Hi all!
I'm just wondering if you guys on the North Shore are paying for trail access? If so, how much per ride/per year/per membership?
Here in Quebec, we have very few trails left with free access, otherwise it's all managed by trail centres who charge fees for each day out or a yearly pass. We're not talking lift-accessed riding here, only general trails. Fees range from 12$/day to 25$/day with taxes, or 180-250$/year per trail centre. We don't have any crown land left to build close to cities anymore, and all what's left is negotiated and picked up by those trail centres who do it "to help people go outdoors".
All of those (non profit) trail centres receive government grants to build and maintain trails, have volunteers who help and we still have to pay what I find are expensive fees to ride each time. This is enforced by gates, visitor centres and trail patrollers who check to validate if you have your day pass or membership. Having employees to maintain the visitor centres and manage the visitor fees is probably eating a good chunk of those entry fees, but we also have what I'd call luxury buildings to have a snack, bike rentals and go to the restrooms.
Keep in mind that we can only ride 5 months a year here and if we're going fat biking that's another different membership for another 150-200$ even if it's at the same trail centre.
Fees have grown around 20-33% at every place in the last few years, and it's not looking like it's going to plateau anytime soon. Velo Quebec, the province's biking organization says that it's how it works here and that won't change. I have spent many summers riding in Alberta, BC, Yukon and outside of a club membership of 20-50$, I haven't paid a daily entry fee to ride in any of those places.
Is it me being too cheap, too poor or is this getting pretty expensive per year? Please share your thoughts! Thanks!
Last edited by: martin on May 7, 2021, 6:48 p.m., edited 1 time in total.