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2.7 miles
Distance
369 ft
Climb
-549 ft
Descent
00:38:21
Avg time
-181 ft
Altitude change
4,601 ft
Altitude min
4,895 ft
Altitude max
4,784 ft
Altitude start
4,603 ft
Altitude end
-1.3%
Grade
-33.1%
Grade max
24.5%
Grade min
4,718 ft
Distance climb
1 mile
Distance down
3,839 ft
Distance flat
00:38:21
Avg time
Topp Notch Details
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Activities
- Mountain Bike
- E-Bike
- Hike
- Trail Running
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Riding AreaTunnel Mountain Bench Area
Banff, Alberta -
Difficulty Rating
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Voted DifficultyBlack Diamond (1 vote)
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Local Popularity100 in Mountain Biking [+]
- 100 in E-Biking
- 85 in Trail Running
- 60 in Hiking
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Global Ranking
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Provincial Ranking
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Trail TypeSingletrack
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Bike TypeAM, XC
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Physical RatingModerate
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Dogs AllowedYes
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eBike AllowedYes up to Class 1
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TTFs on TrailBerm, Bridge, Drop, Jump, Rock Face, Rock Garden, Skinny
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Year Opened2014
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Land Owner
Topp Notch begins with a squirrel catcher [mandatory feature] meant to weed out the less experienced. If you cannot ride this feature, head back down to Star Wars. Once past the entry on Topp Notch, the trail will climb several switchbacks towards the first large feature, the Big Daddy corner. What follows next can only be described as incredible flow along some challenging technical trail features (TTFs). Most TTFs are pretty wide, and very well built. Some new features require jumping skills but all have a "ride around" and are marked with black and blue arrows. The end of the trail rolls right into Return of the Jedi so you can climb back up.
Built entirely by hand over 3 years with 3500+ hours of volunteer labour, this trail is named after Doug Topp, former president of the Bow Valley Mountain Bike Alliance and all-around good guy. Buy him a beer.
Access Info
The access to Topp Notch is found west of the Star Wars trailhead, accessible from Tunnel Mountain Road and located across (south) from Buffalo Mountain Lodge. As you approach the trailhead for Star Wars (30 metres in), continue right (west) and past the entry to Star Wars up the trail. From here, there are markers and arrows pointing you in the direction of Topp Notch.
Traditionally Indigenous Territory
Recent Activity on Trail
Past Week
- 6 rides
- 10 miles average
6 Months
- 111 rides
- 10 miles avg distance
All
- 594 rides
- Last: Sep 27, 2026
| c1 | c2 | c3 | c4 |
|---|---|---|---|
January | February | March | April |
May | June | July | August |
September | October | November | December |
Topp Notch Trail Reports
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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
Trail Flow (Ridden Direction)
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The colour categories are based on what percentage of users are riding a trail in its intended direction.
The colour categories are based on what percentage of users are riding a trail in its intended direction.
- > 96%
- > 90%
- > 80%
- > 70%
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- < 50%
- bi-directional trail
- no data
Trail Last Used
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- < 1 week
- < 2 weeks
- < 1 month
- < 6 months
- > 6 months
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- Downhill Primary
- Both Directions
- Uphill Primary
- Uphill Only
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Trail Popularity ?
Trailforks scans activity logs to determine which trails are ridden the most in the last 9 months.
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BC Backroad Status
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Directions to topp-notch trailhead
(51.181940, -115.552720)
Photos
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Trail Lists
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2018 Shred List85 trails -
2019 Riding List
13 trails
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2020 Riding Wishlist
18 trails
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Links
34 Reviews & Comments
advocate
Rode yesterday, running like a dream. Thanks BVMBA!
WisemanJeff
Pretty great trail, first time riding it, kudos to the builders out in Banff! Would be better 2nd time thru for sure with a bit more time to sort out the ttf’s properly.
BLWeHc
If not my favourite trail it’s top 3. The new features this year are awesome! Cheers BVTBS- thank you for amazing work. Highly recommend. Challenging climbs and excellent payoff. It’s like 3 trails in one: moderately challenging climbs, flows decent then the bottom feels like a visit to Squamish: mossy rocks, loamy, and tricky rock gardens.
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Nearby Trails
- Star Wars 0 ft
- Star Wars And Topp Notch Connector 226 ft
- Banff Avenue 1,529 ft
- Banff Avenue Connector 2,044 ft
- Tunnel Mountain Campground Loop 2,388 ft
Tunnel Mountain Bench Area
- By megand
& contributors - #10026 - 37,284 views
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