Building trails in St. John’s Newfoundland

The White Hills trail system in St. John’s, Newfoundland, offers a unique blend of gnarly, enduro-style trails. There are stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean and the town itself. Since 1997, Chris Jerrett has been at the heart of the trail-building efforts, working to transform the landscape into a playground for mountain bikers. With a trail that ends right at the Quidi Vidi Brewery, it’s hard to beat as a riding destination. 

From military road to singletrack

The White Hills’ trail network is rooted in history. 

“We started off just reopening all the trails that were first used for the military base that was there,” says Jerrett. “So there were trails and roads and jeep tracks that went from bunkers and lookout points. These were from the Second World War and the Cold War, we just started reopening them and creating new trails. And then we just kind of went with that. Then we started to open up animal tracks becauseunder the Crown Lands Act here in Newfoundland, if it was an existing trail, you were allowed to open it up as a trail. We didn’t know the land was owned by the Feds. So that was how we started.”

The Avalon Mountain Bike Association

As the trail network grew, so did the need for organization. The Avalon Mountain Bike Association (AMBA) was formed, providing a communication link between the trail builders and various government bodies. Federal regulations can slow the process of adding new trails. But AMBA works tirelessly to ensure the community’s voice is heard, advocating for expanded access and improved trail infrastructure.

Hand-built trails

One of the hallmarks of White Hills is the hand-built nature of the trails. “I like building the trails by hand,” says Jerrett. “Volunteers primarily hand build in the White Hills. We get probably about 20-to-30 people out on a good afternoon.”

The trail network now has about 35 km of trail with four climbing zones with a vertical drop of 170 m.

The future of White Hills

Currently on federal land and managed by public works that may change in the future. 

“I met with Steven Guilbeault, the minister of environment and so did AMBA,” says Jerrett,  

“Parks Canada has created this new plan and initiative to develop urban parks near urban centers. So the future is possibly Parks Canada taking over the whole zone.”

Something that Jerrett is excited and optimistic about. It would…