After an extended hiatus in Seattle, it’s so nice to be back in Vancouver, where there’s gravel accessible from pretty much all directions of the downtown core. That’s special, and under appreciated (you TRULY don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone).

But despite our embarrassment of riches, I still seem to ride the same general gravel areas over-and-over. So if you’re looking to break this cycle, and get outside the usual zones without leaving the city limits, the Riverview Loop has you covered. Designed with accessibility in mind, the route starts and finishes at the coffee shops, breweries — and transit hub — of Port Moody.

I’d classify the Riverview Loop as an all-road ride; a good mix of pea-gravel dykes, mellow forest paths and even a section or two of flowy single track thrown-in for good measure.

It’s low-elevation and mostly flat, so it’s good as a half-day ride during offseason weather-windows, or as a social ride with friends of different paces and gravel-comfort levels. It’s also got a ton of other great riding areas nearby, so it can serve as a solid jumping off point to longer rides in Anmore, Pitt Meadows, the Marshes etc. (connect it easily with our Burnaby Orbit route, the Golden Ears Hundo, OR BOTH to really make a day of it).

Highlights on the route include a hidden bird-lookout in Minnekhada Park, some fast singletrack trails in Riverview Forest, and a loop exploring some of the old Riverview Hospital buildings. If you’re fascinated by abandoned buildings like me, make sure you leave lots of time to check these out. There’s also a disc-golf course in Mundy Park, if you’re into that.

Happy trails,
Love Machine

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