail conditions.
      ▼ How do I access Gatekeeper? Where is the closest parking trailhead?
      The closest parking and trailhead locations to Gatekeeper are: View all parking locations in the area.
      ▼ How long does it take to ride Gatekeeper?
      Based on recorded activities, it takes an average of 11 minutes to ride Gatekeeper. The trail is 4,980 ft long. Actual times will vary based on fitness level, conditions, and pace. View recent activity logs for more details.
      ▼ How busy is Gatekeeper?
      Gatekeeper is a very popular trail. There have been 5,127 recorded activities on this trail. The trail has received 5,068 check-ins. View recent activity on this trail.

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