more stats
2,044 ft
Distance
-471 ft
Descent
00:06:33
Avg time
-471 ft
Altitude change
3,548 ft
Altitude min
4,020 ft
Altitude max
4,020 ft
Altitude start
3,550 ft
Altitude end
-23.1%
Grade
-50.9%
Grade max
-5.8%
Grade min
2,044 ft
Distance down
00:06:33
Avg time

Howler (mid) Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
    • E-Bike
    • Hike
    • Trail Running
  • Riding Area
    Westside - Rainbow
    Whistler, British Columbia
  • Difficulty Rating
    Black Diamond Rate
  • Local Popularity
    70 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • 75 in E-Biking
    • 55 in Trail Running
    • 60 in Hiking
  • Global Ranking
    #66987 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • #49593 in E-Biking
    • #105292 in Trail Running
    • #89237 in Hiking
  • Trail Type
    Singletrack
  • Bike Type
    AM, XC
  • Direction
    Downhill Primary
    Popular Direction Shown
  • Climb Difficulty
    Black Diamond
  • Physical Rating
    Hard
  • Trail Visibility
    Always easy to follow
  • Season
    Jun-Oct
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes
  • eBike Allowed
    Yes up to Class 1
  • TTFs on Trail
    Rock Face
  • Ride in Rain
    Yes
  • Year Opened
    2013

This section of the trail is located a long way up the flank trail, be prepared for a long sweaty climb. The midsection of Howler has many tight switchbacks but you can carry good speed if you take the high line into every corner. There are no major features, drops, or jumps, to catch you unawares. The rock up there, however, is sharp so bring spare tubes

Access Info

Starting from the very top of Alpine Way (no parking), climb Cultured Climb to Rick's Roost (name of the access road, not an actual trail) until you don't want to climb anymore. You will pass Cat Scratch Fever, Green Monster, and the Flank turn-off to Billy Epic. Keep going. Past the Flank, the trail mellows until you reach a big bridge over 19 mile creek. Shortly after the creek, you will pass the Skywalk Hiking trail on your left and you will see a motor-vehicle gate straight ahead, go through the gate and grind up the incredibly steep hill. Keep going until it mellows slightly and you see a large round boulder on the roadbed, the midsection of Howler starts from here on the right.

Trail Supporters
  • Zander Strathearn
    Builder
Local Trail Association
Traditionally Indigenous Territory

Recent Activity on Trail

Past Week
  • 2 rides
  • 38.8 km average
6 Months
  • 62 rides
  • 24.4 km avg distance
All
  • 452 rides
  • Last: Aug 19, 2026
c1c2c3c4
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Status:
on Jul 29, 2026
Ideal
Avg: 4.05 (13 votes)
Your vote: 0

view (2,983)
close
  • Basemap  Map 
    • Pro
    • Pro
    • Pro
    • Pro
    • Pro
    • Pro
3D
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.
  • most popular
  • popular
  • less popular
  • not popular
ATV/ORV/OHV Filter
Max Vehicle Width
inches
US Cell Coverage
Legend
cell carrier legend

Radar Time
Activity Recordings
Trailforks uses anonymized public activity data. ?
Activity Recordings
Trailforks uses anonymized public activity data. ?
Winter Trails
Warning A routing network for winter maps does not exist. Selecting trails using the winter trails layer has been disabled.
Missing Trails
Most Popular
Least Popular
Trails are colored based on popularity. The more popular a trail is, the more red. Less popular trails trend towards green.
Jump Magnitude Heatmap
Heatmap of where users jump on trails. Zoom in to see individual jumps, click circles to view jump details.
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.

map legend
Slope Aspect
Direction the slope faces
Flat N NE E SE S SW W NW
Trails Deemphasized
Trails are shown in grey.
disable
Only show trails with no bike usage.
Enable
Suggested Layers
Based on selected activity type

    Save the current map location and zoom level as your default home location whenever this page is loaded.

