more stats
4,209 ft
Distance
-589 ft
Descent
00:07:28
Avg time
-589 ft
Altitude change
3,422 ft
Altitude min
4,011 ft
Altitude max
4,011 ft
Altitude start
3,422 ft
Altitude end
-14%
Grade
-37.5%
Grade max
4,131 ft
Distance down
82 ft
Distance flat
00:07:28
Avg time

Upper First Notch Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
    • E-Bike
  • Riding Area
    Gillard
    Kelowna, British Columbia
  • Difficulty Rating
  • Voted Difficulty
    Black Diamond (1 vote)
  • Local Popularity
    90 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • 85 in E-Biking
  • Global Ranking
    #58440 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • #34874 in E-Biking
  • Trail Type
    Singletrack
  • Bike Type
    AM
  • Direction
    Downhill Only
    Popular Direction Shown
  • Season
    June-October
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes
  • eBike Allowed
  • TTFs on Trail
    A-Frame, Berm, Drop, Jump, Rock Garden
  • Land Owner
    Rec Sites and Trail BC

Reopened in 2020. Mostly a fast old-school single track with off camber corners and a relatively mellow grade. Riders will encounter some mellow jumps and drops. There are a couple short but mandatory black sections, the first being a steep and loose drop-in chute, the second a chunky rock garden two thirds down. Oh, and the notorious baby head alley in the middle. Bring psi.

Local Trail Association
Traditionally Indigenous Territory

Recent Activity on Trail

Past Week
  • 0 rides
  •  
6 Months
  • 59 rides
  • 11 miles avg distance
All
  • 212 rides
  • Last: Aug 3, 2026
c1c2c3c4
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
update trails status or condition

Upper First Notch Trail Reports

statusdatedescription
Jun 14, 2026 @ 10:09am (America/Vancouver)
Jun 14, 2026
Tree down
May 18, 2025 @ 7:52am
May 18, 2025
Entry chute is a greasy slip n' slide...fun if that's your thing. Perfect spring riding for the rest.
May 7, 2025 @ 5:28pm
May 7, 2025
All dry. Good to go.
Apr 25, 2025 @ 8:41am
Apr 25, 2025
Bottom of the top chute a bog. Probably needs a week or so to not damage the trail. Other all good except for a log in the lower forest. It has...
Apr 25, 2025 @ 8:38am
Apr 25, 2025
Still a bog at the top. Easy to ride but super bad for the trail. I’d give it 5 days or so
more »
Status:
on Jun 14, 2026
Avg: 4.35 (5 votes)
Your vote: 0

view (1,072)
close
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. ?
Personal Heatmap
Activity Types
all / none
Options
2
Date range month
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 upper-first-notch trailhead (49.758710, -119.458330)

        Photos

        16 more »
        mtb
        1,049 |
        Nov 16, 2013 @ 8:17pm
        Nov 16, 2013
        mtb
        427 |
        Nov 16, 2013 @ 8:18pm
        Nov 16, 2013
        mtb
        621 |
        Nov 16, 2013 @ 8:18pm
        Nov 16, 2013
        mtb
        487 |
        Nov 16, 2013 @ 8:18pm
        Nov 16, 2013

        Videos

        1 more »
        Dusty Steeps | First Notch - Gillard
        mtb
        7:33 | 530 | Aug 10, 2023 , Kelowna

        Technical Trail Features (TTF)

        Routes with this trail

        5.0 16 miles 4,029 ft 13 Loop Race
        Marin Wildside MEGA Enduro - Long and E-Bike Course Stage 1) First Notch FULL Stage 2) to bottom of Stage...
        1 mile 1
        Riders will get to the top of . Timed Segment will go from Top of , until the end of .
        9 miles 2,128 ft 7 Race
        2026 Marin Wild Side MEGA Short Course Stage 1) First Notch FULL Stage 2) to Lower Yo Mamma Stage 3)...

        Reviews / Comments

        No reviews yet, be the first to write a review or ask a question.
        Use trail reports to comment on trail conditions.


        We hope you've been enjoying Trailforks!

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

        Nearby Trails

        • By smokeTF Pro Simpcw & contributors
        • #19201 - 3,748 views

        Frequently Asked Questions About Upper First Notch

        Where is Upper First Notch located?
        Upper First Notch is located in Gillard, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. It is part of the Gillard trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates 49.75871, -119.45833.
        How hard is Upper First Notch?
        Upper First Notch is rated as Black Diamond difficulty. The average grade is 14%.
        What is the elevation gain for Upper First Notch?
        The trail has 589 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 3,422 ft to 4,011 ft.
        Is Upper First Notch a point to point trail?
        Yes, Upper First Notch is a point to point trail. The direction is Downhill Only. The trail type is singletrack.
        How long is Upper First Notch?
        Upper First Notch is 4,209 ft long. The trail type is singletrack.
        Are dogs allowed on Upper First Notch?
        Yes, dogs are allowed on Upper First Notch. Please keep dogs on a leash where required and clean up after them.
        When is the best time of year to ride Upper First Notch?
        Based on activity log data, the most popular months to ride Upper First Notch are:
        • October (8 activities)
        • July (7 activities)
        • June (4 activities)
        Check the reports page for current trail conditions.
        How do I access Upper First Notch? Where is the closest parking trailhead?
        The closest parking and trailhead locations to Upper First Notch are: View all parking locations in the area.
        How long does it take to ride Upper First Notch?
        Based on recorded activities, it takes an average of 7 minutes to ride Upper First Notch. The trail is 4,209 ft long. Actual times will vary based on fitness level, conditions, and pace. View recent activity logs for more details.
        How busy is Upper First Notch?
        Upper First Notch is a very popular trail. There have been 1,091 recorded activities on this trail. The trail has received 1,072 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.