more stats
1.0 mile
Distance
20 ft
Climb
-291 ft
Descent
00:07:49
Avg time
-270 ft
Altitude change
5,122 ft
Altitude min
5,406 ft
Altitude max
5,406 ft
Altitude start
5,135 ft
Altitude end
-5.1%
Grade
-44.7%
Grade max
7.8%
Grade min
748 ft
Distance climb
3,963 ft
Distance down
594 ft
Distance flat
00:07:49
Avg time

Ridgeback – R4 Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
    • E-Bike
    • Winter Fat Bike
    • Horse
    • Hike
    • Trail Running
  • Riding Area
    Station Flats
    Bragg Creek, Alberta
  • AKA
    R4
  • Difficulty Rating
    Blue Rate
  • Local Popularity
    65 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • 85 in E-Biking
    • 85 in Trail Running
    • 40 in Hiking
    • 5 in Horseback
  • Global Ranking
    #60611 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • #9778 in E-Biking
    • #36983 in Trail Running
    • #115487 in Hiking
    • #2816 in Horseback
  • Trail Type
    Singletrack
  • Bike Type
    AM, XC, Fat
  • Direction
    Both Directions
  • Climb Difficulty
    Blue
  • Physical Rating
    Moderate
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes
  • eBike Allowed
    Yes up to Class 1
  • TTFs on Trail
    Bridge
  • Year Opened
    2010
  • Land Owner
    Alberta Forestry and Parks

The northernmost section of Ridgeback ("R4") is 300m north of R3. Tom Snow forks to the right for a 800m section that, while always wet and muddy, makes an alternative to the climb up R4 (turn left and climb up the mountain road until you reach the other end of R4). R4 meets the bottom of Moose Packers near the Shell gas valve station.

R4 is mostly fast and buff from north to south, with some short climbs at the south end. Easily the most buff and flowy part of the Ridgeback trails.

Ridgeback is one of the trails in Kananaskis built and maintained by the Calgary Mountain Bike Alliance. It's a mix of machine-built and hand-built construction, designed to provide an alternative to the perpetual wetness of the Tom Snow trail. Ridgeback and Tom Snow come together at three points, dividing both trails into four main sections, all of which are good in either direction. You can mix and match sections of the two trails to extend or shorten your ride. Note that the parts of Tom Snow that Ridgeback bypasses almost always have standing water, mud puddles and downed trees across them.

Access Info

Access from R3 to the south, Moose Packers to the west, or maybe the mountain road or Tom Snow to the east.

Trail Supporters

  • 2009 - 2010
    Builder
Local Trail Association
Traditionally Indigenous Territory

Recent Activity on Trail

Past Week
  • 0 rides
  •  
6 Months
  • 43 rides
  • 15 miles avg distance
All
  • 330 rides
  • Last: Sep 9, 2026
c1c2c3c4
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Ridgeback – R4 Trail Reports

statusdatedescription
Jul 14, 2026 @ 8:19am (America/Creston)
Jul 14, 2026
 Trail is clear and dry, enjoy.
Feb 13, 2026 @ 12:10pm (America/Edmonton)
Feb 13, 2026
 Couple trees down
Nov 10, 2025 @ 3:54pm (America/Edmonton)
Nov 10, 2025
So many downed trees. The wind did a huge number of ridelability of the trail.
Sep 9, 2025 @ 10:23am
Sep 9, 2025
Aug 14, 2025 @ 7:13am
Aug 14, 2025
All vegetation trimmed back. Some armouring of eroding steep sections.
more »
Status:
on Jul 14, 2026
Dry
Avg: 3.85 (15 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
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  • Downhill Primary
  • Both Directions
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  • Uphill Only
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        Directions to ridgeback--r4 trailhead (50.926440, -114.754870)
        View on Discover Map

        Photos

        7 more »
        mtb
        52 |
        Jun 20, 2022 @ 3:56pm
        Jun 20, 2022
        mtb
        49 |
        Jun 20, 2022 @ 3:58pm
        Jun 20, 2022
        mtb
        83 |
        Aug 18, 2020 @ 10:22pm
        Aug 18, 2020
        mtb
        97 |
        Sep 15, 2018 @ 11:10pm
        Sep 15, 2018

        Videos

        3 more »
        MTB The Ridgeback R4, R3, R2, and R1 Trails
        mtb
        26:30 | 11 | Jul 24, 2026 , Bragg Creek
        GoPro: Downhill Mountain Biking in Ridgeback...
        mtb
        759 | Oct 21, 2015 , Bragg Creek
        Edmonton Pinoy MTB, Downhill Mountain Biking...
        mtb
        762 | Oct 19, 2015 , Bragg Creek

        Trail Lists

        Routes with this trail

        505
        Mark's Moose Loop
        43 miles • 9,409 ft • 16 •
        Route to connect West Bragg Creek trailhead to the summit of moose mountain and include some trail...
        53
        Ridgeback
        6 miles • 1,379 ft • 4 • Point to Point •
        Ridgeback was built and is maintained by the Calgary Mountain Bike Alliance. It's a mix of machine-built...
        403
        3 MTNS-HUSKY-MOOSE-BRAGG
        34 miles • 7,077 ft • 12 •
        up and down Husky- Moose- Bragg on blue trails
        3.8 ★★★★★
        15 Ratings
        5 ★ 20%
        4 ★ 60%
        3 ★ 7%
        2 ★ 7%
        1 ★ 7%

        2 Reviews & Comments

        Gonnad
        Ridden today dry I took Tom Snow back to the mountain road a few wet patches but ok.

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        Nearby Trails

        Station Flats

        • By onecogpaulTF Pro BCT CMBA AEF & contributors
        • #38385 - 3,772 views

        Frequently Asked Questions

        ▼ Where is Ridgeback – R4 located?
        Ridgeback – R4 is located in Station Flats, Bragg Creek, Alberta, Canada. It is part of the Station Flats trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates 50.92644, -114.75487.
        ▼ How hard is Ridgeback – R4?
        Ridgeback – R4 is rated as Blue difficulty. The physical rating is Moderate. The average grade is 5.1%. The climb difficulty is rated Blue.
        ▼ What is the elevation gain for Ridgeback – R4?
        Ridgeback – R4 has 20 ft of elevation gain. The trail has 291 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 5,122 ft to 5,406 ft.
        ▼ Is Ridgeback – R4 a point to point trail?
        Ridgeback – R4 is not a point to point trail. The direction is Both Directions. The trail type is singletrack.
        ▼ How long is Ridgeback – R4?
        Ridgeback – R4 is 1.0 mile long. The trail type is singletrack.
        ▼ Are dogs allowed on Ridgeback – R4?
        Yes, dogs are allowed on Ridgeback – R4. Please keep dogs on a leash where required and clean up after them.
        ▼ How do I access Ridgeback – R4? Where is the closest parking trailhead?
        The closest parking and trailhead locations to Ridgeback – R4 are: View all parking locations in the area.
        ▼ How long does it take to ride Ridgeback – R4?
        Based on recorded activities, it takes an average of 9 minutes to ride Ridgeback – R4. The trail is 1.0 mile long. Actual times will vary based on fitness level, conditions, and pace. View recent activity logs for more details.
        ▼ How busy is Ridgeback – R4?
        Ridgeback – R4 is a moderately popular trail. There have been 2,031 recorded activities on this trail. The trail has received 2,029 check-ins. View recent activity on this trail.

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