    Save
        Directions to howler-mid trailhead (50.165830, -122.971050)
        View on Discover Map

        Photos

        22 more »
        mtb
        106 |
        Aug 20, 2023 @ 9:30pm
        Aug 20, 2023
        mtb
        106 |
        Nov 3, 2020 @ 8:13am
        Nov 3, 2020
        mtb
        112 |
        Nov 3, 2020 @ 8:13am
        Nov 3, 2020
        mtb
        94 |
        Nov 3, 2020 @ 8:13am
        Nov 3, 2020

        Videos

        3 more »
        youtuber Howler is a Bone-Shaking Whistler Downhill Trail
        mtb
        14:16 | 508 | Sep 12, 2021 , Whistler
        HOWLER 4K - NEW JERRYS ON THE BLOCK
        mtb
        2:56 | 389 | Nov 22, 2020 , Whistler
        Howler
        mtb
        0:47 | 27 | May 26, 2025 , Whistler

        Routes with this trail

        359
        The Arbutus Routes - Howler (Advanced)
        ★ 4.0 • 15 miles • 2,230 ft • 32 •
        Directions to Howler; a great trail for those looking for a sustained climb and technical fast descent....
        1241
        Whistler Triple Crown
        ★ 5.0 • 37 miles • 8,991 ft • 24 •
        Whistler's three classic runs in one ride. If you complete this you are a beast.
        430
        The Arbutus Routes - Howler (Advanced)
        ★ 5.0 • 17 miles • 2,818 ft • 39 •
        Howler is a great trail for those looking for a sustained climb and technical fast descent. (Advanced)...

        Trail Products

        3.9 ★★★★★
        13 Ratings
        5 ★ 54%
        4 ★ 15%
        3 ★ 8%
        2 ★ 8%
        1 ★ 15%

        4 Reviews & Comments


        We hope you've been enjoying Trailforks!

        Create a FREE account to view trail comments and much more.

        Create a Free Account

        Nearby Trails

        Westside - Rainbow

        • By HowlerContractingLimitedTF Pro & contributors
        • #236258 - 5,106 views

        Frequently Asked Questions About Howler (mid)

        ▼ Where is Howler (mid) located?
        Howler (mid) is located in Westside - Rainbow, Whistler, British Columbia, Canada. It is part of the Westside - Rainbow trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates 50.16583, -122.97105.
        ▼ How hard is Howler (mid)?
        Howler (mid) is rated as Black Diamond difficulty. The physical rating is Hard. The average grade is 23.1%. The climb difficulty is rated Black Diamond.
        ▼ What is the elevation gain for Howler (mid)?
        The trail has 471 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 3,548 ft to 4,020 ft.
        ▼ Is Howler (mid) a point to point trail?
        Howler (mid) is not a point to point trail. The direction is Downhill Primary. The trail type is singletrack.
        ▼ How long is Howler (mid)?
        Howler (mid) is 2,044 ft long. The trail type is singletrack.
        ▼ Are dogs allowed on Howler (mid)?
        Yes, dogs are allowed on Howler (mid). Please keep dogs on a leash where required and clean up after them.
        ▼ When is the best time of year to ride Howler (mid)?
        Based on activity log data, the most popular months to ride Howler (mid) are:
        • July (64 activities)
        • August (54 activities)
        • June (54 activities)
        Check the reports page for current trail conditions.
        ▼ How do I access Howler (mid)? Where is the closest parking trailhead?
        The closest parking and trailhead locations to Howler (mid) are: View all parking locations in the area.
        ▼ How long does it take to ride Howler (mid)?
        Based on recorded activities, it takes an average of 7 minutes to ride Howler (mid). The trail is 2,044 ft long. Actual times will vary based on fitness level, conditions, and pace. View recent activity logs for more details.
        ▼ How busy is Howler (mid)?
        Howler (mid) is a very popular trail. There have been 2,976 recorded activities on this trail. The trail has received 2,952 check-ins. View recent activity on this trail.

        Hit the Trail

        Open in App

        Get this trail on your phone instantly.
        open trail in app

        Download Trail

        Save to wishlist, Garmin & download.
        save the trail

        Find Related Routes

        Find routes and users activities that include this trail.
        find routes for this trail

        You must enter a description before submitting.