more stats
1.5 miles
Distance
323 ft
Climb
-394 ft
Descent
00:18:51
Avg time
-69 ft
Altitude change
3,717 ft
Altitude min
4,097 ft
Altitude max
3,788 ft
Altitude start
3,720 ft
Altitude end
-0.9%
Grade
-54.7%
Grade max
27.5%
Grade min
3,451 ft
Distance climb
3,881 ft
Distance down
643 ft
Distance flat
00:18:51
Avg time

Roots Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
    • E-Bike
    • Hike
    • Trail Running
    • Snowshoe
  • Riding Area
    Castle Mountain
    Fernie, British Columbia
  • Difficulty Rating
  • Local Popularity
    85 in Mountain Biking heatmap [+]
    • 85 in E-Biking
    • 80 in Trail Running
    • 75 in Hiking
    • 5 in Snowshoeing
  • Global Ranking
    #87732 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • #23515 in E-Biking
    • #114539 in Trail Running
    • #123375 in Hiking
    • #16488 in Snowshoeing
  • Provincial Ranking
    #4,428 in Mountain Biking · British Columbia [+]
    • #1,556 in E-Biking
    • #6,490 in Trail Running
    • #6,726 in Hiking
    • #1,020 in Snowshoeing
  • Hiking SAC Scale
    T2 Mountain Hiking
  • Trail Exposure
    High Risk
  • Trail Type
    Singletrack
  • Bike Type
    AM, XC
  • Climb Difficulty
    Blue
  • Physical Rating
    Hard
  • Trail Visibility
    Always easy to follow
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes
  • eBike Allowed
    Yes up to Class 1
  • TTFs on Trail
    Bridge

One of the original Fernie trails. Not quite as Rooty and unpleasant as the name might suggest. Classic old school up and down and offers lots of options to hook into other trails. Fun as a downhill especially if you keep going down onto Montane.

Section between River Road and Snoop Lion is part of the Elk Valley / TransCanada Trail.
The section from River Road at the north end to the summit is primarily used as a climb, while the other leg is used frequently in either direction.

Access Info

Either off of Montane of bottom of Hypervent.

Tags
BridgesSummit

Local Trail Association

Traditionally Indigenous Territory

Recent Activity on Trail

Past Week
  • 1 rides
  • 26.6 km average
6 Months
  • 139 rides
  • 15.4 km avg distance
All
  • 937 rides
  • Last: Nov 7, 2026
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update trails status or condition

Roots Trail Reports

statusdatedescription
Oct 30, 2026 @ 12:52pm (America/Edmonton)
Oct 30, 2026
reporter Exercise caution in area - there was a recent dangerous cougar incident on Off Shift. It's recommended to travel in groups or avoid area entirely....
Oct 24, 2026 @ 8:13am (America/Edmonton)
Oct 24, 2026
reporter Exercise caution in area - there was a recent dangerous cougar incident on Off Shift. It's recommended to travel in groups or avoid area entirely.
Sep 23, 2026 @ 11:01am (America/Creston)
Sep 23, 2026
Sep 4, 2026 @ 12:13pm (America/Creston)
Sep 4, 2026
reporter
Jul 12, 2026 @ 7:57am (America/Creston)
Jul 12, 2026
reporter
more »
Status:
on Oct 30, 2026
Avg: 3.46 (18 votes)
Your vote: 0

view (4,397)
close
      Directions to roots-36205 trailhead (49.486380, -115.049950)

      Photos

      9 more »
      mtb
      175 |
      Apr 29, 2019 @ 5:24pm
      Apr 29, 2019
      mtb
      177 |
      Apr 29, 2019 @ 5:20pm
      Apr 29, 2019
      mtb
      157 |
      Apr 21, 2019 @ 5:39pm
      Apr 21, 2019
      mtb
      156 |
      May 27, 2018 @ 10:42am
      May 27, 2018

      Videos

      1 more »
      Castle Mountain || MTB Girl || Scott Genius
      mtb
      3:41 | 873 | Aug 14, 2018 , Fernie

      Routes with this trail

      more »
      30 miles • 4,685 ft • 16 • Loop •
      Fernie Trail to Ale route with Today's Special instead of Hyperextension. Start and finish at the brewery....
      ★ 5.0 • 7 miles • 959 ft • 45 • Out & Back •
      This loop takes you from downtown Fernie up through the Montane trail network. Nice climbs that meander...
      ★ 4.0 • 30 miles • 6,600 ft • 62 •
      Here we have the 2018 Fernie Mountain Bike Club High Roller Route!
      3.3 ★★★★★
      18 Ratings
      5 ★ 6%
      4 ★ 56%
      3 ★ 17%
      2 ★ 6%
      1 ★ 17%

      Reviews / Comments

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      • By yulortscherTF Pro & contributors
      • #36205 - 4,854 views

      Frequently Asked Questions

      ▼ Where is Roots located?
      Roots is located in Castle Mountain, Fernie, British Columbia, Canada. It is part of the Castle Mountain trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates 49.48638, -115.04995.
      ▼ How hard is Roots?
      Roots is rated as Blue difficulty. The physical rating is Hard. The average grade is 0.9%. The climb difficulty is rated Blue.
      ▼ What is the elevation gain for Roots?
      Roots has 323 ft of elevation gain. The trail has 394 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 3,717 ft to 4,097 ft.
      ▼ How long is Roots?
      Roots is 1.5 miles long. The trail type is singletrack.
      ▼ Are dogs allowed on Roots?
      Yes, dogs are allowed on Roots. Please keep dogs on a leash where required and clean up after them.
      ▼ When is the best time of year to ride Roots?
      Based on activity log data, the most popular months to ride Roots are:
      • July (98 activities)
      • August (81 activities)
      • June (63 activities)
      Check the reports page for current trail conditions.
      ▼ How do I access Roots? Where is the closest parking trailhead?
      The closest parking and trailhead locations to Roots are: View all parking locations in the area.
      ▼ How long does it take to ride Roots?
      Based on recorded activities, it takes an average of 19 minutes to ride Roots. The trail is 1.5 miles long. Actual times will vary based on fitness level, conditions, and pace. View recent activity logs for more details.
      ▼ How busy is Roots?
      Roots is a very popular trail. There have been 4,430 recorded activities on this trail. The trail has received 4,397 check-ins. View recent activity on this trail.

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